1989 Ford Probe Reviews, Pricing & Specs
What owners say
"Overall, owners of the 1989 Ford Probe appreciate its fun driving experience and solid performance, particularly in terms of acceleration and handling. Many enjoy the sporty look and the efficiency of the engine, while also noting that it's great for new drivers learning to handle stick shifts. On the downside, several owners cite recurring electrical issues, high maintenance costs, and limited upgrades as drawbacks. The interior quality has also received mixed reviews, with some finding it lacking."
My 89 Probe GT has done really good. it handles like a beast and can easily smoke any wannabe racers around here. rocks everyone at stoplights. can even throw people in their seats in 5th gear, which is rare on a car. The only real problem with it is that upgrades are a bit limited for it. Due to it having the ford logo on it many asian car enthusiasts looked past this car as a sports car, front wheel drive didn't help that judgement at all. Though almost all the body panels say Mazda on the inside. If you want to ride this car hard. it can reach 120 quickly. Extremely fun to drive.
July 13, 2009I bought Penelope the Probe after Dad smashed the Escort. This car got me cheaply and reliably through college, grad school and my first year of work. Conveniently, I was just about to put it up for sale when the Escort got totalled. My dad drove it for another 100,000 mi. He finally got a real new car after that, not another one of my rejects.
April 22, 2008Love the looks. It has almost no blind spots. Have had issues with the wiper motor a couple of times. Gas mileage has always been low 30's to mid 30's for all types of driving. Handles like a dream and it fun to drive. Never felt unsafe in it.
October 16, 2011What owners say
My 89 Probe GT has done really good. it handles like a beast and can easily smoke any wannabe racers around here. rocks everyone at stoplights. can even throw people in their seats in 5th gear, which is rare on a car. The only real problem with it is that upgrades are a bit limited for it. Due to it having the ford logo on it many asian car enthusiasts looked past this car as a sports car, front wheel drive didn't help that judgement at all. Though almost all the body panels say Mazda on the inside. If you want to ride this car hard. it can reach 120 quickly. Extremely fun to drive.
July 13, 2009I bought Penelope the Probe after Dad smashed the Escort. This car got me cheaply and reliably through college, grad school and my first year of work. Conveniently, I was just about to put it up for sale when the Escort got totalled. My dad drove it for another 100,000 mi. He finally got a real new car after that, not another one of my rejects.
April 22, 2008Love the looks. It has almost no blind spots. Have had issues with the wiper motor a couple of times. Gas mileage has always been low 30's to mid 30's for all types of driving. Handles like a dream and it fun to drive. Never felt unsafe in it.
October 16, 2011This was a very fast car to drive and not for the tame of heart. It was as fast as most V8 sports cars and handled well on roads due to multiple settings for the suspension adjustable by rocker switch. It took wear and tear pretty well without major repairs if you drove average to spirited speeds occasionally. It was a low profile 2 door with a moon roof and a rear seat to boot. Without rust proofing the car will rust out from under you, but still it is a blast to drive.
July 10, 20102-2 Litre Turbo intercooled engine pushing in nowadays HP Ratings about 200. Excellent acceleration 0-60 in about 7 if you do it right. 24-26 MPG making it decent for a turbo 4 cylinder. Easy to maintain unless you are doing a rotor and brake job. this car is one of the funnest cars i have ever owned
November 4, 2009Technology - Fully computerized monitoring center with diagnostics and information (unmatched by anything I've seen today). Performance - Acceleration great for a 4-cylinder, Mazda handling! Build Quality - After 20 years and nearly 200,000 miles it does have it's issues and quirks. Frame absorbs crashes without a trace so great structure. Apperance - Sports Car look, hatchback storage and functionality. Cost - 22-27 mpg, and now high-mileage maintenance (still really good all things considered) Fun Factor: Excellent! One of the most fun cars I've ever driven.
October 1, 2009Easily Upgradable. Enthusiasts car Very comfortable interior Low cost of parts, but needs constant fixing Handled very well around the corners and stopped equally as fast High Tech for the age Has a tendency to rust Appearance not relevant on today's standards
August 24, 2010The car had power. It was fast and the acceleration was good. It had good handling and good brakes in it. Gas mileage was really good i drove like 400 miles and still was a little bit above E. It was really fun to drive cuz it was a stick. Also sounded very nice piped!
April 25, 2010The Ford Probe was a joint-venture between Ford and Mazda and was originally meant to be the replacement to the Ford Mustang. Well when Mustang enthusiasts found out about the FWD 4-Cylinder platform, they protested. So the new mustang became the Ford Probe. Based off the Mazda MX-6, the GL and LX models originally were equipped with the 120hp 150lbft of torque F2 Engine. While the GT models were equipped with the 145hp 190lbft of torque F2T, turbo-charged engine. The Probe I have is a 1989 GL equipped with the Ford 4EAT 4-Speed Automatic. I bought the car with 88,000 miles. It has respectable performance and will easily hold a gear to it's relatively low 6,000 Redline with the Transmission in Power Mode. It now has 106,000 miles and it is still running strong. The Build quality is solid. The only problem I have with the car is vibration at idle, but that's my own fault for losing a vacuum hose. Once it is replaced it will again be a very solid daily driver that will get me around town with pep. It makes a very sexy sound that stock sounds way better then any honda. I average about 26mpg, with a 20 year old automatic with respectable performance I can't complain. It has a 15 gallon tank so I average about 370 miles before I have go back to the pump. As it is one of the most reliable cars I know, coupled with it's respectable mileage, it's cost of ownership is low. I won't say it has been free of issues, but the Mazda F2 is one of the easiest engines I know of to service with costs of parts relatively low. If this car wasn't fun, I wouldn't talk about it. I think thats all I need to say lol.
February 3, 2010Pros. was not fast but got up to speed quick. lots of features for an 89. comfy interior. decent on gas. Cons. Flip up headlight malfunctions speed alarm stopped at 85 mph 2.2L was not the greatest motor made by ford.
September 17, 2009
