1985 Porsche 944 2.5 4 Cylinder from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

One of the nicest cars on the road still

Faults:

Alternator rear housing

O2 sensor replaced

Clutch master cylinder

Oil leak.

General Comments:

Positives:

Fantastic engine, with great mid range punch.

Amazingly fuel efficient (10L/100kms in daily driving).

Best handling car I've ever driven, keeps up with newer 911's around corners.

Perfect driving position.

Good luggage space.

Striking looks.

Negatives

Needs to be maintained carefully and often.

Expensive parts and labour.

Insurance is expensive.

Only cruel people think of putting anyone in the back seats.

Need the turbo if you want "real" performance.

This car opened my eyes. Pre-944 I drove my car. After a few weeks of owning this car I started to love cars and Porsches. It inspired me to learn about cars, enjoy long drives, enjoy short drives, improve my driving skills and buy car books and magazines.

Overall, it's a fantastic car and is amazing to own. The engine has as much smooth revving power as most cars available today. However, if money is a concern I'd consider buying a cheap Japanese car or something similar, but this car has potential to cost a lot of money over several years. Choose carefully when buying, and get a decent pre purchase inspection.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th November, 2003

1985 Porsche 944 2.5L from North America

Summary:

A deceiving unreliable cheap car

Faults:

The first couple of weeks I had the car the head gasket blew. I wasnt too happy.

I got that fixed and a week later the CV joints started clicking.

After that the air conditioner quit in the middle of summer imagine that.

After about one month of kinda reliable driving the clutch shattered bummer.

Got that fixed and yet again the head gasket blew. I didn't bother to fix it, I just gave up and gave the car away. I have had enough.

General Comments:

The car handles very good, but it needs more power.

The car is very very unreliable.

20/25 mpg decent.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 31st July, 2003

8th Jun 2007, 04:26

Even if it was maintained extremely well by the previous owner, a car with over a 100k and that is more than ten years will more than likely need those type of repairs.

I've never owned a Porsche, but if all that you needed was a head gasket, some CV joints, an A/C service and a clutch, you are getting off far better than the average car owner of something with that age and mileage. Especially on the AC and CV joints - those parts of a car always need service at some point. They're the sort of parts that wear out just like tires, brakes, struts, etc.

If anything your review reflects a car most of us would consider relatively reliable and durable.

Try buying something like a Ford Contour with that many miles and you will see that your Porsche was quite a good car after all.

8th Jun 2007, 09:46

I guess I've been pretty lucky with my 944.

I have owned it for 17 years and done 190,000 miles taking it to over 260,000.

I have done all the servicing myself, and all it has needed is a new clutch at 200,000 and the air con packed up.

It has still got the original exhaust.

In reply to 8th Jun 2007, 04:26

27th Nov 2018, 04:09

Actually 100,000 miles is not that much for a modern car, and that is a LOT of maintenance in such a short time. To give you a comparison: my son's Toyota Corolla had NO REPAIRS the first 200,000 miles, at which time, all he needed was a clutch. The same was true for my Subaru Impreza: 260,000 miles with normal maintenance. So, actually, Porsche cars are EXTREMELY high maintenance compared with normal, non prestige cars, or as my buddy (who owned a 911) once said, "If you want a money pit, buy a Porsche. Otherwise, buy a Toyota truck."

In reply to 27th Nov 2018, 04:09

27th Nov 2018, 23:30

I did and it’s worth every penny to own one.

In reply to 27th Nov 2018, 04:09

28th Nov 2018, 19:11

A Toyota truck or a Corolla is not for everyone. Take the bus.