Used Ford Contour for Sale near Appleton, WI

The 98s received a cam sensor which helped boost highway mpegs to around 35. I owned a 98 mercury mystique and used it to travel for 400+mile trips. The 2 liter 4 cylinder was the engine of choice. One of Fords better ideas.

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.

The car was as slow as death in a straight line, but it handled better than you could possibly hope for in a sedan. Communicative, light, and nimble; the Contour is very well-known by enthusiasts as one of the best handling sedans ever made. The build quality was very impressive, and the car was extremely reliable. The Zetec motor was strong and smooth, but the 4-speed ATX killed whatever guts it had. While the trans shifted smoothly and competently, the 5-speed manual is a MUST for fun-loving drivers. The car was 14 years old when it finally was donated, and didn't have a spot of rust.

Performance- good acceleration, braking, and handling Build Quality- Alternators don't last long and are hard to replace, Coil springs prone to breakage Appearance- nice styling with smooth body lines Cost of ownership- gas mileage is good, alternators don't last long Fun factor- Very easy to drive and fun to drive. The V6 has plenty of power and the gears in the 5 speed manual are just right for fun spirited driving

the car overheats and i have no check engine light on. performance is great for an old car when its not giving me a wide range of problems. My model came with the government issued CNG components which are not functional at the moment. it would be great to get it fixed but unfortunately the cost of fixing the CNG would cost about 3 times the worth of car itself :(