A unique and capable sports car that offers a great blend of performance and practicality. More horsepower and torque (163/150) than comparable N/A model, and a lighter curb weight conspire to make this a seriously quick and enjoyable car. Plus, the euro bumpers, side markers, and groovy black/silver checkerboard interior can't be beat.

Costly repair/maintenance.

Love it, Like it, yes I do.

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None

- Handling (140 mph is not a white knuckle speed in this car)
- well engineered
- Suspension
- N/A (normally aspirated) engines will last to 250K miles + no problem

- Timing belt failure = replace engine
- Heater/A/C issues
- Design is not intuitive - sometimes very difficult to figure out what the engineers were thinking when they designed certain aspects of the car.
- There are little things that annoy me - cracks in the dash, sunroof seals, heater and AC issues, things like that.

The 944 is probably the best value in a high performance sports car today. For less than $10K you can own an exotic that has the ability to run with anything on the road. It has that quality German engineering throughout the drive train and construction that gives this car a tight feel, sure handling, and surprising power. The look of the car is still current and get's many OOO's and AHHH's. Those not familiar with the car's resale value generally believe that it is easily a $40,000 car. Cost of ownership should be considered when buying. Parts and good Porsche mechanics are not cheap. But it doesn't cost any more to replace and fix items than a BMW, Audi, or Mercedes and the entry cost is extremely low comparably. I have found three types of Porsche owners 1) those that keep their car in very good condition 2) those that can't afford the car and let it go 3) and spoiled brats that have too much money and no appreciation for the car. This was obvious when I went looking for my car.

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66 GT Mustang - 944's are far more refined
Muscle cars - same as above
Various trucks and cars - the 944 is the perfect city and hiway car - you won't find one in Montana. It is quick and agile, perfect for city, not off the main highway.

-Handling, one of only a few cars in the WORLD with 50-50 weight dist.
-Speed, fastest 4 cylinder in the world.
-Reliability, it starts every day here in St. Louis where winters are -30 and summers are 110 degrees.
-Strength, these cars are tough
-Longevity, my car has over 100K miles and still drives like new.

-cost of repairs if done by outside party
-cost of parts
-0-20 mph speed

HIGHLY recommend to someone who enjoys driving a pure sports car. If properly maintained these cars will last longer than ANY exotic car. Mine has over 100K miles on it and runs perfectly. My mechanic recently purchased a 928 with 417,000 miles that was mechanically sound, and there is supposed to be a 928 with 912,000 miles. Not the same car, but same craftsmanship.

My car is 12 years old, and in some ways it reflects this. The seats are worn, as is the steering wheel and stereo. It complains sometimes on very cold mornings, but overall it loves to run.

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the owner of my company has a Ferrari 348 TS, this is the only car I've seen that can handle like my 951

Awesome handling, whiplash acceleration, great lines, comfortable as can be.

The sunroof gear mechanism sucks.

'87 Stone Gray Metallic, Burgundy Leather interior. Purchased from an autocrosser w/62,000 miles.

This car by far has to be one of the best handling vehicles ever made. In stock configuration this car can run rings around most modified cars of any year in terms of handling. Handles better than the 911 and 928 of equivalent years. Its certainly not the fastest sports car out there, but it wasn't meant to be a drag racer. You can use all the power this car provides. I've been blown away by Corvettes and Mustang Cobras on the straights, but as soon as the road gets curvey you can't even see them in your rear view mirror. Will hang with M3s, 3rd Gen RX-7s, etc in its stock configuration. Bolt on a larger turbo and modify the suspension a bit and it will walk away from them too. I've taken 90-degree turns in this car without slowing below 65mph and hardly breaking the wheels loose. It also gets to 153 mph pretty easily. Unfortunately this car was wrecked about a year ago in a hurricane on a sandy/wet turn - clipped the curb and ripped the entire front end to shreds. An off road vehicle it is not.

Don't buy this car if you can't afford the parts. Water pump, belts, temp sensors, and a bucket full of gears for the sunroof (crappy design). The manual transmission is not great for commuting because the clutch is so stiff. You're clutch foot will be too sore to walk on if you spend 45 mins in stop and go traffic. Best weekend driver in the world though - only thing I could imagine being better as a sports car would be a 968 Turbo S.

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1986 928, 1988 911, 1975 914

the most powerful 4-cylinder on the planet. 14 yrs old and it still has more luxuries than most new, moderatley decent, cars. It looks like a million bucks and it puts you in a new class of car.

havent really found any yet. you have to replace all belts and water pump every 30K, but really... who cares. You should be willing to go the mile for this car.

a best buy if you find one in good shape and know how to take care of it.
an exceptionally impressive car, I just cant wait to get a new 911 gt2.

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I'm not even going to compare this to my last car

Handling. Handling. Handling. 50/50 weight distribution. The car will balance on the head of a pin. A dream on windy mountain roads yet still a reliable daily driver. Great gas milage. Just enough trunk space to be practical. Cheaper to own and more reliable than the turbos. Removable top.

A car for the race track, not the drag track, and increasing performance is very expensive. Repairs are costly if you can't do them yourself. Oh yeah, have fun replacing the rear speakers.

Maintenance. Maintenance. Maintenance. Tune ups. Oil changes. Timing belts. The bottom line with this car is if you're too lazy or too poor to handle these three things you should be driving a rice burner. The car is not that expensive to own if you can stay away from the major repairs. Find one that's in good shape and take care of it. If you do, you'll have one of the best handling cars money can buy. Its impossible to have more fun with less money. Simply a great car.

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VW Corrado G60, Mustang SVO, Boxster, Miata, VW GTI

The handling - it is magic. With a few mods, the engine performs more than admirably for a normally aspirated 4 cylinder. The only car I have ever owned that I can not make the tires squeal when going around corners. Sticks like glue. Very controllable when pushed to/over it's limits. The 944 is an enjoyable car to work on - well engineered in almost all areas.

The timing belt issue - it is a pain to have to replace evry 30,000 miles. Plus, 2000 miles after you put a new one in you have to take it all apart to check it again. The car is overly complicated in some areas to repair - for example, to bleed the clutch you need to remove the starter. I laugh every time I see VW stamped on some of the parts. The electrical system seems crude. Heating/Ventilation system stinks in these early examples.

I put way more than the purchase price in the car for repairs. Parts are high, but Don McGill in Houston seems to have the best deal and great service (Mike is the parts guru I deal with - have part numbers ready). I bought all of the manuals and do 99% of the maintenance myself. Needed some special tools - I like more tools. Mine is painted a Sienna Red Metallic with 16" Fuch alloys. Many people comment about how modern the car looks, even though it is puching 20 years old. Did I mention the handling ? I do feel these are do to appreciate - some day. I am strongly considering a V8 swap.

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Blows away our 89 Aerostar van. Our 2000 Windstar does not stand a chance either. Love blowing away Hondas with coffee can exhausts :-)

Power
looks
Super handling
Hey, Its a porsche, need I say more?

Repairs
$. Period.

Man, This car is fun, but you should have a second car to own this. Nothing major, I have replaced clutch, and changed all belts at 65,000 miles, and my klr computer went up at 75000, the rest is nickle and dime.(on a porsche its more like $500 and $1000, though) the computer chips and wastegate mods have pushed me up to 300+ hp, but I would like more low end torque to keep up with the 97+ vettes and vipers, but otherwize, nothing touches me. I kill z-28's and vr-4's off the like with little wheel spin, and I keep pulling to 140 mph. For 15 years old, this car is amazing, still original engine, transaxle, turbo, asd suspension, except rear shocks. With 80,000 on it now, still the fastest bargain exotic sports car for the money.

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I have had all japanese twin turbo cars except the RX-7, which I have heard has very poor reliability, and this is the most fun, not to mention interior room for taller drivers

Beautiful design
Incredible handling
Simply a great everyday car!

Price of parts/repairs
Ugly front bumper (not a problem on turbos and S2s)

This car is simply amazing! I got a great deal, I bought it for $5K with only 48K miles on it. It has limited slip differential, the power adjustable sport seats, 16 inch flat disk wheels, and has very few flaws. There are great deals on these cars but make sure to have at least 2-3 thousand dollars on hand for "unexpected" repairs. The parts are always going to be more expensive for a Porsche but shop around online and you can find good deals. Basically the best sports car avalable for the money, one that you dont see often and can hold its own on teh street and can definetly beat anything in the curves. Great Car!

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Mazda RX7, Mustang GTs, Toyota MR2, (anything that is fast under $7K)

Great Looking
Good driver
Strong little engines
Very tight cars
Comfy for tall people
Handling

Do not own if you are car poor!
Best used as second car play toy!

I love Porsche. Would never say a bad word about them.
I use mine as a second vehicle and keep all maintenance work done properly and on time. Therefore, no major repairs. I often find when leaving the house in the morning that I choose the Porsche over my barely driven new Cadillac. That says something for a car that is 16 years old.
What fun it is. Timeless beauty.
My only warning, have a great mechanic who pays attention to detail.
Enjoy your car!!

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1985 Porsche 928s, compares well, obviously not nearly as fast!