re ford probe opinions centered around the gt jeremy g mereness zonker cmu edu says can anyone offer any opinions of the ford probe ala how they do in the long run repair records reliability mileage etc i am fixing to buy a car in the next few months aiming toward something a little bigger than a typical small car and with a little more power i am considering the mx probe accord corolla and the sx the probe is the youngest of the bunch thus my interest in opinions but every magazine and ratings book places it as an excellent value btw the sx is rear wheel drive and is due for a re design for thanks in advance while i don t read normally read this group i was looking for valentine radar information sigh maybe in the faq and came across your posting i bought a probe gt with the pep a last july now at miles after debating over the sentra se r nx mx mr stealth prelude and celica check this month s consumer reports for previous probe records my criteria a fun car with abs airbag over hp and less than k i thought about a turbo but checking with insurance people ruled that out the tri star cars eclipse talon etc were out since they don t have an air bag ditto for the mustang also no abs the se r nx m fell into the pocket rocket category a good used car buy the mx was almost there but rolled more than i liked i didn t like the prelude dash instrumentation at all too weird for me the mr has a much smaller non passenger space than i needed so out that went the celica was ok but underpowered when loaded with options and somewhat overpriced too in non turbo form i never considered the sx since it didn t have an airbag i did look at it for its rwd virtues but that s it the corolla never entered my mind i should have looked at the mitsubishi vr dodge stealth more since my list was exhausted i bought the probe the car design is different than earlier years so it s too early to see its reliability so far for what it s worth my comments my dislikes shutting door with windows up from inside rarely makes good wind seal headlights have stuck up a few times weather air conditioning broke miles pressure cycling switch condensation around rear washer fluid container doesn t drain completely crammed engine little hope for do it yourselfers typical parts somewhat more expensive than normal ford parts underside plastic doesn t like sharp driveways and speedbumps typical assembly gripes tape on radiator screw fell out of dash seat seams not stitched properly hopefully just a fluke ford only gives key with the car c mon ford spend an extra few pennies rear hatch has no padding on corners when up i m waiting for the day when i bash my head on the corner horn buttons behind air bag in spokes and not in center personal preference tires fling dirt mud onto side of car my likes engine design valves sounds smoothness power mileage torque definitely handling very good for fwd understeer only at limits transmission the speed is a must usable instrumentation lovely readable analog everywhere very little torque steer at full power much better than the sho i drive stability at mph high gearing though low cowl good visibility in front heated outside mirrors nice in fog never tested in freezing weather abs air bag see above rear seats fold down i have few rear seat passengers so a trunk not important no shake rattle noises when going over bumps potholes still tires vr goodyear eagles left hoping for k as you can see i m primarily interested in the engine while it doesn t have the uummmph of a big liter car or the turbo rush the big selling point for me was the all aluminum value liter engine the overall car is a good buy for the money that market segment hasn t changed much since july prelude vtec honda del sol i drive it to and from work each day on relatively smooth roads and most noticable thing is that the probe s suspension doesn t like potholes when you test drive one find a potholed road somewhere around town and see if the jarring you get is tolerable if you have passengers by all means bring them along too they ll find that they have no room in the back and you ll find that the car rides differently if that s better is up to you also there s a lot of glass around you which i wasn t expecting the temperature inside the car gets pretty hot in the summer my back seat passengers now very few complain about the lack of ventilation you may want to consider that when combined with the heat i ve heard that the exhaust system has trouble but mine works fine leather and the keyless entry system weren t available when i got the car so i can t comment on them i got the car before it was officially announced i prefer cloth to leather anyway i wouldn t want this car in the snow the suspension is too rough for the inevitable surprise potholes tires aren t meant for snow and the seats assume that you re not wearing lots of thick clothing rain is much better water generally beads off the windshield at freeway speed the windshield wiper controls are easy and understandable and i barely hydroplaned once with the eagles and i was really trying there is also a definite lack of cup holder small storage places the gt has map holders below the speakers in the door but they re rigid plastic that could fit two cassettes or cd s max the center console storage bin arm rest has cup holder and the back of the front seats have a cloth pouch but that s it no change holders quite a let down from the sho and the probe is definitely not a people mover car or an econo box car lastly don t store wet car covers in the back the foam will soak the water up and the result will not smell pleasant nathan nathan sco com jeremy mereness support ye olde disclaimer zonker cmu edu internet free the above represent my fast project cmu gsia software opinions alone b s mechanical engineering cmu ya gotta love it every silver lining s got a touch of grey this year marks the th anniversary of the bill of rights mx nathan sco com no comment they re coming to take me away ha ha napolean xiv
