Can we stop saying that the 944 N/a's are slow..? Its makin me crazy...lets just say that they are Spirited..

Get an early model and drop some wieght, do some lil mods and youll feel a difference,youll also be had pressed to find a better handling car for less than twice the resale of our cars.....(its all in the corners)!!!!

Just my misrable two cents-chris

 

Jamie,

I know where you are coming from. I have seen and driven some real 944 beaters. As some have already stated people buy these cars cheap thinking you can get by on a real low budget. It is sad to see some unloved cars out there, but keep looking. You will know when you find the right one.



Proper kudos and respect to Japanese cars; they are reliable and do what they do quite well. They are well engineered and built relatively well, at least the ones that i've driven and worked on. I absolutely love the 944 series cars, but I also love my boxy 1989 Civic that is my daily driver workhorse. I've owned this beast with 166k on the clock for about a year now and have put 12k miles on it in that time. Total cost excluding gas has been $18 for 3 oil/filter changes, $2.79 for an oil pan drain plug, $4 for a set of plugs, $28 for a new set of rotors, and $16 for a set of pads. The engine is peppy and compression excellent. It loves the steep hills of SF and will carry a full trunkload of cargo along with a packed back seat without so much as even a whimper. Also there is no rust to speak of.

The paint quality is no match for our cars, the interior isn't nearly as extravagant, the build quality isn't as good etc, but that's ok, it was a hell of a lot cheaper than even a clutch job on my 951.

Good luck in your search, you won't be disappointed.

 

Why am I a loser? Because I pointed out that your car isn't very powerful? Since I have a fast car and you don't wouldn't that make you the loser?
It might have enough pep for you, but for many people it doesn't. Hence my statement that it's "not all that peppy".

I didn't say all 8valve cars aren't peppy, just 8v 944s. I have an 8v 951, completely different engine design.

 

Define superior.
Build quality?
Performance?
Fuel efficiency?
Low maintenance?
Durability?
Comfort features?

In every one of those, my honda RSX-S will beat a stock 8v 944. And if you want to compare it to a modded 944, the RSX can get the LSD (standard on the TypeR in Japan, but not available here), an aftermarket JIC sport (or race) suspension, and an aftermarket 320-750whp turbo kit for about $8k.
And you might be forgetting the pinnacle of honda's lineup, the NSX. For $100k or less, you won't find a better overall performance car. The Z06 and Viper might be a bit faster, but they can't match the Honda in the other categories. And the sub $100k 996s aren't as fast around a track.

VW is a German car, as is Opel. I'd much rather have a Lexus or Acura than either of them. Overall German cars (especially the brands we see here in the states) are very high quality, but not all German cars are.

You should go to a local track day and check out the hondas there. Or to an autocross.
I've seen a civic get top raw time of the day at an SCCA autoX. It beat Z06s, Lotus Elises, and even a pair of carts. Yes it was modified, but the fact remains that a honda kicked some serious ***.

 

Lets be fair, there is a guy (in his 50's) With an old Honda CRX that is 100% stock that turns out unbelievable times. So lets stop saying the 944 is superior in everything except straight line.

Christian

 

Volvo 240 > then any honda car every made other then racecar's
Cost to buy now $3000 or less
Proformance
Handling = RWD!
Fun
Looks IMHO Best looking box ever...
Safety
Modifications
Comfort
brakeing
Room
Cost of ownership
Fuel economy

So I give you the best car ever made.. The Volvo 240 DL

So in the end Europe > Japan

 

 

I forgot Build Quality

You want some? come get it you post your True Facts about a honda and the volvo can beat it.

 

I forgot about the Volvos. Good point Fishey!

 

Honda's are great cars in their own way. I must say of an equal year and mileage, the Honda is much more reliable. I take offence to the 'Honduh' name as I'm sure others do.

The brakes are a real pain though on Honda's. 4 discs stop fairly well as its a light car, but they sure rust like a tin can. (kind of like certain parts of the recycled metal body). This is where porsche really stands out with any car. That serious metal and solidity of the car.

Considering most family cars these days are over 200hp stock, the 944n/a is a pretty slow car and I can understand how the original poster was disapointed.

 

boy, some of you guys... i dunno what i'd do for laughs if rennlist wasn't around...

-Michael-

 

What does that have to do with whether or not Hondas suck? Nothing.
RWD does not mean a car can necessarily handle well. My RSX can out-handle a BMW 318 at an autoX. And mini coopers can outhandle most RWD cars I've ever seen. Those things are so nimble it's disgusting.
I don't know anything about the 240, but no volvo I've ever heard of can compare to an Acura NSX, and I doubt the 240 can. Most Porsches, BMWs, and Ferraris don't even compare to it. It is a world class supercar.

And before you make such a blanket statement as European cars are better than Japanese cars, remember the Yugo, the Reneault, the Saab, the Fiat, etc.
I'd agree though that the best European performance cars, like a Porsche GT2 or Ferrari 575, are better than the best Japanese performance cars, like the NSX and Skyline.
But the best built cars around come from Lexus (I believe Porsche is a close second).

 

Definitely! I've had my RSX for 11 months now, it's rained maybe 5-10 days in that time (I live in the desert), and the rotors have a small ring of rust where they meet the hub.
My 16.5 year old 951 (an AZ car for over a decade) sitting next to it has no rust on rotors that are pretty heavily worn, so several years old at a minimum.

The RSX is a pretty good braker. It doesn't nose dive too easily, and with a good set of tires, it grips enough to decelerate quickly, but it's a minivan compared to the 951 braking.

Oh...a few people here have talked about the non-galvenized honda bodies. Acuras (high end Hondas for those of you not in North America) are all galvanized steel bodies. I'm not sure about the civic and accord, though.

 

Yeah and most family cars weigh over 3000 pounds.
And they don't handle as well as the 944.
And they're more expensive than the 944.
And they feel very detached.
And they're just plain not as fun to drive as the 944.

 

Volvo > Lexus and Volvo 240> NSX

Also fwd never will be great handling cars its physicly impossible.. The might be fast in autoX or on a track but they cannot oversteer. there is a diffrence between handling and GRIP. Handling the Volvo has 50/50 and very neutral handling unless you want the back to come out and if it does is extremely predictable.