1989 Ford Probe Reviews, Pricing & Specs

This was a very fast car to drive and not for the tame of heart. It was as fast as most V8 sports cars and handled well on roads due to multiple settings for the suspension adjustable by rocker switch. It took wear and tear pretty well without major repairs if you drove average to spirited speeds occasionally. It was a low profile 2 door with a moon roof and a rear seat to boot. Without rust proofing the car will rust out from under you, but still it is a blast to drive.Jul 10, 2010

I bought my 1989 Ford Probe GL with only 92k on it. It was a grandmas car, it had only been driven back and fourth to the grocery store and it was garage kept. It was a nice first car for me. It had a 2.2L In line four Mazda motor and it ran well(for the first 6 months). I'm sure back in its day it was a very popular coupe. But now, it is very rare to find a first gen Probe on the road. My probe had a cold air intake system and a fart cannon exhaust with not cat or resonator. It was a fun car to mess arround with but the first thing to go was the alternator. After replacing that, then came the starter. Then the rocker arm started to make a terrible knocking noise. The front right wheel bearing was going and caused my brakes to be unresponsive. The car was even louder with a blown exhaust manifold gasket and everything rattled inside the interior when my tourque converter started to go. Overall the car was nice at first but then it turned to a major headache. I bought the car for 1000 but then I got a quote to repair most of the problems. When i saw the Quote from five different mechanics saying 3300 was the best they could do, I was finished. I traded it in for 500 dollars at a really dumb dealer and now i have a 2002 Buick LeSabre Custom.Feb 19, 2010

The Ford Probe was a joint-venture between Ford and Mazda and was originally meant to be the replacement to the Ford Mustang. Well when Mustang enthusiasts found out about the FWD 4-Cylinder platform, they protested. So the new mustang became the Ford Probe. Based off the Mazda MX-6, the GL and LX models originally were equipped with the 120hp 150lbft of torque F2 Engine. While the GT models were equipped with the 145hp 190lbft of torque F2T, turbo-charged engine. The Probe I have is a 1989 GL equipped with the Ford 4EAT 4-Speed Automatic. I bought the car with 88,000 miles. It has respectable performance and will easily hold a gear to it's relatively low 6,000 Redline with the Transmission in Power Mode. It now has 106,000 miles and it is still running strong. The Build quality is solid. The only problem I have with the car is vibration at idle, but that's my own fault for losing a vacuum hose. Once it is replaced it will again be a very solid daily driver that will get me around town with pep. It makes a very sexy sound that stock sounds way better then any honda. I average about 26mpg, with a 20 year old automatic with respectable performance I can't complain. It has a 15 gallon tank so I average about 370 miles before I have go back to the pump. As it is one of the most reliable cars I know, coupled with it's respectable mileage, it's cost of ownership is low. I won't say it has been free of issues, but the Mazda F2 is one of the easiest engines I know of to service with costs of parts relatively low. If this car wasn't fun, I wouldn't talk about it. I think thats all I need to say lol.Feb 03, 2010

Technology - Fully computerized monitoring center with diagnostics and information (unmatched by anything I've seen today). Performance - Acceleration great for a 4-cylinder, Mazda handling! Build Quality - After 20 years and nearly 200,000 miles it does have it's issues and quirks. Frame absorbs crashes without a trace so great structure. Apperance - Sports Car look, hatchback storage and functionality. Cost - 22-27 mpg, and now high-mileage maintenance (still really good all things considered) Fun Factor: Excellent! One of the most fun cars I've ever driven.Oct 01, 2009

My 89 Probe GT has done really good. it handles like a beast and can easily smoke any wannabe racers around here. rocks everyone at stoplights. can even throw people in their seats in 5th gear, which is rare on a car. The only real problem with it is that upgrades are a bit limited for it. Due to it having the ford logo on it many asian car enthusiasts looked past this car as a sports car, front wheel drive didn't help that judgement at all. Though almost all the body panels say Mazda on the inside. If you want to ride this car hard. it can reach 120 quickly. Extremely fun to drive.Jul 13, 2009

It has great handling even in the snow...The only thing is that it was alittle light in the back but just add sand bags and it was fine...The altanator was a piece of crap it's a Mazda part..couldn't put ford part in it not enough room...The outside of it had to be repaired so it was two different colors of blue the inside looked pretty good though..When we first got it the windows had been broken out and some other things had to be fixed....I loved that carNov 03, 2008

I kept this car for 13 years, and put over 300K on the clock. The entire electrical system would shut down when you hit a bump in the road. Half the electronics were broken or failed. The plastic dry rotted. The A/C was broken. The fuel gauge liked to get stuck. It leaked oil over the block like a seive. And the hood smoked at stop lights! But it just kept running! I somewhat miss it though. After all it was my first car. And I cut my teeth (or rather my lead foot) on this car.Aug 14, 2008

Well I really like my 4 cylinder ford probe. it used to be a normal car but now it is raced as a novice hornet at Algona raceway. the transformation only took about a week or less. The people that made it into a racecar for me took the car stripped put in a 5 point harness racing seat and also put in a roll cage the transformation was hard but they got it done for me. the car has been raced for two seasons and has held up pretty well and also held up well when it was a normal car. Jul 29, 2008

I bought Penelope the Probe after Dad smashed the Escort. This car got me cheaply and reliably through college, grad school and my first year of work. Conveniently, I was just about to put it up for sale when the Escort got totalled. My dad drove it for another 100,000 mi. He finally got a real new car after that, not another one of my rejects. Apr 22, 2008

mod: Performance --> Fuel pressure regulator cosmos custom 3" exhaust down pipe au muffler HKS Blow Off Valve Greddy turbo timer avec harness MCB 10psi Suspension --> front strut bar eagle talon 1g shock tokico bleu fife coil pro kit elback rear strut bar Esthetique--> vitre teinte 20% arriere et 50% avant mag 16" motor max old style boost gauge shifter boots en suede noir et rouge pommeau chromer avec bout en fibre de carbone Car audio--> JVC mp3 USB portJan 05, 2008

This car has a LOT of electricity problems, and the cold winters here in scandinavia won't help, e.g. the headlights have to be allways up or they freeze and jam... Interior is kinda cheapish; i've driven allmost 10 year older cars, that basicly allways have everything in good condition...this baby needs new seats, panels and so on.... Yet it's a nice car when it comes to performance, for example the engine can go 0-90km/h (56mph) at 2nd gear @6000rpm, just on the limit! Just needs a turbo and stuff, let's see later how it turns out =)Dec 22, 2007