1996 Mercury Mystique Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Performance - Far from the fastest car out there, but she can hold her own on the interstate. Great braking, an pretty solid acceleration. Build Quality - No repairs needed thus far. Keep up with the maintenance and this car will last you for a good long while. Appearance - Looks much better with racing stripes, in my opinion. Not a flashy car, and nothing that especially stands out in a crowd, but I can always find it in the parking lot. Cost of Ownership - Approximately 40 mpg on the highway, and around 33 mpg in the city. The basic maintenance is easy to do, with the only exception is that the oil filter is in a difficult position to comfortably reach, but it's definitely easier to change the oil at home than to bother with taking it to the shop. Fun Factor - It's a 5-speed manual transmission, and boy do I love driving this car! It's a blast, and I've never had a problem with getting where I need to go, regardless of the weather or terrain.Nov 05, 2011

A dowdy little car. Mine is getting on in age a wee bit, but is still in pretty good condition. This puppy has taken a LOT of maintainence since I got it 2 years ago. Most expensive job so far was replacing struts, because one failed, and made the car nearly impossible to control over uneven surfaces. Very scary and life-threatening. Other than that, it's been alright. The car actually handles pretty nice, and enjoys being driven. It takes sweepers like a champ, and the 2.5L V6 was a engineering marvel in its day (makes a good noise, too). That said, it's not terribly quick, not overly endowed with expensive plastics, not blessed with a great sound system (even with "premium" stereo option), and not quiet at highway speeds. And do you know what? I don't care. This car is great. It just feels like it wants to be your friend and like it will just keep on trucking. The minor niggles give me something to sate my mechanic's desire on, too. Which leads me to the one thing I generally hate about the car; the engine bay. OH GOD, WHY?! This engine and bay were obviously the result of 2 possible scenarios. 1. The car was designed by people who put no thought into how the car would be serviced in the real world, with the engine attached to the chassis. 2. The car was designed to be serviced by gnomes or child automotive whizzes. Either way someone with zero space requirements for hands or elbows. I cannot speak enough on how stupidly this was designed. For crying out loud, to get the oil filter off, you have to maneuver around the red-hot exhaust manifold, which is also where all oil drippings fall, giving off a lovely odor. What's wrong with you, Ford engineers? Didn't your mothers tell you not to touch things that will permanently scar you? Don't even get me started on the serpentine belt. So in summary, a great little car. One can be had for quite cheap these days. Requires a bit of maintenance, but it will make you smile. Just be sure to have someone else service or get the 4-cylinder. Otherwise, it's like a living hell in there.Oct 27, 2009