From: ellisk@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (Michael K. Ellis)
Subject: Re: "info on 93 Probe wanted"
Reply-To: ellisk@fido.Colorado.EDU
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 17:53:22 GMT

aland@informix.com (Colonel Panic) writes:
>In article <ellisk.714804508@fido.Colorado.EDU> ellisk@fido.Colorado.EDU writes:
>>Options you might want to consider are cruise control and ABS.  I'm
>>definitely going to get both on any car I buy, be it the Probe GT or the
>>Saturn SL2 (the other primary choice, and yes, I get to order that too).
>>Both are part of the 'premium' package on the GT, along with power
>>windows and locks, and a rear windshield wiper.  Funny thing is, going
>>by dealer cost (optained from Consumer Reports) the GT with the
>>'premium' package costs only $500 or so more than a 'regular' package
>>equipped Probe plus ABS and Cruise Control.  Something to think about.

>Either you are misreading the CR info, or the info itself is bogus.
>The actual difference at invoice prices is over $2400.  (I'm reading the
>actual Ford dealer cost sheet).

I've got the Consumer Reports price sheet right here:  Going by the
numbers in front of me.  All are reported to be 'dealer cost':

1993 Ford Probe GT 
base (manual) price:	$13,692
Preferred Equipment
Package (261A):		$ 1,233
ABS			$   506
Cruise Control		$   191
Block Heater		$    17
Manual Driver's Side
Height Adjuster		$    31
-------------------------------
Total:			$15,670

1993 Ford Probe GT
base (manual) price:	$13,692
PEP 263A (incl. 
PEP261A, ABS, Cruise
Control, Power locks,
windows, and rear
windshield wiper)	$ 2,462
Block Heater		$    17
Manual Driver's Side
Height Adjuster		$    31
-------------------------------
Total:			$16,202

Difference: 		$   532

CR's numbers my be wrong, but I'm fairly sure my arithmetic is okay.
(And I consider PEP261A as the *minimum* equipment to make the car
livable: A/C, tilt steering wheel, rear defroster, remote trunk and fuel
doors, and so forth.  Basic stuff that makes the car easy to deal with.
I was not talking about a 'stripped' version of the car in my first
article.  The Saturn comes with almost everything in PEP261A as
standard equipment, except A/C.)  I also deleted the 'keyless entry 
system' ($117) from my order.  Hope to be getting it in 4-6 weeks. The
color will be 'Electric Blue Metallic'.  (And here I didn't order red
because I didn't want it to be a cop magnet. :-) )  The configuration is
everything you see in the PEP263A package, plus floormats, minus the
keyless entry system.

>>I'm not an owner (yet!) but I will say that after having looked at and
>>driven just about everything in the Probe's class, it comes out tops in
>>price/performance.  It's extremely satisfying to drive, moreso than even
>>the VW Corrado SLC, the Talon TSi AWD, or the Honda Prelude, and it's
>>cheaper than all of them (not including Talon rebates).  I am a little

>In one of the current rags (Road and Track?), five of their reviewers
>compare the Probe GT and four competitors.  *All* picked the Probe GT when
>price was considered, and 3 picked the Probe GT regardless of price.

>Alan Denney      aland@informix.com      {pyramid|uunet}!infmx!aland

The winner of the 'non-price-dependent' competition was the Corrado SLC,
and the Corrado would have cost me something like $4-7k more than my
Probe.  For that much money I could have gotten a turbo MR2.  Besides,
doing a factory order from VW isn't very practical.

--
Michael K. Ellis
ellisk@fido.colorado.edu