1. Style ---It's a Porsche, enough said 2.Insurance---My insurance co. rates my car as an intermediate performance veh. Rates are about the same as my Jeep cherokee. Go figure?? 3. Performance -- German engineering,speed, handling at a rice burners price.

1. After reading through other reviews it seems like cost of maintenance is high. My car is due for timing belt service in 6k miles. Priced it out at an independent Porsche and seemed about the same as the last Honda Accord timing belt I had to replace . I reserve the right to change this opinion once my car gets in the shop for service though. 2. Every damn punk kid with his slammed acura, eclipse or civic wants to race. I just crank the tunes and look ahead. 3. I've been to a couple Porsche meets. I'm tired if hearing the 911 owners tell me that real Porsche's are aircooled. It gets a little old. I would put money on a stock 944s2 vs. a 911 any day in a track race. Especially since I dont have the time to "learn" how to drive a 911. I'm having too much fun driving my own "real Porsche".

This is my 2nd sports car. First was an old Triumph that was fun to drive but topped out at 80 mph and needless to say... this was a stressful 80mph. This Porsche is incredible. Purchased from the original owner who babied this car to the extreme. Full documentation from day one. 37,000 original miles. Only body dmg is one door ding on rt front fender. Vehicle is showroom condition. Interior is perfect with the exception of the stock Blaupunkt cassette deck that has presently been upgraded. Handles like its attached to the road with superglue. Nice and quiet with the top up, but I must say, this is a rarity because its a convertible. With the top down there enough wind in the cab to make me happy but enough stays out to keep my wife smiling. Engine has plenty of bottem end power but I really like the 5500-6500 power band. My original plan was to find a 911 sc targa but everything I looked at had 150k, poor maintenance records or an extremely proud owner. Proud in price that is. The sticker price on my car was $51,395. To pick it up for less than 1/3 the original price in such pristine condition makes me think these 944's are overlooked as a high performace sports car.

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Several triumphs, TR3A, Spitfires, TR6 '77 Porsche 911, Z-cars

The strongest points of the 944 are their exellent handling, awesome appearance, and a very well built engine.

Weaknesses may seem to outweigh the strengths, but they are worth the extra work just to drive this wonderful machine! I can attest to these problems that have arisen on my 90,000 mile 944: leaky sunroof, bad first gear synchro, minor electrical nuisances, coolant leak, leaking valve cover gasket, and a few other minor problems. Also, the pre-86 cars have poor heaters and a timing belt that requires a very expensive tool to tension properly(and it must be tensioned properly!). Over all, nothing major, or really expensive.

I am going on my fourth year with my 944. I LOVE it. It is one of the most beautiful cars I have ever seen. It is one of the most charming and exciting cars I have ever driven. Even though I am poor, I want everyone to know that if you can afford to drive a car, then in most cases you can afford a 944. The most important thing to remember when buying a 944 is to find a well maintained car with service records, and do your research before buying a 944. As long as you choose carefully, a 944 can be relatively inexpensive to maintain. Once you drive one you will be blown away by the excellent handling and crisp response of these cars. They will offer many miles of driving excitement given proper maitinence and some TLC. I would definitely reccomend an '86 or later car due to some improvements in the timing assembly, ventilation, and performance.

Handling, corners, freeway cruising and Gas mileage.

Cloth Interior

I have had my 944 since 1984, I bought the car new for $21,000 in Germany. Now have passed 54,000 miles and love the car. Best Car I've ever driven or riden in. Fits like a glove. The Paint looks great after 18 years in Arizona. Car still all original runs like a champion!!!!!!!!!!!

Power, pure power and performance, all these rice cookers here in Japan like funny toyota supra, rx-7 and so on, they are just dust compared to my porsche 944 turbo , german quality !

well, somehow some small things always crack, but then it is costy, but the motor is always fine

I am a German , living in Japan since 12 years, the most enjoying thing ever happened to me in this 12 years was the experience of driving this car: It is the fastest coolest and best steering sportscar you can get for that price

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none

All strengths are listed above (summary)

- About one month after I purchased the car, the Automatic Transmission died. Got that fixed (for around $1600).. - Then about 2 weeks after I got that fixed I had to get a "Damper Plate".. A peice of rubber that is near the drivetrain, and in turn make the car smoother. The car CAN still be driven with the damper plate being needed, but that is not recommended. Note: If you drive it while that part is needed and it starts to get bad, the whole car will start to shake. Well, for now, i haven't been driving it, because i need to save up some money in order to fix this present problem. (Cost w/dealer part: $1700) (Cost w/part bought elsewhere: $1000-$1100) - Once I fix that I will be replacing the timing belt and water pump. That being not that much money. (Mechanic says the timing belt looks fine, but I'd rather not chance it. -Back hatch window needs sealing. Some say that it can't be done, but I have spoken to many porsche enthusiasts that have said that it CAN be sealed, and you don't HAVE to buy the whole rear hatch.

The 1985 Porsche 944 is beautiful machine. No lie here folks. Even with the medium to high prices for parts and service, the performance will make up for it. -For one: Handling The best handling car i have ever driven. Before I bought the car, i was reading around on the internet at reviews and one person stated... "This car feels like you are driving on fly paper, the car actually sticks to the road"... When I read this, I was wondering if the car actually performed this way. And they're completely right. This car takes turns like a dream. -Secondly: Power With it being a four cylinder, it is suprising on how much power it has. It could be faster though, if you wanted to drop some money into it. (by buying a turbo or something) But by itself, it has more then enough power. 0-60mph: Mid to High Sevens 0-100mph: Haven't timed it, but it is pretty quick. The car itself is heavier then most recollect. Even with this issue of weight, it still has the power. (For more power, I have found a site with a lot of performance parts. http://www.performanceproducts.com there are numerous other sites with products for this model, so just look around, and you will find what you are looking for.) -Thirdly: Drivability All I have to under this catagory is "beautiful". This car, rather, this peice of art bring joy to those who are in the driver's seat. I really can't believe how stable this vehicle is. No matter how fast you are going. (ex. Going 60mph or 120mph, it is still smooth) -Fourthly: Appearance This car will and does turn heads. The style can be described as a 'masterpeice'. No joke, this car will get looks from a kid or an old man. (and usually you'll get a little smile fromthe ladies.. if that means anything to you. ;) ) ::I know your wondering on how many 'lys' there are. But I promise, there is only one more.:: -Lastly: Interior +Pros ^Front Seats - Massive leg room ^Front Seats are comfortable ^Instrument panel was put together very well. ^Back seat folds down in turn producing more space for the trunk. -Cons ^Back seats are mainly just for show. You can use it for a briefcase of something. Don't get me wrong, I have fit people back there before, but I am not saying they were 'comfortable'. ^Stereo is the best sounding. But that is understandable since the speakers are 4x6's. (A tiny bit of bass, and more Trebble. That is h

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n/a... Interior style close to 1990 300zx

Ride and overall cost of ownership. A sport's car isn't meant to be a cheap item to own and drive. The 944 minimizes the cost however.

One must be patient with any Porsche when it comes to little electrical glitches occasionally. The other day my flip-up headlights wouldn't flip. I just got out and tapped the rail and bingo they worked. Otherwise they don't have many problems. Maintenance is the key. If you don't maintain the car it will bit you in the butt!

I am the proud owner of an 85.5 944 non-turbo. This is the most well-balanced car I have ever owned. I have had BMWs, but this is the ultimate driving machine! The car is inexpensive to own if you just keep up with maintenance. Belt and tensioners are critical on these cars. Replacement of hoses is a must. Otherwise, a solidly built car for sure. I think it is more fun to drive than my friend's 911. It certainly has much more cockpit room to it for a big guy.

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Miata(yuck!), BMW 320 and 535(this is a good car too and fast!)

Everything 115,000 miles and still going perfect

early 944's had various teething problems, but they were sorted out by the S2 model.

I owned an 1984 944 coupe before buying this 944S2 cabriolet, and I have said "I will never sell this car" from the day I bought it. I drive it daily, and living in Sydney means I've only had the roof up about 5 times in nearly a year. The design is so good, the car doesn't need a rear wind deflector. Even the heater warms the cabin well with the top down ! The standard car has 208hp, but with a chip designed for our 98 octane fuel, it now has 232hp. I installed a steering wheel and shift knob from a 2000 model Carrera and a radio from a 1996 car, and passers by always ask if this is the new porsche. Soon I'll have to change the shocks, and I can tell you they cost less than my Honda CRX suspension parts, in fact the car costs less to service than my wifes Mazda. We used to plan to do things on weekends, now we just go for a drive...anywhere.

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944 coupe, Honda CRX and about 20 other cars

At 16 years, the car still turns heads and corners!! In 5th, the car "coasts" at 145KM/h and is very comfortable above 160KM/h. It gets great gas milage, run well and is a joy to drive. Stops on a dime. A very well balanced car.

Could us a little more power (not a turbo). Parts costs... I enjoy driving it so much, I can't bear to sell it....

I bought the car from the original owner when it was 7 years old. It was a local car and was serviced by the dealer. I was told by the dealer that the car would require at least $2000 of maintenance per year, not including "special" stuff. I have had it 9 years, it has 290,000KM (180,000 Miles) on it and still runs excellent. The engine has not required any major work. I do most of my own repair work, except for the belts and water pump. In the 9 years of driving the car, I have replaced, the tires, brakes, rotors, shocks, clutch, 2 water pumps, Altenator, 2 batteries, 2 racks, belts every 50,000KM, radiator, water hoses and paint. I have spent more on repairs in 9 years then I paid for the car. It is still in excellent shape and is a daily driver.

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I had 2 914s before the 944, driven a couple BMWs, Miata. None of which compare to teh 944.

Power, Style, Handling, economy, Durability, Fun Fun Fun.

Owners who whine about $70 per hour labor costs instead of reading a little bit of technical literature.

! !! That pretty much explains what the germans can do with 4 cylinders and a rear mounted transaxle. I learned to drive in a 1992 911 carrera and I would never trade my 944 turbo for that car. Just learn to fix it yourself and it's no more expensive than any other car. I bought a timing belt for $12, Balance shaft belt for $26, and it took me 2 hours to replace both. Yes, brake pads cost $65, but so what? NOTHING drives like the 944/951. If you enjoy the trip as much as the destination, you must own one of these cars.

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I have owned 27 cars and nothing is similar to the 951

Handling, looks, mid-range tourque.

Repair costs - you must love your car.. a lot, because it will cost you more then your girlfriend.

No better car for the money. If you are looking for a sports car to cherish, this is it. Out handles, out shine, german engineering. It is awesome yet disgusting how cheap these cars are for what you get.

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Dodge Daytona, Nissan 300ZX, Toyota Celica GTS. Nothing compares to Porsches design. Everything else is just trying to look and be as good of a car.