1997 Ford Probe Reviews, Pricing & Specs
What owners say
"Owners of the 1997 Ford Probe generally appreciate its unique looks, sporty handling, and strong engine performance, often referring to it as a fun and affordable sports car. Many highlight the appealing design and relatively low cost of ownership, especially with the unique blend of American and Japanese engineering. However, some drivers have expressed concerns about the interior quality, particularly the use of cheap plastics, limited rear legroom, and occasional mechanical issues, such as braking performance and engine reliability."
Ive had my 1997 Probe for over four years now, and the fact that Ive had it so long (for me its long) speaks volumes about its appeal. For the princely sum of $1500 AU dollars, I snapped up a low kay, silver 5 speed manual Probe, albeit unregistered and in need of lotsa TLC. Been an ongoing love (and some hate) affair since purchasing. From the American skin to the Japanese mechanicals, its the perfect poor mans sports car. It looks the part. No doubt about it. Even after 25 years it still turns heads, and rightfully so. Back then it looked futuristic, and these days it looks unlike any other current copycat manufacturers cars. Despite its rarity and unknown status, the Probe is starting to gain traction. Just looking at sale ads will affirm this. From a rare but relatively cheap car, to a rare but now much pricier car. $15 K AU dollars for a low mileage clean example is not unusual these days. Hang onto these babies. The suspension in mine is getting a bit long in the tooth now but make no mistake - with a decent (yet budget) set of tyres (my car wears Laufenn Gfit AS) it handles brilliantly, despite its front wheel drive configuration. Mechanicals in the KL configuration were (and in my opinion still are) brilliant and way ahead of their time, despite no VVT. It puts its modest 125 kilowatts to good use with 5 well spaced gears (mine is the manual) and 16 inch/225/50 wheel/tyre combo. The cabin is so not Mazda MX6. It looks better, and has a more sporty and comprehensive gauge cluster. I do however have my qualms about the car too. The console and various bits inside are made of cheap plastic - a big let down to the remainder of the car- they also rattle if not secured or have broken pins etc. The shape of the seats can influence their wear, and so the drivers seat can suffer from uneven wear from entering and exiting on the door side bolster. Theres only room for one cup holder, and thats annoyingly in the centre of the front console. Expect coffee burns from shifting gears and tight turns. The cars braking system leaves a lot to be desired. Despite having ABS and four wheel discs, the discs are severely undersized for the weight and dynamics of the car, and you know about it as you stomp on them after a spirited drive. With a bit of mechanical knowledge, you can convert them with a front disc and caliper conversion from a Mazda 6, consisting of larger diameter disc/caliper, and you can still fit the 16 inch swirlies fine. The larger diameter Mazda 6 brakes however require a 17 inch wheel... Also, they can be confusing (and costly) as my journey with the distributor in my car can confirm. One day it decided not to start and many checks confirmed it was the coil (which is built in the distributor) Order a coil, fit it, start it and it ran, but poorly. Order a whole distributor. Same thing. Changed other things (spark-wise, fuel-wise, electronic-wise) A bit better, but still rough. Until lotsa brain racking and internet searching finally uncovered that this Mazda engine has two different distributors, and each time I unwittingly got stuff for the wrong type (KF34 being in mine) ..over a grand AU in various parts and a correct whole new distributor, it purrs again. Another area to pay close attention to is the cooling system, with the hoses and fittings for the oil cooler in particular. I had to replace a leaky one, and the only way to get to it by removing power steering pump (out of the way, not off) and alternator...only to be greeted by a connector pipe that was severely corroded. Consider changing all cooling system hoses in them, if you havent done so by now. Also switch to full synthetic oil throughout mechanicals. Ive used full synthetic since beginning of ownership and 33000 kilometres later, it still has the same if not better power now. Its still smooth too. The motto here is, look after it and itll look after you. Unique looks: Check. Good torque and power: Check Awesome handling: Check Comfortable/Usable but tacky interior: Check.
June 15, 2022Smooth & Sleek, great colour, great pop up lights, grey lether interior, electric sunroof, cruise control
March 7, 2008fast on exceleration very quick easy to handle stops on a tanner no repairs has very nice looks an nice interior inside an out this car is fun to drive an cheap to maintain 34 to the gallon cheap service
June 25, 2010What owners say
Ive had my 1997 Probe for over four years now, and the fact that Ive had it so long (for me its long) speaks volumes about its appeal. For the princely sum of $1500 AU dollars, I snapped up a low kay, silver 5 speed manual Probe, albeit unregistered and in need of lotsa TLC. Been an ongoing love (and some hate) affair since purchasing. From the American skin to the Japanese mechanicals, its the perfect poor mans sports car. It looks the part. No doubt about it. Even after 25 years it still turns heads, and rightfully so. Back then it looked futuristic, and these days it looks unlike any other current copycat manufacturers cars. Despite its rarity and unknown status, the Probe is starting to gain traction. Just looking at sale ads will affirm this. From a rare but relatively cheap car, to a rare but now much pricier car. $15 K AU dollars for a low mileage clean example is not unusual these days. Hang onto these babies. The suspension in mine is getting a bit long in the tooth now but make no mistake - with a decent (yet budget) set of tyres (my car wears Laufenn Gfit AS) it handles brilliantly, despite its front wheel drive configuration. Mechanicals in the KL configuration were (and in my opinion still are) brilliant and way ahead of their time, despite no VVT. It puts its modest 125 kilowatts to good use with 5 well spaced gears (mine is the manual) and 16 inch/225/50 wheel/tyre combo. The cabin is so not Mazda MX6. It looks better, and has a more sporty and comprehensive gauge cluster. I do however have my qualms about the car too. The console and various bits inside are made of cheap plastic - a big let down to the remainder of the car- they also rattle if not secured or have broken pins etc. The shape of the seats can influence their wear, and so the drivers seat can suffer from uneven wear from entering and exiting on the door side bolster. Theres only room for one cup holder, and thats annoyingly in the centre of the front console. Expect coffee burns from shifting gears and tight turns. The cars braking system leaves a lot to be desired. Despite having ABS and four wheel discs, the discs are severely undersized for the weight and dynamics of the car, and you know about it as you stomp on them after a spirited drive. With a bit of mechanical knowledge, you can convert them with a front disc and caliper conversion from a Mazda 6, consisting of larger diameter disc/caliper, and you can still fit the 16 inch swirlies fine. The larger diameter Mazda 6 brakes however require a 17 inch wheel... Also, they can be confusing (and costly) as my journey with the distributor in my car can confirm. One day it decided not to start and many checks confirmed it was the coil (which is built in the distributor) Order a coil, fit it, start it and it ran, but poorly. Order a whole distributor. Same thing. Changed other things (spark-wise, fuel-wise, electronic-wise) A bit better, but still rough. Until lotsa brain racking and internet searching finally uncovered that this Mazda engine has two different distributors, and each time I unwittingly got stuff for the wrong type (KF34 being in mine) ..over a grand AU in various parts and a correct whole new distributor, it purrs again. Another area to pay close attention to is the cooling system, with the hoses and fittings for the oil cooler in particular. I had to replace a leaky one, and the only way to get to it by removing power steering pump (out of the way, not off) and alternator...only to be greeted by a connector pipe that was severely corroded. Consider changing all cooling system hoses in them, if you havent done so by now. Also switch to full synthetic oil throughout mechanicals. Ive used full synthetic since beginning of ownership and 33000 kilometres later, it still has the same if not better power now. Its still smooth too. The motto here is, look after it and itll look after you. Unique looks: Check. Good torque and power: Check Awesome handling: Check Comfortable/Usable but tacky interior: Check.
June 15, 2022Smooth & Sleek, great colour, great pop up lights, grey lether interior, electric sunroof, cruise control
March 7, 2008fast on exceleration very quick easy to handle stops on a tanner no repairs has very nice looks an nice interior inside an out this car is fun to drive an cheap to maintain 34 to the gallon cheap service
June 25, 2010well stock its not as exciting but not much is left stock so its amazing now. The engine is brillant, a mazda engine with a ford stamp on it, has a varaible response intake system. handling is nice, four disc brakes
June 30, 2009I love my probe! I miss driving it every day. Its not liek any other probe, and its a GTS not a GT
January 2, 2008i loved this vehicle however this vehicle brought with it a lot of problems that ended up into probation because here is a light car with estraordinary handling and a good throttle responce, reaches 145mph fast... theres an upgradable engine from japan(mazda engine)... basically invest $4500 and ur untachable against any front wheel drive car...
March 26, 2010acceleration is not bad for a cheap car, handling is decent but could be a lot better, not many repairs needed for the short time I owned on of these, appearance wise the front ends look sharp but the sides are ugly rear ends look decent, cost of ownership, parts are decently priced if you shop smart, gas mileage could better, fun factor is its front wheel drive therefor its crap!
August 2, 2009Goes good.i cant complain one bit.they are really decent cars nd they look good if you keep them clean.they also dont sound too bad if ya wanna throw a rice pipe on them...lol.all in all not a bad buy.
July 17, 2009This is a quick car that a bought after i moved out of mr house. I've added some interior lighting, Megan Racing Exhaust, Cold air intake, 75 shot of ZEX nitrous oxide and a few other fun things, any ways its a great car.
July 23, 2009My engine blew up, but for the most part it's not a terrible car.
May 9, 2008
