The Ford Contour is a compact four-door sedan that was marketed for the 1995 through 2000 model years. Along with the Mercury Mystique, the Ford Contour is a derivation of a larger family car, the Ford Mondeo. Ford invested more than $6 billion in developing the three aforementioned vehicles. Together, they comprise Ford's CDW27 platform, or its mid-size car automobile platform for the mid-1990s through 2000. The cars were generally too small for most Americans' tastes and enjoyed more success in Asian and European markets.
The Ford Contour was manufactured at Ford's busy Kansas City Assembly plant in Missouri. It was first made with three trim levels: a basic GL, a sporty SE, and a more luxurious LX. A high-performance SVT was added later on. With the exception of the... View more manual-only SVT, each trim level was available with a manual or automatic transmission. The GL and LX models had 125 HP engines standard while the SE had a 170 HP engine standard. The cars received slightly above-average fuel economy ratings from Consumer Guide. They are five-seaters and can tow up to 1500 pounds.
The Ford Contour underwent changes for each model year. Compared to the debut model, the 1996 lacks chrome bumper strips but has more leg room and head space for rear passengers. A lower-priced Contour was offered in 1997. Costs were cut in part by dropping traction control, but a trunk light and a tiltable steering wheel were added as standard. The 1998 model year saw the removal of the Base and GL (basic Sports) models and the addition of a high-performance SVT with 195 HP and a manual transmission. The SVT also added anti-lock brakes, improved suspension, and larger tires as standard. In 1999, the Ford Contour was available in LX, SE, and SVT models only. Now all of the models received sporty suspensions. For the final year, only the Sport model and the SVT remained. Ford has not manufactured a direct replacement.
Drivers like the Contour's steering and smooth automatic transmission. The SE or Sports version with its 170-horsepower 2.5-liter V-6 engine was especially popular in the U.S. The powerful engine took the car from zero to sixty mph in 8.5 seconds, which was admirable acceleration for a 1990s sedan. Fully loaded, the car featured anti-lock brakes, traction control, power windows and locks, a power-adjust driver seat, air conditioning, cruise control, a sunroof, leather upholstery, and a radio with either a CD player or a cassette stereo.
In keeping with the Ford Mondeo family, the Ford Contour was praised for being a world car". It featured classic European efficiency and was priced for the middle market. The car appeared on Car and Driver Magazine's "Ten Best" list three times in a row. View less
