I test drove a 1985.5 944 while considering it's purchase. The car was a rock. I absolutely loved it. Entry/Exit is somewhat tough due to the very low seating position, but once in place, the seats are extremely supportive and comfortable. The engine leaves a bit to be desired, but is more than adequate for a 2600 pound car, returning 0-60 times of around 7.5 seconds. Where the car really won me over was with it's handling. It drives like it's on rails, at any speed. Braking is firm and responsive, direction changes are an exercise in wishing the wheel to turn, and the car almost reads your mind when you're driving it. In 1986, Car and Driver named the 1986 Porsche 944 the best handling car in the world, and I feel that it may still have a shot at that title, especially for the price that you can pick a great one out for.

Not enough horsepower but decent pickup and long revs, handles better than most cars, voted #1 handling car of it's time, unique drivetrain, 50/50 weight distribution, flooring it on an off-ramp is flattering, i like the look, one of the most fun cars ive driven, love it just as much as the day i got it.

Performance - Very good ( ~330WHP) What you expect from a Porsche Build Quality - Good (Audi factory) Appearance - Very good design (allmost timeless) Cost of Ownership - Not great . average 10L/100km Fun factor - On race track great drive . But turbo lag is noticable .

Good acceleration, superb handling. This is a sweet car that I don't plan on getting rid of anytime soon! This car has a top speed of about 160 MPH, and that's with no mods, just stock. The car is a blast to drive! Wouldn't trade it for most anything else!

I've owned this car since December of 2005. It's been tracked, it's been hit, it's been a rugged daily driver. I'm happy with it and wouldn't want anything else -- insurance is pretty cheap on account of it being over two decades old. To date, I've spent less than ten thousand dollars on the car -- and that number includes the 6100 initial purchase price, the 400 bucks to recharge the AC, the 700 bucks to fix everything from a hydroplaning accident that banged up the front pass. side pretty good, oil changes, etc etc. I could have spent $11,000 on a new Hyundai, but I didn't want to spend that much -- so I got a Porsche instead! Sure, there's some intricacies and unique stuff to the car that can be a bit of a pain every now and then -- Timing belts have to be changed religiously lest the interference engine explode on itself when the belt snaps and force a top end rebuild. Like most old cars, there's going to be stuff that needs sorted and refreshed -- rubber, seals, gaskets, etc -- but once you take care of those issues, you basically have a reliable car at your disposal. People knock the NA model in favor of the turbo variant, and while the 944 Turbo is much faster, the regular 944 can be just as maneuverable, if not more so than it's boosted bigger brother. On track days I've passed several turbos, even some Boxsters -- the best feeling I've had in my car was knowing I could do more with a less-powerful car than some folks were able to do with their $60k boxsters and $18k 951s. In addition to summer weather driving, my 944 has seen winter duty since the end of 2005, and there have been no problems to date. I purchased a set of nokian winter tires and haven't had any problems with driving in bad weather. The handling is exceptionally precise while remaining very forgiving.