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It wasn’t all that long ago that buying a Porsche meant 36 monthly payments to the dealer and an equal number of installments to the chiropractor.

How things have changed.

You still have to make 36 monthly payments to drive away in a Porsche, but now you can thumb your nose at the bone doctor because the little sports car has become downright civilized.

We tested the 1996 Porsche (pronounced POOR-sha) 911 Targa with its all-new glass retractable hardtop and found it still is:

– Quick off the line.

– Distinctively styled so you can tell its heritage blocks away.

– Equipped with a pair of rear seats designed to accommodate a Cabbage Patch doll–maybe two–but not the doll’s owner.

– Equipped with a fuel tank cover in the front fender where its competition puts an outside mirror.

– Putting the ignition to the left of the wheel, where domestic car fanciers can’t find it.

– Refusing to put a beverage holder anywhere in the cabin. The automaker operates under the belief that until the ozone layer is depleted and humans become mutants, Porsche philes are born with one hand on the wheel and one hand on the shift lever and that leaves no hand to hold a soft drink.

Though, in many respects, the new Porsche is very much like the old Porsche, ride and handling have improved by light years. Contrary to tradition, rather than suffer physical abuse from tight quarters and a suspension system meant to jar the coins out of your pocket or purse for the “pleasure” of steering a Porsche, this Targa features a comfy cabin and a suspension system that smoothes out the rough spots.

The new multilink suspension cushions you as if touring in an Oldsmobile Aurora sedan–until you get aggressive and dart through those corners and turns along winding roads and the suspension springs to life.

The car grips the pavement without body lean or sway so you can cut the corner in half to get back to the straightaway quickly. The car sits flat so you are in total control behind the wheel.

No bumping or bouncing or in general being tossed about the cabin just so you can boast that you drove very fast, even if you finish your trip exhausted.

The suspension relieves the typical road harshness of many sports cars while enlarged rubber dampers help reduce road noise.

The 911 Targa could take you on a cross-country cruise and the only time you’d squirm in your bucket is when you spotted the guy with the radar gun in his fist.

In addition to the new all-glass retractable-top Targa, we tested the all-wheel-drive 911 Carrera 4S with a metal top that sports a sunroof.

While most who saw both cars went gaga over the glass retractable top, it was not our favorite. When the top retracts, the thick black horizontal metal band where the glass top and glass rear window meet goes with it.

That band obs cures rear vision out the window whether retracted a few inches or all the way. And when retracted fully, the glass top and glass rear window overlap so you have two layers of glass to peer through, which impairs vision.

The two cars were powered by Porsche’s beefed-up 282 horsepower, (had been 270 h.p.) 3.6-liter, 6-cylinder engine. The Targa came with Tiptronic transmission–the 4-speed automatic/clutchless manual transmission; the 4S with 6-speed manual.

With Tiptronic, you move the gear shift lever from its vertical location into a horizontal slot off to the side. By tipping (actually tapping) the lever forward or backward, you upshift or downshift without having to mess with a clutch. Little levers on each side of the steering column let you do the same up/downshifting without having to remove hands from the wheel to reach for the shift lever.

The beauty of Tiptronic is that you still can run through the gears on your own without fooling with a clutch, so the person in the family who hasn’t mastered a clutch can enjoy the sportiness of a Porsche. Tiptronic also means you can travel through the myriad construction zones without leg cramps from constant clutch work when shifting.

Tiptronic also means that when you tip the lever on the floor or in the column, you move up or down a gear very, very quickly without the delay associated with pressing/releasing the clutch and moving the shift lever. We found that out when downshifting on a tollway exit ramp. It felt as if a parachute had deployed from the rear end.

The 911 is quick, but a lot livelier with the 6-speed manual in the 4S than with Tiptronic in the Targa. With the 6-speed you will exceed the speed limit–any speed limit–in second gear.

Both models feature dual air bags and anti-lock brakes as standard.

The 4S features all-wheel-drive, for even surer-footing and more nimble handling while traveling on the 18-inch treads (17-inch on the Targa).

Both cars feature an extendable rear spoiler that lifts at speed to help hold the vehicle to the road, or you can press a button to raise the spoiler on command to impress those around you.

One feature on both will evoke love/hate response–the new engine immobilizer for 1996. Should you unlock or open the door and sit behind the wheel for 90 seconds without starting the ignition, the engine is disabled until you press a button on the key fob to lock/unlock the doors again and deactivate the immobilizer.

The feature we hope Porsche changes is the size of the outside mirrors, which are small and provide a limited field of vision.

The Targa starts at $74,015 with Tiptronic ($3,100 less with 6-speed). The 4S starts at $73,000. The Targa is rated at 17 miles per gallon city/24 m.p.g. highway and escapes a gas-guzzler tax. The 4S is rated at 16/23 and is saddled with a $1,000 guzzler penalty.

>> 1996 Porsche 911 Targa Wheelbase: 89.5 inches Length: 167.8 inches Engine: 3.6-liter, 282-h.p., 6-cylinder Transmission: Tiptronic with dual automatic/clutchless manual modes. EPA mileage: 17 m.p.g. city/24 m.p.g. highway Base price: $74,015. Price as tested: $76,763. Includes $1,036 for turquoise metallic paint, $110 for floor mats, $315 for radio upgrade with compact-disc player, $930 for sound upgrade with 10 speakers and $357 for rear-window wiper. Add $745 for freight. Pluses: Potent machine yet as comfortable as your typical luxury sedan. Excellent ride and handling. Car sits flat in aggressive maneuvering for the feeling of driver control. Distinctive and appealing styling. Minuses: Glass Targa top plays havoc with your rear vision when retracted a little or a lot. >>