WHEN you're told you can't have something, there's an overwhelming and natural instinct to want that very object or experience.

And that's exactly what could be happening with Saab cars, which sadly filed for bankruptcy in December.

Although there exist some slim hopes that the Swedish marque, with a fiercely loyal band of customers, might yet be resurrected, production ended months ago.

But you can still pick up some keenly-priced new and used Saabs from dealers which could well gain value as collectors scrabble over top condition models.

I recently tried a flagship 9-5, introduced a couple of years ago to steal sales from the BMW 5-Series, Mercedes E-Class and Audi A6.

With huge passenger and luggage capacity, the 2.0-litre turbo diesel cuts an elegant sight with its long nose and sweeping tail - more imposing in many respects than its rivals.

The Aero TTiD is one of a modern breed of prestige saloons that acknowledges green credentials and running costs - despite a credible performance, it manages 40-plus mpg and has a decent CO2 figure of 159g/km.

Unlike its German rivals, the 9-5 puts an emphasis on comfort and space rather than sporting qualities.

It can't match the BMW for handling and intuitiveness and trails behind Merc and Audi in outright speed.

But the legroom front and rear is unrivalled and the boot can swallow up a massive 513-litres of luggage making it one of the most commodious saloons in its sector.

The cabin is attractively styled with fascia that bears the influence of Saab's aeroplane designing heritage. Quality of materials is top class and there are some nice touches like the leather-covered gear knob and the front and rear map reading lights.

With a list price of £32,165 - though it's open market now on deals - there's a lot of kit as standard.

Leather faced seating, dual zone climate control, humidity sensors and heated front seats are all in with the spec. Sat nav and metallic paint come as extras.

Although the accent is on relaxed comfort, the TTiD isn't the quietest of diesels. At low speed it has that slightly agricultural rumble that has been largely banished by prestige marques.

Once you are up to motorway speeds noise levels drop back and cruising is effortless. It turns in a usefully brisk set of figures - 0-62mph comes up in 8.2 seconds and the top speed is 143mph.

The six-speed gearbox has a crisp action and that final ratio helps to make it one of the more frugal executive mile-eaters. My average was 43mpg.

One quality Saab - which started car production in 1949 - always possessed was character and the latest 9-5 is no exception.

It wears its individuality with pride and in these days of corporate blandness, that's a definite plus in many owners' opinion - and they included such famous names as Sir Ian Botham and the late Ernie Wise.

Sold by GM in 2009, Saab - the pioneer of turbocharging - struggled ever since and finally succumbed. Fortunately its legacy of attractive cars, which are packed with personality, remains.