IF you take your load carrying as seriously as your driving, and want real pace, all packaged in a premium-market motor, do not settle for anything less than a Saab 9-5 estate.

In the classy cargo-carrier stakes, the Saab 9-5 is a genuine all-round thoroughbred, and is rarely beaten out of the starting gate.

You can rein in the turbocharged power, or let it go at full flow - with the added bonus of the gutsy engine not giving up one iota of acceleration even if you're fully loaded up.

The latest 9-5s are good news for cost-conscious executives, too: not only do they get you to the customers quicker, they have improved fuel economy and a reduction in C02 levels to cut tax liability.

The tested 9-5 2.3t Vector estate (Saab designate their models Linear, Arc and Vector, each denoting different levels of comfort, and equipment) packs 185bhp of punch, with turbocharging on the four cylinders seeing it rocket up to 60mph in 8.4-seconds. Going flat out means more than just breaking the speed limit, so there are revs in reserve for overtaking on the motorways.

Turbocharging also brings the benefit of 40mpg-plus on long runs, even if the official city figure is a lowly 21.7mpg.

Saab offer a good spread of engines to suit most tastes, ranging from the 2.0 litre turbo to the big V6 3.0 unit in a choice of petrol or diesel form.

But the big car's real lure for the driving purists is its ability to handle and respond with the same pinpoint precision as a two-seater roadster. Pricing of the spacious Saab 9-5 is nicely pitched, too. The estate range starts at £21,995, a lot less than you would pay for cramped rear seat room in a smaller, similarly-equipped, BMW 3 Series.

With the 2.3t sitting around the middle of the power offerings, the Vector version is a solid buy for £24,495. It builds on the Linear and Arc's specifications, adding 17-inch alloy wheels leather and textile sports seats, front fog lamps, and a superb audio system to basic items such as traction control, anti-lock brakes, power steering, full safety package, electric windows, mobile phone fittings, and dual-zone climate system.

When it comes down to cabin comfort, few car interiors function as fluently as the Saab.

The secret is in the designers' approach to the ergonomics, building the environment around the driver, as opposed to sitting the driver into something they have dreamed up.

Big drivers especially will appreciate both the generous elbow and leg room and the extensive seat adjustment. Night outings are a lot less stressful, too, with the immense visual clarity afforded by the long reach of the big bi-xenon headlights. Auto-levelling is built in, too, a useful feature in a load-lugger. To round off the 9-5 estate's capabilities is a cavernous 1,498 litres of luggage space, with rear seats folded down.

Factfile

Saab 9-5 estate Vector 2.3t £24,795. Saab 9-5 estate range from Linear 2.0t (£21,995) to Vector 3.0t V6 (£28,495)

Bodyshell/drivetrain: 4.82m by 1.79m, four-door saloon; 2290cc, 185bhp four-cylinder light-pressure turbo engine, driving front wheels through five-speed manual gearbox

Company car tax liability: 217g per km CO2 emissions (25 per cent of cost of car when new, taxed)

Performance/economy: 0-60mph in 8.4 seconds. City 21.7mpg, country 41.5mpg, combined 31mpg.

Fuel tank: 75 litres.

Insurance group: 14.

Warranty: three years/60,000 miles.

Updated: 11:25 Friday, July 25, 2003