Great performers, but I'm not a huge fan of the styling.

 

If winters were such a pisser in Ohio Id be driving one to and from everywhere. My preference are the 87+ cars that arrived in S4 trim and updated body style.

I wouldnt even mind an automatic. How is the A/C in these things. I know some had rear A/C. Do they actually cool the car or are they 911 A/Cs which are strictly ornamental.

 

If A/C matters to you, here in the Caribbean a local A/C shop that does Porsches tells me the best '80s Porsche A/C is in the 944s. I was surprised when they said not even the 928 system cools as well as the 944's. A/C gets daily use year round over here, FWIW.

 

A/c works damn good. well it did in mine would freeze you when it was 110+ outside. but i need a new compressor now...

 

My father-in-law has one. Having ridden in it, I can say that it would be the ultimate road trip car. He isn't a do-it-yourselfer so he said maintenance can be expensive. It's not a daily driver for him so his costs are reduced somewhat because he probably puts less than 10K miles a year on it.

On the AC question, it cranks so keep a sweatshirt handy.

 

I've had my 928 S4 for about two years now - THERE'S NOTHING LIKE IT.
Its an amazing car, at first it feel big and a bit more sloppy but once you get use to it and get the guts to really trough it into corners its like no other car. When driving the 928 I feel bullet proof.
Like I've said many times before its only draw back is that its to good. At 160km/h my 924 feel like its flying on certain roads - on the same road at 260km/h in the 928 I sit back and relax. The problem is that when you get the adrenaline flowing in the 928 you are at a lethal speed. Even on back roads in bad condition you just seem to float over the bumps, nothing unsettle that suspension.

I don't know about 944 but from the 924 you can multiply all costs by ten. Dont fool yourself its an expensive car to maintain - I did about 40 000kms in the last two years and spent ZAR 40 000 on it. I complained about it to a fellow owner a while back and he told me the problem is one tends to compare the maintenance cost to other cars in the same price range while in reality the 928 is a real super car that you got very cheap. If you compare the cost to anything remotely in its class you'll realize its still cheaper than them.

 

South Africa eh? Can't be too many porsche's running around down there, is there? I would like to live somewhere were I had a very unique car. Hehe.

 

I can provide some insight here as I owned a 944S up until recently and now have a 928S4.

First off - you need both cars!! They compliment each other perfectly. Also, they both need to be red!

Lets do a personal breakdown......
HANDLING
944 - The 944 is like a go-cart. Low to the ground...."feels" very wide and stable. When approaching a corner, there is little fear of losing control in a 944 - again, it "feels" like it's glued to the ground. It's very "flickable" in the sense that it takes little effort to plow it through a corner.

928 - The 928 feels like a luxury go-cart (if that makes any sense). Seems higher off the ground (actually, I think it is). The weight of the car gives a false impression that plowing into a corner can be a bad thing....but it's not. After driving a 944, it takes some getting used to the 928 handling, but once you know how to drive the car, the overall quality of handling is about the same. The 928 doesn't seem to squeel around corners as much as the 944. As for straight line "feel", the 928 wins hands down.

Power
944 and 928 - now, keep in mind, I was driving the 16-valve 944. The 944 is a car that is "quick" and when you get the RPM's up, it comes to life. The 928 comes to life as soon as you turn the key. There really is no comparison in power, but when driving the 928, it "seems" like you are going slower than you are. At 100 Mph in the 944, you know you are going quite fast. At 100 Mph in the 928, it feels like you could get out and beat the car in a footrace. Gotta keep your eyes on the speedo in the 928. When you hit "kickdown" in the 928, for some reason.....everything on earth all seems fine for a brief moment. The 944 is fast, but the 928 is "Porsche fast".

Cost of repairs/upkeep
Well, one car was around $40,000 new and the other was around $80,000 - that should give you a good indication of repair/parts costs. Mind you, the 928 isn't like a Ferrari or anything - parts prices are reasonable and, as with all Porsches, it helps to do some of your own work. Even if you are not a mechanic, you should be able to change oil, break pads, fix windows/sunroofs, etc, etc if you plan on owning either one. The 928 does seem to have a more robust engine, so perhaps the longevity of the engine helps balance out overall cost in the end.

Overall - I like both cars for different reasons. One week after having my 928, I felt two things....1 - "I'm so happy I have this car", and 2 - "I miss my 944". Although there does seem to be two different camps for these cars, I will say that if you enjoy the 944, you will really enjoy the 928.

As for which one to buy if you have never owned either....it comes down to which example of each you get. 944's are "cheaper", but you get more with a 928. If you are cash-strapped and don't have extra money for surprise repairs, the 944 is a better choice, but then again - if you get a nice example of a 928 - you may not need that extra money right away. Gas also plays a major factor. In the 928, you pay an extra lil' bit each visit to the pump for all that extra power and that adds up over time.

Jeff

 

IMHO:

Early 911/911SC is a no compromise sports car. Light, very little power anything, go kart handling, stiff suspension, rough, primitive ride, back seat for tax purposes only.

928 is a no compormise luxury/grand tourer. Super strong/stiff basic platform, 50/50 weight balance, most sophisticated Porsche suspension of its time (double wishbone suspension all around, no compromise), usable back seat, powerful and sophisticated V8, light for the car it is (2+2 V8 170 mph+ grand tourer only 3300 to 3550 lbs.) We have one around here that has been converted into a dedicated racing car; awesome basic platform, but a major pain to remove/replace all those soft rubber bushings designed to isolate passengers from road noise.

944 is a compromise car. Fairly light, but heavier than a sports car should be. Fairly stiff chassis, but not in the same league as 911 or 928. Back seat sort of intended to be useful, but not really. Pretty basic suspension. Soft springing geared more towards touring than sports car handling. Built to price point.

So if I feel this way, (he says as he pull on his flame retardant underwear) why did I buy a 944. For a couple of reasons. One, it is an easy car to live with. It has great, forgiving handling. You can track, autocross and tour with the same car and do all reasonably well. A early 911/911SC is not really a turing car, while the 928 is pretty soft for tracking/autocrossing and takes more work to upgrade the suspension. Two, it is a project car I can maintain myself. If you have looked under the hood of a 928, it is very crowded in there to work on. Parts are rare and expensive. And with a very complex electrical system, ground problems and electrical gremlins would intimidate the heck out of me.


Regarding A/C: For what its worth, we toured about 400 miles in hot weather recently with a Boxster and a '87 928S4. The occupants of the 928 were hot and sticky with the AC on, we were comfortable as long as we kept windows up and sunroof closed, the Boxster people were very comfortable with the AC on full and the top down. For AC, I think a Boxster, 996 or Cayenne would be your best choice!

 

Kinda nice to see so many nice things said about a car that isn't a 944 derived model here... As for my feelings on the subject, obviously I am a 944 guy through and through, but if you notice my signature, you'll see I like the 928's also.

If you are going for just one car, tho, and you can swing it, take a serious look at the 968. It has better fit and finish than the average 944, with more power than the standard NA and more low end torque than a 951, and really gives a good compromise for the best of both worlds.

Regards,

 

I like the '87 and later models. I wish more had the 5-speed, but for that kind of car an auto isn't so terrible. I love the GTS's (doesn't everybody?), but they're too rich for my blood.

I had a chance to buy a very well maintained '90 928, that sometimes I get to thinking maybe I should have bought. The sound of that burbling V8 was awesome. Then again, my turbo goes like stink, so I've got nothing to complain about. I've heard several stories about their high maintenance costs, but no first hand experience.

 

Love them, cost too much to maintain outside and are not much fun to maintain in the garage. With the right wheels the S4s look fantastic, maybe the best looking of all the Porsches. Stock wheels have to go however!
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You got that right. Or like a guy in the E-Mail lists once posted: "I test drove a 928 auto. It was fast, but it felt like driving the Space Shuttle."

 

Friends, I disagree with most of you. As an avid Porsche fan, especially the water cooled variety, I can tell you that the 928 is NOT heavy. It IS heavier than a 944 (what's 400lbs among friends), but it is right on for a GT production car. Consider that C4 Corvettes weigh around 3300lbs and Camaros weigh ~3600lbs (who knows what the latest weigh). Many people consider these models "sport" cars, so why not the 928?

Certainly the handling and technology of the 928 is superb. Most of it found it's way into later model 911's... which were intended to be replaced by the 928. (It is a widely held belief that Porsche has been trying to get rid of the 911 for some time, but Porsche's customers won't let it die.)

The engine of the 944 is actually half of a 928 V8. Same head, same pistons, and a little magic to balance the thing (in the form of balance shafts). This is why the internals of the 944 are so rock-solid. This design was to replace the Audi lump used in the 924.

The cost of maintaining the 928 is significantly more than a 944. For example, when I bought some fog light lenses to replace broken units on my 944, I noticed that the 928 models were 3x more! Furthermore, my friend, who is a Porsche mechanic, turns away most 928 work (although there is a lot of it), because the owners are frequently shocked and understandably unhappy when they find out the price of ownership. As many have already mentioned, the electrical in that car is a nightmare.

That being said, I would buy one if I could afford the maintenance. They are awesome cars, my favorite being the 93-95 GTS with manual tranny.

If you are looking for a well sorted out vehicle with relatively low maintence cost, buy a Honda... just kidding, I would suggest a 968, not that the 944 is bad, just that the 968 is the final evolution of the breed.

Good luck with your decision.

 

Scott, are my eyes deceiving me, or did you actually sell the 84 NA!