Saab 9-3
and Saab 9-5
Price: 9-3 from £18,575 and 9-5 from £21,125
For: Saab image; powerful and characterful petrol engines; good crash protection; comfy cabins
Against: Not exactly state-of-the-art, especially aged 9-5
Affordable, comfortable and well-engineered, the big Saabs have been around for a while, but still look good – and both have five-star Euro NCAP crash test ratings. The 9-5 was thoroughly overhauled in 2005; this comes in saloon and estate forms, and is a relatively conservative large family car. Choose from a series of turbocharged petrol engines – typically Saab – or the good GM 1.9-litre diesel (150bhp).
The 9-3 is a little smaller – but still pretty big by any standards – and comes as a saloon or estate (there’s also the popular 2+2-seater convertible). 
It’s much more sports-focused than the 9-5, and the latest versions include four-wheel-drive models with a highly turbocharged 2.8-litre V6. The 2.0-litre turbos are cheaper to run, obviously, and there’s also a 180bhp diesel.
