1998 Ford Contour User Reviews

Cheap, Sporty, And Practical--what More Could You Want? — You wouldn't know to look at it, but this modest little sedan has a beast under the bonnet. The 2.5L Duratec V6 develops 170hp, which endows the car with some spirited acceleration. Brakes are responsive, linear, and adequately powerful, though I hate to see rear drums on a car that is branded as a sport model. Oh, well. The suspension gives a great balance between ride comfort and handling. It feels stable and planted in hard turns, though I admit I have yet to push it close to its skid pad rating of 0.90g. The shocks seem to be tuned for smoothing out irregularities in the road surface more than anything else; medium-to-large sized bumps can feel jarring. The interior is fairly quiet at speed, with minimal intrusion from road and wind noise. The engine can get loud at high revs, but you can't complain when it sounds this good! The exterior styling has stood the test of time well--it doesn't look as "old" as other cars from its model year. A sleek (but unfortunately nonfunctional) spoiler graces the trunk lid. The interior is a different story. Almost every surface is upholstered in soft grey fabric, which is nice to touch, but pretty boring to look at. Comfort-wise, the seats are supportive, and the driving position is perfect. Every power feature you could expect in a 1998 car is present (though buyer beware: most are options). Build quality is difficult to judge on such a young car (so far only 25k on the odometer). Suffice it to say it hasn't fallen apart yet. Gas mileage is good--wait for it!--for a V6--designed in 1993. I will just state it outright: 19 mpg city, 26 highway (my own figures). It is rated for 22/28, so perhaps driving very conservatively (and without that ice-cold air conditioning), one could do better. In any case, not a high point of this vehicle. Most importantly, though, this car is a blast to drive. The combination of power, responsiveness, and comfort is unparalleled for a car of this type. If you are looking for a cheap sporty car that is also practical enough to be a family hauler or daily commuter, look no further than the 1998 Ford Contour Sport.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

Good For Beginner Drivers, Make Sure To Find One With Low Mileage And Check The Tranny, Belts, Etc.. — Overall it's a good beginner's car for those learning to drive since it's small which makes it easier to maneuver and park. It has just the right amount of power and acceleration for a beginner. The handling is surprisingly decent if you're into some drifting and messin around in the snow. The quality isn't the greatest we all know what FORD stands for. The appearance wasn't bad, the interior was fine. MPG was decent maybe 25mpg hgwy. It was a fun car to drive and mess around with some times it drifted not too bad.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

Big Fun At A Cheap Entry Price That You'll Pay For Down The Line — The V-6 with a 5 speed and a decent set of tires makes this car the premier vehicle for running from the cops with 3 of your friends. It will eat any stock Japanese 4 cyl in the straight line, and can out corner all but the sleekest of coupes. It's difficult to have more fun in a vehicle for as cheap as you can buy this car now. However, things will break, and they will be expensive. This car was the test platform for such things as a new power steering rack and a radiator that gets installed from the bottom of the car. 30 MPG Hwy / never less than 24 City/racing

Primary Use: Sport/fun (spirited driving, track racing, off-roading, etc.)

My Car — timing isnt set right so im only runnin on 3 cylinders instead of 4........ my fan dont work so my car overheats...... my two back windows are only tinted and not the very back cause i screwed up tinting the back window......its got a big dent in the driver side back fender..... theres only one speaker that works.....its drives alright but bogs when u first take off and when ur trying to speed up out of town and u push the gas to quick it jerks.....

Primary Use: Family transportation

Good Work Or School Car. Just Basic Transportationl. — Overhead light fell out twice because the plastic clips became brittle. The manual window cranks broke off on both the driver's side and the passenger side. Acceleration is ok for a 4 cylinder. Fuel economy is great. It isn't the most fun car in the world.

Primary Use: Commuting to work