WolfeMacleod

Following the purchase of our 37,000 mile '85 Carrera last week, I've decided to give a brief comparison of it vs. the '88 924S I own.

Let start with driveability. "Ease" of the drive, I should say.
The 924/944 is a very easy car to drive. Shifting is quick, effortless, and requires almost no thought as to the travel of the shifter. One gear to the next, no problem. Easy clutch action, too.
Shifting in the 911 requires strategic thought. You need a gameplan. Clutch is stiff, compared to the 944. And the shifter? That long travel... You can't just whip it out of gear and into the next like the 944. Clutch - out of gear, pause, into gear, release clutch. Don't miss that pause... And getting into the right gear can be a challenge, too. Think it won't go? It's because you missed your pause...or you're in the wrong position...
The clutch action - and indeed all pedal action - is such a completely alien experience compared to the 944, or most any other car for that matter. The bottom-mounted pedals are bizzarre, and require thought just to use them correctly.

Seating:
The 944 is a laid back, semi-reclined seating position. Low slung in the car, you feel like you're nestled in a comfy bed, legs extended.
In the 911, the seating position is much more upright. Like being perched on your seat. Legs bent, you have to sit much closer to the wheel in order to operate that funky bottom-mounted clutch.

Ride comfort:
The 944 is a fairly smooth ride, and takes bumps farly well while still being stuck to the ground. It's stiff, but your teeth aren't rattling out of your head. Road noise is present, but not overbearing.
The 911 is a jarring experience, almost. Much, much stiffer than the 944, any bumps or potholes feel 10x larger than they did in the 944. Sort of like riding in a Jeep.

Acceleration:
I always though the 944 had pretty decent acceleration. Not stellar, but pretty decent. It's easy to wind through the gears because of shifting ease, and getting into the redline didn't happen so fast you'd miss it.
The 911, however, is a different story. Acceleration comes on fast, like a kick in the *** by a large mule (Or 95Juan, maybe?) Redline in 1st gear comes very quickly, almost before you know it, and you're presed into your seat. 2nd gear, just as quick if you can manage not to let your RPMs drop through the shifting pause... Don't romp on the gas going through a corner in 1st or 2nd gear, especially in the rain, because that back end WILL skip out from underneath you. 3rd isn't so bad if you're in the low RPM, but look out if you're going around a long bend and get on the gas in the rain...


Fuel mileage
The 944 definately has the 911 beat here. I averaged 20+mpg in the 944. In the 911, I'm not sure yet, but I think it's around 15mpg.

That's it so far. For driveability and ease of drive, the 944 wins. The 911 wins in the "exitement", "OMG" and "Woops, too much gas" category.

The first couple days I drove the 911, it gave me a headache because it really, really required thought on how to drive it....


Next installment, handling on an Autocross course...

V2Rocket

If you look back to what Dr. Porsche wanted from the 911, he was looking for a pure sports car, something that can accelerate and handle like nothing else. Although in many situations the 944 has the 911 beat in handling, it simply cannot come close to the sheer force that the Carrera puts out. A stock Carrera puts out more HP than a heavily modded 951.

It's all a matter of preference. As a toy, I'd take the 911. As a DD, I'd use my 944. However, since my funds only allow for one of those 2 cars, I'll just make driving to work as fun as I can

schnellfahrer

luckett

a 3.2 carrera doesn't even come close to the output of a modded 951, and actually has less hp than a stock 951...another clueless comment by V2

ckathens

ninefiveone

1985 Carrera 3.2 puts out something like 202hp at the crank. My mildly modded 951 puts out 300hp at the wheels.

Are you confusing either car with something else?

WolfeMacleod

Well...really?
According to Porsche's website, the '84-85 Carrera comes with 231bhp.
The '85-88 951 comes with 220bhp

In 1989, the 951 got a boost to 250bhp, while the Carrera stayed at 231bhp, and the C4 got 250bhp.



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Mike1982

True in that way, but he said modded 951. Most people on here with just a couple simple upgrades are in the 250-270rwhp.

arbeitm

Actually those HP numbers are ROW figures. The US models had 207bhp and the later models (I think 87 and up) had 217bhp.

So yeah...a 951 had more HP (I think 225?).


One thing I've realized about the 911 (because I've recently aquired one as well after having a 944) is that you can't play the HP numbers game. My 911SC has 189bhp but on the street you would not know it. The engine has a lot of torque and pulls strong no matter where you are in the power range. That is the biggest benefit from the four cylinder or turbo.

Also, as Wolfe said, these engine rev fast. The best comparison I can make is a motorcycle. They rev up and down that quickly.

Todd157k

I had two 911s (86 911t, 93 911sc) and didn't care for either of them for the same reasons you pointed out. Rough, noisy, generally uncomfortable. After the 93, I bought my first vette. The corvette was everything I wanted in a porsche and didn't get. Smooth, quiet, fast, comfortable. I've gone through 3 vettes now and still have one. The 944 is almost as comfortable and makes a great daily driver. It's ashame that they didn't have better plastics when they built these. Everything you touch, breaks.
Now that I've had my first 944, I'm going to start looking for another one.. turbo of course.

V2Rocket

I was talking about the current Carrera, my bad, bad comparison.

luckett

I don't know where you got your info, but it's not correct.

86-87 Turbo 217hp
88-89 Turbo(S) 247hp

84-86 911 3.2 207hp
87-89 911 3.2 217hp

That 89 C4 at 250hp was a 3.6L.

Andial951

you should read my "Performance Reviw" of my "mildly" modified 951 versus a 03 Carrera

V2Rocket

Link?

VaSteve

No wonder you didn't like them. Neither of those cars exist!!
The 911T was from 69-73. The SC was from 78-83.