Is a Porsche 944 a really good car for $5,000 ext cond.?

Question

A 1988 Porsche 944.

Answer 1

The 944 is an excellent car and a reliable one. In 1988, Porsche produced both the 944 and the 944S (with the S being the more deisrable of the two). For a car in excellent condition, $5000 is in the ball park for a 944, and would be a good buy for a 944S (excellent as in absolutely perfect with all documentation on it's history).

While the 944 is an excellent car, and a very reliable one too, if you go for such a car you need to understand exactly what you are getting. The 944 is NOT a fast car. It is quick and nimble and very well balanced. If you are a good driver and able to maintain momentum, you can lap a race track with great times... but you will not launch from a stop light at blinding speeds and if you start down the path of trying to make it do this, you will spend many many times the value of the car and never quite get there.

The car is reliable, but this was a car that was a premium sports car when it was sold new. Repair costs will reflect that this was an exepensive car. While problems should be rare, they will be expensive when they happen.

The car looks good (IMO) and can be generally well regarded; though not as repsected as a 911 by many Porsche fans or auto enthusiasts in general... and worst, it is sometimes mistaken as a 924 which has a poor reputation in most circles.

But for what it is, and the attractive price points they can be had for, it is a good car. It is a Porsche and it feels like one when you are driving it (and it is a fun car to drive). If you consider what you want and expect, and decide that the 944 is a good fit, make sure you have a pre-purchase inspection done by a knowledgable Porsche mechanic. It is worth the money! As I mentioned, these cars can be expensive, and if you spend $5k for a car with hidden problems? Well, you get the picture.

Answer 2

I've been driving a 1989 944 NA as a daily driver since 1999. A really fun car and a breeze to keep running. It's a poor man Porsche for sure, but still has the Porsche feel.

Answer 3

The Porsche 944 was not for everyone. A radical design with the engine in front and the transmission in the rear. It had drive line problems and also clutch problems. Is it a car for a serious Porcshe nut, absolutely. Is it the car for the average Joe. No! You had better be mechanically inclined and have a good workspace and a lot of specialized tools to keep this car going. You get what you pay for. If I were you I would pay that amount for a car with a little less challenges in the repair department

Answer 4

only a true porsche fan can appreciate the 944. if your getting it to impress the ladies, wrong choice. Ive had several and I love them. however not all of them are as fun. the ones that are well worth the wile are the 944s2 with 210horses or a turbos with 245horses. these babies you cant find for less then 10 grand but if you pick one up its well worth it. And anyone in a fast a furious honda can only see you taillights getting smaller. however make sure you keep up with its maintanance and no cheap gas. this is a porsche and thats how its built. add ons for extra power isnt cheap either, so if putting 25' on it and dropping it so it scrapes the ground is what you want to do with it, its not for you. like I said if you can afford it, its well worth it. But only for those who can appreciate it.

Answer 5

a 944 is the absolute WORST porshe ever built... even if you found one that had 1 mile on it, under a car cover, in a garage... it still wouldn't be worth 5k


it is actually listed in a book called "crap cars: the 100 worst automobiles ever built" and thinking of all the crap cars out there... to get in the top 100 is quite an accomplishment...in the world of suckage

Answer 6

Its a porsche, and not a cheap one when it comes to repairs. Nor is it a fast one.
A typical Toyota 4cyl. 5 speed pickup will be able to beat it to 90mph.

Answer 7

What year model are we talking about