944 as an everyday sensible car???

[_DDtB_]

Hello everyone,

1st post so bear with me if I'm asking a question that's been asked 100000 times by every newbie here...!!

Currently got a CLK 230K and an Elise S1 but due to the wife deciding she wants to be single again... :-( .... looks like I may have to sell both and buy something for 5k or under....

The 944 seems like a good option for practicality and fun and could potentially be a nice compromise between a CLK and an Elise... just wondering how sensible it is as an everyday A to B type car and also as a fun weekend toy.... I'm used to things falling off since I bought the Elise but that doesn't matter since I don't need it to get to work. I've read the buying guides but would appreciate some super honest feedback and stories (good and bad) from real owners like yourselves!!

Am I just dreaming or will I really have to buy a mondeo or vectra [:'(][:'(]

Thanks in advance,

Dave.

 

[Fen]

Welcome Dave - and with that username cue Paul (Diver) calling you Ted in about 10 minutes [] Spookily I have just posted exactly this question on another forum today, albeit that my wife hasn't annouced she's leaving quite yet. The short answer is yes you can. With a £5k budget your sort of in the middle between an S2 and a Lux. I don't know if you had any thoughts of Turbos in your mind but unless the budget can swell forget them if you do. I'm on 944 #4 (although #5 has been and gone in the interim) and all have been a daily driver, even the current one in the early days when I used it for work at 1,000 miles a week. They are old but they were well made and if they have been looked after they will look after you (that's a quote stolen from advice I received today). Although I've had 5 they have all been S2's or Turbos so I'll leave the Lux specific advice to the Lux owners. Try a search though because you're right that this question comes up about once every 4 weeks. As a ballpark expect to pay around £1,000 per year on servicing and maintenance plus your consumables. I'd expect a 944 to feel somewhere in between your SLK and your Elise, which is probably what you want so it's a good choice. Bits won't fall off though - don't judge it by Mecedes build quality (I take it the Merc is worse than the Lotus?)

 

[sawood12]

Welcome Dave,
I can mirror what Fen has said. I've had my Turbo for about 14months now and even though it is my main car I only covered 6500 miles last year as my wife works at the same place as me so we tend to take her car for the 20mile or so daily grind to and from work. However she's just sold her car and ordered a new one that wont be delivered until mid to late September and the 944 Turbo is doing a sterling job so far as the main houshold workhorse. Servicing is no more expensive than a modern day hot-hatch and with plenty of excellent Porsche specialists and parts breakers around the country repairs are not particularly expensive either. I get around 24 to 25 mpg which seems to be fairly insensitive to the way I drive the car so it's about as thirsty (or economical) as a modern hot hatch - but it's definately more fun to drive than a modern hot hatch! The Boot is plenty big enough for those B&Q runs but the back seats are really just a token gesture - even for small kids so I would consider it strictly a 2-seater. Anyway if you use the search feature on this forum you can get plenty of buying advice.

 

[Diver944]

Hi Derek [] welcome to the list.

944s make a perfect everyday car that are also great for a weekend blast or a European tour or a full on trackday. Fen is the real mileage muncher, but I've added 70k miles to our S2 and 50k miles to our Turbo over the past seven years. I also budget circa £1k to cover 15,000 miles a year and our cars are the only ones we own, so we shop, holiday and take stuff to the tip with them.

I think on your budget you need to look for a really top class 2.5 or 2.7 Lux that has a stack of recent work done to it so its as reliable as possible. By that I mean, belts, brakes, shocks, clutch maybe. Also look for a history of regular oil changes as well as brake fluid, coolant and gearbox oil

Let us know how the hunt goes.

 

[_DDtB_]

thanks for the advice so far guys.... keep it coming!

I'm still trying to figure out the differences between the S2s and Luxs etc... Anyone want to tell me which one is the best []

A friend of mine had an S2 a few years back and I loved it... Plus it just so happens I currently get all my cars serviced by a porsche specialist so I'm sorted there.....

ah well... back to the buyers guides!

Dave.

 

[Fen]

Brief model rundown, I'm sketchy on some of the years I'm afraid: 1982 - 1985.5 Was the 2.5 Lux. All the same spec broadly with a 2.5 8V engine making 160bhp (I think). These cars had the 924 dash which is a bit more dated than the later ones and had poorer ventilation.1985.5-1988? The 2.5 Lux carried on but with the "oval dash" you will be more familiar with.1988? the 2.7 Lux was made for 1 year. Basically the same as the 2.5 but with a bigger bore. Still 8V and making something around 175bhp I think.1988-1989 the 944S was made with a 2.5 16V at 190bhp. That has 2 cams, the second being run by chain off the first. See Flamingeye's "engine going tappity tap" thread to see some info on the pitfall of all 16V engines.1989-1992 the S2 was a 3.0 16v making 210bhp. The S2 also had the more aerodynamic looking front from the Turbo and a few more toys like automatic temperature control (down to ambient unless specified with optional air-con), bigger brakes etc. In general the S2 is considered the pick of the normally aspirated models because it is so smooth and pretty quick. You could get one for £5k but it may well need money spent on it, possibly a set of cams at £1,500+. If your budget were a bit more then an S2 would be a no-brainer (unless you wanted to look at Turbos, but the simple rule is "buy an S2 if you want to keep it standard, buy a Turbo if (and only if) you want to start down the steep and slippery modifying path". With £5k to spend you have the pick of Lux and S models.

 

[Guest]

Don't think you will have any problems with using a 944 as everyday car. I use mine everyday and have plenty of room in the boot for work tools and a weeks shopping. My 12 year old fits in the rear seats - I fit in the rear seats so they are OK to use if your not too tall. There is plenty of let room in the front for someone over 190cm (6 feet 3ish I think). My other half is that height and drives a Merc - but does find it not the easiest of cars to get into as a lot lower than his Merc.Probably not ideal if you've got dodgy knees.

As already said, unless you get a car that's had everything done to it, things will go wrong and it can be costly to fix. On the plus side there are loads of parts on ebay.

There are also loads of bolt on goodies on ebay or through Porsche so you can make your car look a little bit different. When things go wrong there is normally someone on this forum who can tell you how to fix it, saving a fortune on mechanics.

 

[chrisr]

To echo everybody else - I use my S2 as a daily driver ( 10,000 miles pa ) and have had the pleasure for 2 years. The key to any 944 purchase is condition and history - IMO a mint S or Lux will be a dam better purchase than a poor S2. Mileage is not a major issue ( mines done 139,000 ) as they will exceed 180+ with ease providing regular oil changes/belts/tensioners etc have been done at the right intervals.

They are a great car to drive and so far away from the modern hot hatch. Again about £1-1.5k a year should cover the expenses for maintenance based on my experience. See loads, drive loads and then buy one.

Chris

 

[John Sims]

There are cars coming out of the woodwork currently and, in the twenty years since they designed the 944, todays mundane cars are approaching the performance of the 944's. Don't discount getting a second hand hot hatch at 5K as it will cost you less in the first few years. I have been heard to say I'm going to blow out Beaky and get an ST220.

As noted earlier, 944's were well built but they are old. At 15 plus years, and over 100k miles, things wear out and need replacing. They are not necessarily the most mechanic friendly cars with the replacement of a simple component sometimes necessitating a partial strip down. There is a good source of second hand parts but many prefer to replace with new - some garages wont handle second hand parts anyway. Porsche parts are Porsche parts whether for a 944 Lux or a GT2 and have similar price tags - Eastender recently spent £600+ on parts alone when refurbishing his callipers, and got sent the wrong parts. While most parts are available from Germany within a few days some can take much longer - months much longer (e.g. 968 cubby boxes, turbo steel water pipes).

A good Lux could be run on £1K a year, if you are lucky and nothing major goes wrong, but there always seems to be something that needs doing. If you enjoy fettling, and get satisfaction out of fixing things, there will always be things on the list to keep you amused.

The Lux is a great car dynamically and, at legal speeds, is probably the best of the bunch to drive. But, it can be embarrassed by a modern hot hatch and many a baseball cap wearing yoof will have a go.

The Turbo, in good fettle, will beat almost anything you will meet and with a few upgrades can be an awesome car. It is an expensive drug and becomes more so the further you go, as most of the Turbo owners on this forum have demonstrated.

On a positive note, I would disagree about the 944 being considered as a 2 seater only. My eight year old still sits in the back and, if anything prefers it to the front seats. I have had four adults in the car and I was as comfortable as when I'm by myself - there isn't too much of an issue when you are the driver. []

 

[millisland]

Hi Dave

Welcome!!

With regard to 944 being everyday cars, for sometime Tony and I used our 944s for every day use. No problem and we would reiterate everything said in the answers already posted.

We do run a third car, but this is only to take pressure off the Porsches to keep them as nice as possible, but we do not hesitate to use our Porsches for shopping or golfing, etc., if one or other of us is using the third car and we want to go separate ways on any particular occasions.

Hope this helps
Harriet

 

[Guest]

Buying a newer hot hatch compared to an older Porsche is like comparing the barmaid from Corination Street to Maralyn Monroe. One is techinacially complicated and costs a forture on 'head' (computer) surgery and the other is a lot more simple. And I know which looks more sexy and will turn heads.

Getting soft in the head in my old age.

 

[John Sims]

ORIGINAL: tiptronic

...............Getting soft in the head in my old age.

As am I apparently. I couldn't work out which one was meant to be which.

 

[Guest]

Hi Dave,

I always resisted buying the turbo simply because it would be too tempting to overspend on modifications! As it is I spend about £4000 a year on my Lux...but that includes insurance, tax, petrol, servicing, mods etc etc, literally everything and I do 10000 miles a year. If you go down the lux route I recommend the post 85 oval dash for sure, they had a couple of dozen upgrades on their forerunner, which put together make it more comfortabe to drive and much more modern all round. You should look at a budget of £3500+ for the purchase (dont be tempted by an ebay cheapie!), keep £1000 in the bank just in case of emergencies. Theres no reason why bits should drop off, but expect minor things to fix. Sunroof, handbrake, e/w switches, are notorious as are mysterious occasional rattles. For a daily driver they are brilliant, I have to use work pool cars sometimes and getting back to the old girl is a real relief!
Best wishes with your search...but do your homework before buying and you wont go far wrong with a lux.

 

[Guest]

Alternatively, £4,999.00 will get you this eyecandy!

 

[Fen]

Where do I sign? [:'(][:'(][:'(][:'(][:'(][:'(][:'(][:'(][:'(][:'(][:'(]

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: John Sims



The Lux is a great car dynamically and, at legal speeds, is probably the best of the bunch to drive. But, it can be embarrassed by a modern hot hatch and many a baseball cap wearing yoof will have a go.

I thought the S2 is supposed to be the best of the bunch to drive, with the added bonus of not being embarrassed by modern hot hatches...but then I am a bit biased.

 

[Fen]

I think John's Lux comments relate to the relative lightness and the smaller tyres which are better suited to the chassis; it grips less but it is more balanced than the S2 or Turbo.

 

[sawood12]

Out and our straigh line performance apart I would still think that a 944 is a more capable car than a modern hot hatch through the twisty stuff and a much more capable point-to-point car. I've clocked up a fair few miles in my mates Cupra R and as fantastic a car as it is I still reckon my 944 is a much better car through the corners and under braking despite the Cupra R's big 4-pot Brembo's up front. I am always surprised at how easy it is to get the Cupra's ASC cutting in at speeds where the 944 feels unphased with plenty in reserve. I certainly climb out of the 944 with a much bigger smile on my face than I do with the Cupra R!

 

[pvernham]

With respect to your mates Cupra R, it is not exactly considered best in breed.

10 years ago we ran a 944 turbo for a year alongside a Renault 19 16v. In outright acceleration there was no comparison but the Renault wasn't much slower across local country roads.

Modern hatchbacks have moved on enormously over the past 10 years so I suspect that current class leading hot hatches (Clio Trophy?) would be able to give a 944 driver a real run for their money.

 

[Fen]

I would tend to agree. I have had a SEAT (diesel) in the past and spend a bit of time on the SEAT forum still, but I would never consider a "hot" SEAT because they simply don't handle (specifically the dampers go off after very few miles leaving the chassis oversprung/underdamped which equates to bouncy), something owners have said and I have experienced first hand in driving a few Leon Cupras. I guess you can address it with aftermarket bits but who wants to have to modify their shopping/commuter car because it was inadequate to start with? I bought my 306 not (as you may have thought [8D]) for its rock-solid build quality, prestige badge nor even it's cast iron residuals [8|] but because it has a reasonable amount of poke and everything that a driver looks for is there in a sensible everyday package (steering, gear change, brakes, exhaust and induction noise). It needs a pair of struts just now but even so it's handling is superb and I have no doubt a standard Cupra R driver and passenger would be left with the classic Top Gun "which way did he go?"; "which way did who go?" on a twisty road. Without any form of traction control and 155bhp (according to Weltmeister dyno) it's very difficult to break traction even while cornering so I'm putting down 155bhp while the Cupra R is regining in 225 through its ESP system. From everything I read (and a few test drives) the Clio just seems to have got better and better since the original 172 was launched and I think it was on a par with the Pug right from the start so the Cup Trophy or whatever must be phenomenal. I have to say the engine on the Clio seems just a touch flat to me though, and I know I'm out of step in saying that but I have driven 4 of them to make sure it wasn't just a bad car and in the last I asked to make sure it had Optimax in it too.