1989 Porsche 944 review from North America
"The best poor man's Porsche"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I preventively replaced the timing belt.
The water pump cracked, but kept running.
The oil coolant line leaked.
General comments?
It has the best handling of any car of ridden. In hairpin turns the 944 reluctantly slides, even at high speeds. I've come to trust the ability of the 944's handling.
The engine is a perky little 2.7L 4 cyl. that revs nicely. Once the power-band is reached, somewhere around 4000 RPM, this little car really comes alive. The engine roars and road-line becomes a blur.
The downside of this is comfort. It was never designed to be a comfortable car. The seats are made of tough hard leather. On long trips your rear-end will feel a lot of discomfort. I suggest lots of pit stops along the way.
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| A sleeper of a bargain in a sports car package. |
|
| Simply Fantastic |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1989 |
| First year of ownership | 1996 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 3 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 96000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 133000 miles |
| Previous car | Subaru GL |
| Date of Entry | 13th January, 2002 |