In defense of the Probe

[diymirage]

i never cared much for the probes but there is a white one around town that runs i dont know what type of engine but i do know it goes PSSSSH everytime he lets of the gas

peppy little car but it was no match for my 1.8 turbo passat that ran 16 PSI all day long

now, about the 3rd gen (or should i just call it a cougar?)

i used to own a 99 model with the 2.5 V6 and 5 speed manual, fully loaded

i got a great deal on it too, i looked at it the very day it came onto the lot and the salesperson gave me a price before he checked the car out

well, about a week later, after he installed the new clutch i got to drive it home without having to pay for the clutch replacement

that car was a blast to drive, it acted more like a RWD then the FWD it was

it was real easy to aproach a turn, let of the gas and the car would oversteer the rear end like it broke loose

as soon as you got on the gas again it would pull straight

it turned out it was the lesser of the great 3 as it got crushed between a dodge and a chevy (who knew you cant go 3 wide down mainstreet?)

over the years i have often had to fight the urge to sell my current car and get another cougar instead

remember i said i got a good deal on it?

when i totalled it the insurance company looked at the car, considered the cost and deducted the 1000 dollar deductable

then they cut me a check for 2000 dollars more then i paid for it

[diymirage]

Local dealer had a sale back when they were both cancelled: Buy a Lincoln Blackwood, get a Cougar for free. Not making that up.

i wanna say i actually heard that before

[Lownslow]

I think a lot of people in the industry are going to be watching the Toyota/Subaru joint venture RWD/AWD coupe very carefully to see if it finds a big enough market to be worth competing in. VW has sabre-rattled a Scirocco return with a concept car. Also, there are some "semi coupe" ideas on the way like the Hyundai Veloster that are trying to bridge the gap between 5-ddor hatch and coupe.

This is just my 2 cents, but there are certain markets that may get revisited because the competing vehicle types have changed market position. Where once there was a "Probe could cover Mustang's market position" degree of closeness, Mustang/Camaro/Challenger/Genesis have grown to a larger size/price/power class. That may open up enough space for someone to risk a small coupe again, to slot in underneath the mostly-retro pony car class.

ive seen pics its a very odd looking car and ive been considering buying one its a neat and practical concept.

tho i wouldnt mind getting this if properly equipped for a reasonable price but ive notice gm has been slacking on the quality control dpt again.

[Kit Basher]

ive seen pics its a very odd looking car and ive been considering buying one its a neat and practical concept.

Kinda looks like the Mazda 3 etc., etc. I agree it looks neat and practical but it seems you have to be under 30 y.o. to drive one.

[Lownslow]

Kinda looks like the Mazda 3 etc., etc. I agree it looks neat and practical but it seems you have to be under 30 y.o. to drive one.

im 30 and a nerd when it comes to cars like that

[Kit Basher]

im 30 and a nerd when it comes to cars like that

Actually I like the looks of the GM better than the Mazda, I don't like the giant smile on the front of the Mazda. Hey, you're close enough, I'm sure you can pass for 29. Nothin' nerdy about it, IMHO.

[Lownslow]

Actually I like the looks of the GM better than the Mazda, I don't like the giant smile on the front of the Mazda. Hey, you're close enough, I'm sure you can pass for 29. Nothin' nerdy about it, IMHO.

people find it hard to believe im 29 as it is lol i have "act" my age so that they believe me

[fumi]

tho i wouldnt mind getting this if properly equipped for a reasonable price but ive notice gm has been slacking on the quality control dpt again.

You should consider the Fiesta as well. I have one, and I love it.

[Foxer]

The first car my daughter bought herself (well, I DID have to help some ) was a '95 Probe GT (V6) with manual transmission. She IS a car girl and did all the maintenance she could on it. I had one of my Porsche 944's at the time and the Probe did remind me of it to some extent. It was faster straight on and wasn't bad cornering, though it was hard as a rock without the compliance Porsche excels at. There were troubles along it's life.. the engine spit oil like an Oklahoma farmer with a chaw. I was a good looker for sure.

This is one I'll never be able to model, unfortunately.

Edited September 2, 2011 by Foxer

[MrObsessive]

I haven't seen a Probe in years...I have a buddy that used to have a 2nd gen GT...they were pretty nice. Trivia--The 3rd gen was called the Mercury Cougar (Ford Cougar in Europe).

Ugggh! The FWD Cougar is one car I just don't like! To me it looks like a woman's shoe going down the road!

For those of you that have them, more power to you.......but to my eyes nothing screamed "chick car" louder than that last Cougar! Now the second gen Probe I liked a lot! Especially the V6 GT's........too bad Ford killed it so soon.

[Kit Basher]

Ugggh! The FWD Cougar is one car I just don't like!

This may sound strange coming from a Probe owner, but I also didn't like the Cougar.

[Lownslow]

You should consider the Fiesta as well. I have one, and I love it.

i have looked at it its a great car and it drove well for what it was but im gonna give GM more shot problem is its really hard to find a GM dealer you can trust.