1991 Eagle Talon Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I'm currently on my 2nd Talon, both '91 Tsi AWD's. Owned one back in '95 and found a little gem in 2009, which is currently my summer toy. I have mixed feelings about the DSMs. Even though they were amazing cars in the 90's, they had so much potential that just seemed untapped. On the plus side of the ledger, both cars I've owned drove/drive straight as an arrow and felt/feel very tight. Pretty amazing considering the car is now 21 years old! Handling/cornering isn't quite as good as a previously owned 944, but it's not that far behind either. Performance wise, the turbo-charged DOHC 16 valvers are mean little engines. That said, it's a bit disconcerting that many of todays' current vehicles (including some high-end SUVs) can out-accelerate my Talon now. From what I've seen, the cars are fairly easy to modify and get some serious speed out of. Not cheap to do, but the options are plenty. DSMs are very cheap to buy now, and I think one would be hard-pressed to find other sports cars that can perform like the Tsi AWD for the few thousand bucks a good model will run you. A few negatives. Many of the 1st gen DSMs had transmission troubles with the manual trannies and transfer cases. Definitely not cheap items to R and R. Cooling issues have also been weak spots on these cars. Add to that, the fact that many (most?) of the used DSMs have probably been abused and you can be expecting to drop some serious coin on rebuilding the tranny and/or clutch. Parts availability is killing the desirability of older DSMs. Even some engine parts are hard to come by now. This is a huge deterrent to buying or owning a DSM now. All in all, if you keep up on the maintenance and don't abuse them, DSMs will provide a lot of enjoyable driving. Apr 01, 2012

Performance - The 1st generation DSM in AWD form handles exceptionally well for it's price. The brakes could offer a little for stopping power, but for stock power levels, they are acceptable. The overall power of the car is great for a car of its price tag. It is turbocharged. You can really feel when the turbo spools up. Let's just say life is really fast between about 3200-7000 RPM's Build quality - This is where the car lacks, if you must pick an area. These cars are expensive to maintain for their price tag. However, if properly maintained, they will last quite some time. Appearance - I LOVE the exterior styling of these cars. From the big "whale" mouth on the front bumper, to the "hump" on the hood (for the cams, not the turbo...), to the available 5-piece wing on the rear. Inside the cockpit reminds me of a fighter jet. The orange glow from the gauges, and how everything is built around the driver. The driver's position may seem small and cramped at first, but soon you will enjoy moving your hand about 6 inches to access whatever you may need to. Passenger's seat has good room to stretch. The back seat? Forget them. No full size adult will fit back there comfortably for more then a ride to the gas station. Cost - These cars are not the cheapest to maintain or drive. They require Premium fuel (turbocharged remember?), and a timing belt every 75,000 miles (interference engine. If the belt breaks it's going to be at least $1000 to fix it...). The stock turbocharger will last about 200,000 miles. That will run you anywhere from $500-$2500 to replace (used, aftermarket, new OEM). Being a turbocharged car, it doesn't get the greatest fuel mileage when you consider it is also only sporting a 2.0L 4 cylinder engine. I'll admit I have a heavy foot, but mine gets about 18-19 MPG combined. Fun - In a word? Yes. In a few words? Hell yes. It sticks to the road, has a decent amount of power (195 hp), and just feels right from the driver's position.Dec 07, 2011