FuelFacts

2004 Saab 9-5 Wagon MPG & Specs — Real-World vs EPA, All Trims

It depends on the trim. Some versions take premium and some take regular — check your exact engine/transmission below.

20–22
MPG combined (17–18 city / 26–27 hwy)
$2,591–$3,510
est. fuel / year (today's prices, 15k mi)
Varies by trim
gas type

Is the 2004 Saab 9-5 Wagon good on gas?

At up to 22 MPG combined, the 2004 Saab 9-5 Wagon is about average for a Midsize Station Wagons — that class averages about 21.1 MPG across 609 EPA-tested versions, so it's middle-of-the-road for its size.

Real-world MPG vs the EPA number

The EPA figures above come from a standardized dynamometer test, not the open road — real-world MPG typically runs a bit lower depending on your driving, climate and terrain. That's true of every car on this site, old or new.

This 2004 model was originally EPA-tested under the pre-2008 2-cycle method, which didn't account for highway speeds over 60 mph, air-conditioner use, or cold starts. When EPA overhauled the test for model year 2008, city ratings fell by about 12% and highway by about 8% on average industry-wide — and EPA retroactively adjusted every 1984-2007 rating to the stricter standard so old and new cars could be compared fairly. The MPG above is already on that modern scale — the window sticker on this car when it was new likely showed a higher, pre-2008-method number.

At today's AAA national average price — $3.80/gal for regular gas as of 2026-07-05 — the most efficient trim runs about $2,591/year (roughly $216/month, about $17.27 per 100 miles) at the EPA's assumed 15,000 miles/year, using an estimated 682 gallons a year. We don't estimate a cost-per-fill since exact tank size isn't in the public EPA dataset, but the per-100-mile figure scales to any tank. Current national average gas prices →

2004 Saab 9-5 Wagon trims & fuel economy

Trim (engine / transmission)FuelMPGFuel/yr (today's price)
2.3L 4-cyl, 5-spd manual, FWDREGULAR22$2,591
2.3L 4-cyl, 5-spd manual, FWDREGULAR21$2,714
2.3L 4-cyl, S5 automatic, FWDREGULAR20$2,850
2.3L 4-cyl, S5 automatic, FWDREGULAR20$2,850
2.3L 4-cyl, 5-spd manual, FWDPREMIUM21$3,343
2.3L 4-cyl, S5 automatic, FWDPREMIUM20$3,510
Where the EPA lists premium, that’s the fuel the maker specified for the mileage test — many such engines run on regular with slightly less power/MPG. Whether premium is required or just recommended is an owner’s-manual detail the EPA dataset omits, so we don’t guess it.

2004 Saab 9-5 Wagon specs

What the EPA test-car listings record for this model year — every combination sold is a row in the trims table above.

Engine options2.3L 4-cyl turbo
Transmission5-spd manual · S5 automatic
Drive typeFWD
EPA body classMidsize Station Wagons
FuelVaries by trim

Other years of the Saab 9-5 Wagon

2005 Saab 9-5 Wagon2003 Saab 9-5 Wagon2002 Saab 9-5 Wagon2001 Saab 9-5 Wagon2000 Saab 9-5 Wagon1999 Saab 9-5 Wagon

Similar cars (Midsize Station Wagons)

2004 Subaru Legacy/Outback Wagon AWD2004 Mercedes-Benz E500 (Wagon)2003 Saturn LW2002005 Saturn LW3002005 Mercedes-Benz E320 (Wagon)2003 Mercedes-Benz E320 4Matic (Wagon)

Cars that take premium · Cheapest cars to fuel · Where fuel grade depends on the trim · Fuel guides

6 trim(s) · EPA FuelEconomy.gov data retrieved 2026-07-24 · fuel prices AAA national average as of 2026-07-05.