6th Mar 2006, 05:34
My probe (24v 1995 only 1 previous owner) has not only lived upto my expectations, it has been a really reliable car that still turns heads, I suppose people seem to forget that car manufacturing has come along way since 1995!!
It is with great regret that I am selling mine due to having another car forced onto me by my employer, you know where to look on your pc to buy one!! in my opinion my probe oozed individuality and curiosity. I wipe away the tear in my eye and say goodbye! I loved it!
28th Nov 2006, 08:59
Sorry, but if your mates 1.6 focus ran rings round it then you really did had a duff probe. Especially if you couldnt get above 25 mpg, I would say your O2 sensors were knackerd for a start! Wheels needed sorting (aligned) if it was vibrating at speed... need I go on?
26th Jun 2007, 20:58
I'm not surprised your Aprilla beat it; it does 0-60 it 6.1 seconds, whereas the Probe is 8.5. Do the maths; what do you expect? It not to beat it ;#
26th Nov 2008, 05:06
I had a 1995 16-valve 5-speed with 156K on it and some upgrades. Any way, I had it for over a year and raced it, hard shifting at like 7000 in every gear, all I ever did was the oil changes and I never had one thing go wrong with it. So I don't know what the other owners did to your car, but I would buy another one without thinking about it. I loved the car.
12th Jun 2009, 20:38
I just looked at a purple 1995 ford probe and I absolutely loved it!! But on the other hand my parents don't think it's a safe car, the seller is only asking a $1700 and I think it's the perfect first car for me. What do you think I should do???
11th Feb 2010, 23:14
I really enjoyed reading this article; it was funny. I really don't think you know why you bought a probe in the first place! They are not racing cars, but they are a good reliable coupe (mine is a 1996 GT). Other than normal maintenance, no problems other than a replacement distributor at 163000 klms (a Mitsubishi item by the way).
I find internationally the Probe seems to be a popular choice, and parts are freely available at Mazda dealers at much less than Ford prices.
Interestingly, Ford dealers know virtually zero about Probes, and scare you off with ludicrous prices for even basic consumables. This isn't the car's fault, just incredibly poor backup of a product they sold.
Mazda should have sold the Probe instead; I believe people would be happier.
11th Feb 2010, 23:33
I find it hard to believe you bought a car you didn't like the look of, I certainly wouldn't. You appear to be a one off, most people love the Probe's looks, it's different and doesn't follow the pack of boring little econo boxes!
If you were so concerned about beating an Aprilia lawnmower, why not buy an R33 Skyline GTR? Be realistic in your expectations, the Probe was only ever meant to be a sporty coupe, with good performance, looks and handling at a realistic price. It was good enough for Top Gear and Autocar to rate it highly at its launch in 1993-1994.
2nd Jul 2010, 01:21
My Probe GT is a 1996 model; it's well assembled, no rattles or squeaks, great economy at 9 liters / 100 ks at cruise, and rides firmly not harshly (try a decent set of tyres!).
The gear shift is precise and positive, not at all sloppy.
The steering is very good, with good feel and feedback. The car handles tight and high speed corners with aplomb. This is a safe car to push hard.
Regarding the plastics; my car is 14 years old, and I live in Australia in a hot and humid area; the plastics and upholstery on seats, doors etc, is still almost as new.
As far as dragging 2 liter Mercs. Why would you bother? I could think of better things to do, like enjoying the car for what it is, a fun economical coupe!
2nd Jul 2010, 01:46
I found the 1996 Probe GT to be very comfortable with a wide array of seat adjustments, both electric and manual. I am 6 foot, and I fit in easily with plenty of legroom, and the door switches fall to hand easily.
I am totally perplexed at how many problems were listed at the top of this review! There are literally hundreds of Probe reviews by owner drivers on the Internet, and most are happy with their Probe V6 GT coupes, especially reading all the positive reviews on this page, I think most will agree with my comments... and long live the Probe; a future classic!
2nd Jun 2005, 03:59
I've just come back to look at my reveiw on the Probe, and I would just like to say a few things.
The car was in good condition at the dealer, and it was only after spending three weeks looking at Probes that we settled for this one. The car had loads of paper work, and the reasons for the problems are now known to me.
The previous owner, a nice lady, had left the car standing on her driveway, without even starting the vehicle, for 7 months. The car was inspected by the RAC, as well as myself, and my father in law. The car was test driven with no problems. The car was simply just a bad egg.
I have to say that I miss the style, but I am sticking to my point about the performance. 165bhp is nothing, my Scorpio was not turbocharged and that produced 212bhp. A 2-litre 306 GTi produces 164bhp, which was around at the same time as the Probe.
When I raced it on my Aprilia, the bike was restricted to 12bhp, with no powervalve, and I weigh 15 stone.
I'm not saying that the car is bad, I loved that car, the only reason that I got rid was because of the cars age and the trouble that we had had with the car. I just cannot forgive that the performance was so much of a downer. I understand that the car was designed for America's long straight roads, but even my mate's 1.6 Focus could run rings round it on a fast A or B-road. The car just did not meet my expectations. My Scorpio is faster, handles better and is built to a better quality. And this is not a sports car, it was simply a better thought out car. Just a shame that it looks terrible.