Saab 9-5 Wheels and Rims

Saab 9-5 Aftermarket Wheel Fitment

The Saab 9-5 was the Swedish brand's executive sedan and wagon, sold in the United States from 1999 through 2011 across two distinct generations. Element Wheels measures fitment on both 9-5 generations from our fitment facility in Chandler, Arizona. The 1st generation 9-5 (1999-2009) is built on the GM2900 platform inherited from the Saab 9000, sold in sedan and SportCombi wagon body styles. The 2nd generation 9-5 (2010-2011), commonly called the 9-5 Aero Sedan or NG9-5, moved to the GM Epsilon II platform and shares mechanical underpinnings with the Buick LaCrosse and the Cadillac XTS. Production of the 2nd gen 9-5 ended when Saab Automobile AB filed for bankruptcy in 2011, making it one of the rarest Saabs in the US market.

Wheel fitment is not the same across the two generations. The 1st gen 9-5 runs 5x110 with a 65.1mm hub bore and uses M12x1.5 lug bolts in the European convention. The 2nd gen Aero Sedan moved to 5x120 with a 66.9mm hub bore and uses M14x1.5 lug nuts on studs (the GM convention from the LaCrosse). A wheel that fits the 1st gen 9-5 will NOT bolt onto the 2nd gen 9-5. Pick your generation below for the fitment specs that apply to your specific 9-5.

Find Your Saab 9-5 Generation

Pick your generation to see wheels and rims that fit your specific 9-5. The two generations sit on different platforms with different bolt patterns, different hub bores, and different lug geometry. Confirm your year before shopping.

The Saab 9-5 Bolt Pattern Changed Between Generations

The 1st gen 9-5 (1999-2009) runs 5x110 with a 65.1mm hub bore and uses M12x1.5 lug bolts. This is the same bolt pattern, hub bore, and lug geometry used by the Saab 9-3 of the same era, so a 9-3 wheel will bolt onto a 1st gen 9-5 (geometry permitting), and vice versa. The 5x110 pattern is also shared with the Pontiac G6 and the Chevrolet Malibu of the same era, though the hub bores differ.

The 2nd gen 9-5 (2010-2011, Aero Sedan, also called the NG9-5) is a different car. Saab moved the 9-5 to the GM Epsilon II platform for the final two model years, sharing the architecture with the Buick LaCrosse and the Cadillac XTS. The bolt pattern moved to 5x120 with a 66.9mm hub bore, and the lug geometry switched from European-style M12x1.5 lug bolts to GM-style M14x1.5 lug nuts on studs. A wheel from a 1st gen 9-5 will NOT bolt onto a 2nd gen 9-5, and a wheel from a Buick LaCrosse of the same era is the closest cross-platform option for the 2nd gen car.

A note on 5x120: the Saab 9-5 Aero Sedan shares the 5x120 pattern with the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, and the BMW 5 Series of the same era, but the BMW 5 Series uses M14x1.5 lug bolts (not nuts) and a different hub bore (72.6mm vs the 9-5's 66.9mm), so a 5 Series wheel will not work on the 9-5 Aero without geometry verification. Compare across the rest of the Saab lineup at our Saab wheels and rims hub.

Why the Saab 9-5 Runs Square Fitment

Every US-market Saab 9-5 is a front wheel drive car. The 1st gen 9-5 was sold as a sedan and a SportCombi wagon, both FWD. The 2nd gen 9-5 Aero Sedan was sold only as a sedan, also FWD in US trim. (Saab did offer XWD on the 2nd gen 9-5 in other markets, but US allocation was FWD only.) Front wheel drive cars do not have the symmetric AWD constraint that forces matched circumference at all four corners, but the 9-5 is a square fitment car in practice. The Element catalog rows for both generations carry matched front-rear width and matched front-rear brake. That is how customers buy wheels for this platform.

The 9-5 was built as an executive sedan with conservative factory wheel sizing. Factory widths range from 6.5 inch on entry 1st gen trims up to 8 inch on the 2nd gen 9-5 Aero. The factory diameter window is 16 to 18 inch on the 1st gen and 17 to 19 inch on the 2nd gen. Higher trims of both generations shipped on wider and larger wheels but the brake package stayed matched front to rear across every variant. We measure each generation directly, which is what produced the publishable factory and aftermarket windows below.

Every wheel we recommend is backed by our Fitment Guarantee. If a wheel does not fit, we pick up the wheels and refund 100 percent. No risk to you.

How We Confirm Fitment on Saab 9-5 Wheels

Element Wheels measures fitment on the platforms we sell wheels for, including both generations of the Saab 9-5. For the 9-5 that means clearance from the wheel to the fender, gap between the back of the wheel and the suspension, brake caliper height, hub bore confirmation (65.1mm on the 1st gen and 66.9mm on the 2nd gen Aero Sedan), lug geometry confirmation (bolts on the 1st gen, nuts on studs on the 2nd gen), and confirmation that the wheel and tire match circumference front to rear. At our fitment facility in Chandler, Arizona, the Element Wheels team measures directly on the physical platforms we support. We don't pull specs from manufacturer sheets the way most retailers do. That measurement work is what produced the publishable windows in the callout above.

Saab 9-5 Wheels and Rims FAQ

Get Saab 9-5 Wheels Right the First Time

Pick your generation above to see wheels and rims that fit. We measure on the 9-5 across both generations, track the 2010 platform change, and confirm bolt pattern, hub bore, and lug geometry for each year you specify. Find your fit and start enjoying your build sooner.