There's nothing like a visit to an old friend. The Saab 9-5 SportWagon was our first PG On Wheels test model three years ago.

And just like an old friend, the Saab 9-5 doesn't disappoint. With a turbocharged engine, supportive seats that mean business, taut sports suspension, performance tires and aluminum wheels, the 9-5 Aero SportWagon is just that -- a fun sports wagon.

2003 Saab 9-5 Aero SportWagon. The Bottom Line -- Price: $41,800. Fuel economy: 19 city, 28 highway. Estimated annual fuel cost: $1,077. Powertrain: 2.3-liter, 4-cylinder, 250-horsepower turbocharged engine; 5-speed automatic transmission

Powered by a 250-horsepower, 2.3-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, the SportWagon isn't particularly spectacular during the launch -- that is, the first few minutes or so of driving. In fact, it's pretty mild-mannered -- until you put the pedal to the metal.

Then it's time to hang on! The 9-5 SportWagon moves out authoritatively, the turbo set-up performing seamlessly without any sudden jerks or abrupt acceleration. Hit the "S" or "sport" setting on the top of the gear shift for the 5-speed electronic automatic and your enjoyment grows. The setting regulates the engine's response to your commands based on your foot pressure.

Handling is crisp and reassuring, with little body lean or wavering, but it doesn't have quite enough "edge" or "snap" to put it into the category of having true sports car style road manners.

Generally speaking, the ride is firm and comfortable under most conditions, but watch out for those Pittsburgh ruts, bumps and potholes.

Hit one and your teeth will really rattle; the suspension is not particularly absorbent in such situations.

Inside the 9-5 Aero, you're greeted by comfortable, supportive seats that you sit in, not on, as you do in many cars. The bolsters wrap around your shoulders and legs, and there's no scooting around as you drive the car and take on corners.

But the backs of the seats really steal the show. Headrests are in the right spots, and the back of the seat extends up past my shoulders. There's a generous, well-positioned armrest too.

Problems were minor and mainly related to some ergonomic issues. Of course, there's that ignition switch between the seats, but that's a Saab thing I wouldn't want to lose.

The power window buttons are poorly located on the console. You lift up on the top two to raise the windows, and you do the same on the switches controlling the back windows. But you have to contort your hand and wrist to get your fingers up under the switch so you can operate them.

Then there was the door lock system. A car this expensive should have door locks that automatically engage at a certain speed.

I also was annoyed by what I think was the unusually loud clicking noise of the turn signal system when it was engaged. It sounded tinny and cheap. Another fairly minor yet bothersome thing was the size of the steering wheel. It felt too large, which wouldn't have been a problem if the car itself were not a sporty one.

But on the plus side, the 9-5 Aero is loaded, and what it doesn't have, you can get.

You can order just about every conceivable kind of carrier or rack there is to custom fit the load space for your own personal or pet needs -- cargo nets, side nets, cargo space dividers, cargo guards, cool/heater boxes, rubber mats, bike and ski holders.

You can get a parking assist system, memory settings for seats and mirrors, ventilated seats with three fan settings and OnStar, and the cooled glove box is standard.

Then there's all the security equipment that helps make the 9-5 Aero one of the most stable rides on the road: antilock brakes and an electronic stability program that cuts down on slides and untoward behavior.

There's electronic brake-force distribution, that divides the brake power between front and rear wheels depending on how the car is loaded. And there's traction control, too.

It's all there -- and still all about fun.

First Published: August 1, 2003, 4:00 a.m.