I'm looking for something more fun as a daily beater...umm commuter.

I have a commute of about 100 miles round trip and my daily driver is starting to have transmission issues 04 mazda 6 wagon.

I can go 1 of 2 ways

1) Late model Toyota or Honda...boring ride

or spend the same $$ and

2) mid 80's 944 and maybe a late 90's jeep cherokee

If I have to drive this much I may as well enjoy the ride. How reliable are the mid 80's 944? If I get a realitively low milage one that has been maintained.

Maintainance isn't that bad on a '44 except that anything you can get your hands on now for a decent price has a decade of differed maintainance. Timing belt/water pump now (yeah now, not in a week) for almost $1k the day after you buy the thing. After that, they're no worse than a teener.

Damned things go like snot and are really well ballanced.

My brother has one, and it seems to break all the time. Rubber clutch, torque tube problems and ignition troubles. I think a well tuned 914 might be more dependable IMHO.

I had an S2 that ran like a train. Great handling car!

With rear transaxle, clutch job is about $1500 parts and labor, but you can usually find a smoking deal on one with a bad clutch. Oil change is messy...filter is inverted. Always good to make sure the car has fresh belts for timing and balance shafts. Sometimes the latter can skip a tooth and make the car run really rough.

Also, check the rear hatch glass, as it tends to de-bond itself from the frame. Front control-arm balljoints are another concern, as arm and joint are sold as a unit. I bought some remanufactured assemblies for about $150 a side (core exchange basis).

944 isnt a bad ride but be picky! Make sure it does run when you buy it.There are so many out there (that the PO just hasnt had time to fix) and there is usually is a good reason why they havent fixed it yet! The interiors go to hell in a hurry if they have been left out in the elements.
As for a cherokee .. I have had many Jeeps the 4.0 will run great and easy to work on but the best MPG your going to get is 23 on a good day while the 944 can get you 28-29
I have been toying around of finding a blown up turbo and dropping a aluminum SBC for awhile but I am knee deep in other projects

100 miles each day for the commute....presumably needs to be reliable.....I'd look hard at Honda S2000....

If you find one with a broken timing belt cheap... Translation: Valves are bent and needs a new top end and a timing belt...

Used cylinder heads in good condition are quite rare because people like to try replacing the head when the timing belt goes and the valves get mashed.

For 100 miles per day, I'd stick with "boring", personally. That's the other side of the coin from "dependable".

--DD

If you can live without A/C, get a 914 instead. 30+ mpg, easy maneuvering, if it breaks, easier to fix than a 944, and a hell of a lot cheaper. I drive mine over 100 miles a day, and have for over two years now. Plus the thumbs up you get from other motorists is always satisfying. Seems like everyone has owned a teener before, or knows someone who did.. They are a lot of fun!

I suggest you look into a 968. They are rare, so the price is a bit higher, but the clutch replacement labor costs are lower due to it being something like 1/3 the time of the same on a 944, if not less.

Balance shaft seals and rear main seals will always be an ongoing problem with both the 944 and the 968, but again, I keep up with 951s all the time and I'm running NA at mile high. Ok, that's mostly 'cos they don't know how to drive them and short-shift too much.

Also, the 968s are quite a bit more on torque and the HP is pushing 245 on a stock model thanks to the Variocam. I love mine, and it's been reliable as hell with 200-mile a day commutes for 5 years. I don't commute like that any more, and I have learned the hard way that you really DO need to take care of that timing belt...

Besides that, I reiterate what everyone else has said. Balance shaft and rear engine oil leaks are issues that require major labor but are not deal-killers if you can get one (get the 3.0l S2) for under $2K.

I have had a 944 and currently have a 968 that I use as a daily driver. The 968 seems to be cheaper to maintain mainly due to a half price clutch job compared to the 944 (4 hours labor instead of 15-20). I have had no major issues just standard stuff you would find on amy car. My 968 get appx 30mpg at 70mph. So no complaints there. I bought mine wiht 70k on the clock and I am up to 155k now. She still gets me where I want to go rain, shine, or snow.

I've had both early and late 944 models. Definitely get a post 1985.5 model - an S or S2 if you can afford it. Just like any car, if you stay on top of the maintenance they are very reliable.

Timing Belt/Water Pump jobs are often exaggerated. If you're a competent DIY you can handle it in a couple hours. Clutch jobs are a bitch, no joke. You can do it on jack stands, just expect it to take the whole 16 hours "book time" if you go that route.

I had an S2 and the thing turned out to be a gold mine. Bought it for $3500 sold it for $12,000. Very peppy. Creature comforts. Style...

With that said, I don't like the base model at all. S2 orTurbo or go home... Love that wide body.

I've got just over 200k mi on my 968 and I still get compliments and people stopping to check it out (when she's clean and waxed). Only I really notice the myriad of road scars, but considering what I've put this car through (some hard street driving, mostly in the mtn roads and loooong freeway commutes - 100k miles since I got it in 2007) she's running like a top. Still gotta fix a few nagging things (power steering leak mostly, fog lights that can't be replaced easily due to stripped/seized nuts n bolts, rear wiper assembly, other cosmetic stuff) ... but ol' reliable she is!

I've been looking for a 968 as a daily driver for a while now, not easy to find one in decent condition at a reasonable price!

944 Turbo is one of the better balanced cars. Good milage, enough power, and decent handling. You can find many less than 10K. The clutch job is about $2500, so find one with that and the belts/ water pump done and you'll be set for awhile.