Ford Probe LX and GT
They Can Stand On Their Own Four Legs, Thank You
By Bert Coates

Somewhere along the way a lot of people got the idea that the new Ford Probe was meant to take the place of the Ford Mustang. Others saw it as just a sleeker Mazda MX-6, the car alongside which it was developed in a joint Ford-Mazda effort.

Thus, a worthy conclusion was lost that the Probe is a car capable of standing by itself without 'big-name' crutches. It has an attractive personality of its own.

This personality, created by a different styling approach both inside and out plus a more sporting approach to handling, is what makes the Probe different from the more inconspicuous Mazda MX-6. Even though both cars originate on the same assembly line in Flat Rock, Mich., make no mistake, the Probe is something new and different.

The Probe, which is being released as a 1989 model and is not slated to receive any revisions come the fall, is available in three trim levels, GL, LX, and GT. GL is the base model, LX is the luxury version and the turbocharged GT is the performance model. We tested both the LX and the GT, discovering that they are as different from each other as the Probe is from the Mazda MX-6.

On the outside, the LX and GT differ only in that the GT has a rear deck spoiler plus GT and Turbo designations.

The Probe looks like a stretched version of the Toyota Celica, with its blacked out rear and middle pillars giving the illusion of a floating roof.

Visibility is great with a window placement that allows almost no blocking of sight. The usual right-side blindspot is present but it is far narrower than on other vehicles.

The low and thin front end and high rear deck give it a pronounced wedge-shape which accounts for a drag coefficient of .32 for the GT and a very good .304 for the GL and LX with narrower tires.

In order to keep the front end as low as possible, Ford put in a couple of humps on the hood to accommodate the suspension mounts which helped shave off a couple of inches. This makes for a unique profile which manages to get some curious glances, and interesting queries from up-close admirers.

The Probe has the same running gear as the MX-6, a 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder engine with three valves per cylinder, mated to either a 5-speed manual or an optional automatic transmission.

The engine in the GT is fitted with Mazda's homebuilt turbocharger, which considerably alters the performance characteristics of the engine, mainly for the better.

This 145-horsepower GT engine gives a reasonably convincing impersonation of a V8, giving the car good, quick acceleration from any speed, yet running exceptionally quiet (far quieter than its MX-6 counterpart, which uses the same engine).

The transmission in our test LX was a 4-speed automatic with overdrive, but it included a couple of features to make it react more like a manual transaxle.

In its normal stage, the transmission shifts at lower rpm. These are the perfect shift points, as deemed by its maker, to ensure the best fuel economy.

A switch to the right of the lever changes the shift point, allowing the engine to rev higher in each gear, while a switch on the lever itself allows the driver to change gears manually.

This is too much bother for an automatic transmission. Basically, it turns an automatic into a clutchless manual transmission. If a driver wants to play around with the gears, he is best to keep the standard 5-speed manual and save the option price of the automatic.

The suspension is a fully-independent network featuring automatic ride adjustment and nitrogen gas-pressurized struts.

Between the driver's seat and the shift lever, there is a switch which can make the ride soft, firm, or somewhere in between.

To round out the performance end, the Probe GT features 4-wheel disc brakes with an anti-lock braking system (ABS).One of the things the Probe has going for it is its spaciousness, considerably better than some of its competitors. It is capable of carrying four passengers comfortably while a split folding rear seat allows sharing the rear space between cargo and passengers in a number of configurations.

The driver's seat is power adjustable to allow the perfect driving position to suit any body. A tilt steering mechanism moves the entire driving column and instrument panel in order to keep gauges from being blocked by the wheel.

Ford has equipped the GT with full analogue instrumentation which is white on a black background during the day and changes to red and green on black at night.

Levers, buttons and switches are cleverly out of the way but still reachable without having hands wander far from the steering wheel.

The Probe is meant to compete directly with the MX-6, Toyota Celica, Honda Prelude and Nissan 200 SX. And first impressions are that it will hold its own quite well.