Possible new car

Hi everyone, i'm fairly new to the entire A-F board system and completely new to the Porsche board. Recently, I found out i'll be getting rid of my '97 Honda Accord and moving on to something better. My dad is buying the car from me to give to my brother, so i'll have $5000 to spend on a new car.

The first thing that popped into my head was a 2nd gen ('86-'91) Mazda RX-7. I've been in love with rotary engines since I saw my first RX-7 back in '93 and i've even worked on a few. I thought a little more about the decision and figured out that with my budget, I might be able to purchase a Porsche 944. I've been in love with Porsches for a long time, but I had some questions first.

The 2nd gen RX-7 ('86-'91) is one of the best handling Japanese cars of its time. I'm not all about drag racing, so handling is a big factor in my choice. How well would a mid-to-late 80s 944 handle compared with a turbo'd RX-7 on the track or a long, windy road? I figure since I'd be a Porsche owner, I could participate in Porsche Cup races (with proper equipment, of course)

What's the reliablity like in these cars?

Gas milage? (a big factor, due to being a fairly poor college student)

If there's anything else you feel I should be aware before taking further steps (the purchase will be in July), please feel free to add them. I've gained some more info on these cars from lurking around this board, but not enough to make a sound decision. Any help is greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance!

Well, me being a poor college student Porsche 944 owner, I thought maybe I'd be best to write you back on your question!
I have no experience on the Mazda car, all I know is that my car, with no modifications, is the best handling car I've driven. I have an '84 944, gold, 52k original miles. It's my daily driver, mainly because I CAN!!! :naughty:
If you know any history on the Porsche 944s, they were considered the best handling sports car of their time, of course pushing aside their big brothers at the time. And the grunt of the big 4 cylinder motor is great. I call it my brat or beer burner as opposed to rice burners.
Gas mileage is fantastic for what you get in performance. I just filled the tank with 1/4 still in it, and the tank I just used lasted me 3 weeks. I drive to school everyday and a town about 7 miles away. Plus I've taken some joy rides, etc.
Reliability, no problems as of yet. I replaced the wires, cap, and rotor, as well as all of the belts and rotors. It needs some little stuff like a new antenna and shifter boot, plus I'll be upgrading other things in the motor once the weather gets user friendly.
Plus, on a side note, it's a chick magnet.
Search the web for info and clubs, etc.
Hope this helps. Any other questions let me know...
Jimmy
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its definatly a chick magnet, and the while the back seat is small, the front seats are nice and big... it really is a great car, but i think it requires more maintnence than an RX7. id say get the 944.