Care to buy a stylish coupe at a bargain price? Then the Ford Probe may be just what the doctor ordered. It was sold here from 1994 until 1998 but didn’t enjoy the sales success it deserved. That was chiefly because coupes in general were falling out of favour with the fashion crowd, but also due to the fact that buyers wanting sporty Fords generally opted for Falcon-based models.

All of which means you can buy a lot of sporty coupe for very little money on the used-car market. But a warning, Probes are getting on years and some may now be approaching the stage where they need major repairs.

                     

Ford Probe was built in the United States using many out-of-sight parts from the Japanese Mazda MX-6 coupe. Build quality is generally high, if not quite to the exceptional standards of Japanese Mazda factories.

The Ford coupe has good space in the front seats, but as usual in this car class it’s somewhat cramped for all but pre-teen kids in the back seats. Boot space under the big hatch is good and folding the rear seat backrest down significantly improves carrying capacity.

Probe uses a high-tech 2.5-litre V6 engine that works reasonably well. Torque is developed too high in the rev range and the 2.5-litre capacity would have benefitted from another half litre or so. Acceleration is good once you do get it all wound up, so using the five-speed manual gearbox to its full extent can give lively performance. The gearchange is better than average for a front-drive car and keen drivers will appreciate it.

A four-speed electronic automatic transmission is optional and doesn't take too much edge off the engine’s performance. However, our choice would be the manual gearbox unless you are doing a lot of heavy-duty commuting.

Handling and steering are pretty good, with less of the softness than is usual in cars aimed at buyers in the USA. Probe is better than its Mazda MX-6 cousin as it has a wider track and uses bigger wheels and tyres. Having said that, the Ford Probe isn't a purebred sports car in the true meaning of the term, rather it's a cruising machine with better than average handling feel, not an out-and-out bruiser.

Slow sales of the Probe on the new-car market saw Ford Australia cut its price early in 1997. Equipment levels were increased in several stages through its life as a further inducement to potential buyers. Probe had air conditioning, power door locking, electric windows and mirrors and cruise control. Dual airbags, ABS brakes and an engine immobiliser were all included in the safety/security field. These features weren’t all that common in the mid ‘90s so Probe was ahead of the field.

                                          

Spare parts are lower in price than is average for this class and there’s an advantage in being able to buy them from Ford dealers in all sorts of out-of-the-way areas. However, the car is getting old and not all parts may be available, it's worth a call to your local Ford dealer to check on this. As the cars were never a big seller the recyclers may not have a lot of Probes in stock.

Insurance rates are about average for a car of the class with most companies charging very similar rates. As always, it makes sense to shop around for the best deal, but make sure you understand what your premium dollar is buying.

Ford Probe imports were discontinued at the start of 1998. The last cars weren’t retailed until the middle of the year. These final imports had 1997 build plates and at trade-in time will be regarded as 1997 models.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Be sure the extensive array of equipment works correctly. Use the owner’s handbook for details of operation of everything from the complex stereo to the ventilation system.

The engine should start within a couple of seconds of the key being turned and immediately settle into a vibration-free idle.

There should be no hesitation from the engine under acceleration and the exhaust should be free from smoke.

Gear changes on the manual gearbox should be light and easy and automatics should change almost imperceptibly.

Look for signs of repairs to the body work as some may have had a bump or two if the Probe may have been used as full-on sports cars. Paint that doesn’t quite match, panels that aren’t exactly lineup up and colour overspray on non-coloured parts are the easiest signs to spot.

Check the condition of the interior and boot for damage. Look for signs of drying of the dash top as the windscreen is large and slopes steeply.

As always it’s wise to do as much of your own inspection as you are comfortable with and then call a professional once the car appears to suit your standards.