Test Perfomance SAAB 9-5

While Muller clearly has an affinity for the Swedish marque, he insists it wasn't boyhood sentiment that drove the purchase – it was the company's robust Trollhättan operations and a raft of promising, almost-here product that pushed his team to persevere. That stream of shiny new tin begins with the car you see before you: The 2010 9-5. Click through to the jump to see if Muller and Company have good reason to be optimistic.

The 2.0-liter engine suffers more turbo lag than newer designs like Volkswagen's 2.0 TSI engine. It is slightly weak at low speeds, and power comes on with a bang once the turbo spools up. The 2.8-liter V6 has less lag. The 2.8T performs well at all speeds, although it is no stronger than the normally aspirated V6s in rivals like the Acura TSX. Both 9-3 engines are smooth, but their persistent exhaust drone at cruising speeds annoys some reviewers.