1996 Ford Contour Reviews, Pricing & Specs
What owners say
"Overall, drivers of the 1996 Ford Contour appreciate its handling, reliability, and good gas mileage, especially for an older car. Many owners have enjoyed its performance and build quality, while some noted that it lacks power and can be cramped for longer trips. The manual transmission is favored for those seeking a more engaging driving experience, and safety aspects were highlighted positively in multiple reviews."
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.
February 19, 2010The 2.5L DOHC engine is amazing! Mine, after a little bit of work, is pushing 240 horses to the front wheel. the five speed tranny is soild, but i know the automatics are junk. I call my connie my drag car cause it only wants to go in a straight line. Handling could be better. My only compliant is that at take off it wheel hops like no other.
October 25, 2008Great handling little car, not enough power. Cheap as hell insurance and fairly good mileage. Taught me a lot owning it cause I was constantly modifying something. The manual trans swap really woke it up.
April 27, 2008What owners say
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.
February 19, 2010The 2.5L DOHC engine is amazing! Mine, after a little bit of work, is pushing 240 horses to the front wheel. the five speed tranny is soild, but i know the automatics are junk. I call my connie my drag car cause it only wants to go in a straight line. Handling could be better. My only compliant is that at take off it wheel hops like no other.
October 25, 2008Great handling little car, not enough power. Cheap as hell insurance and fairly good mileage. Taught me a lot owning it cause I was constantly modifying something. The manual trans swap really woke it up.
April 27, 2008I love the fact that I've never had anything major wrong with the car. It runs very well, and I get great gas mileage. The car is old, but it drives fine!
April 19, 2008Bought this vehicle when I lived in Kansas City so my wie could have a better car to drive. It was fuel efficient, was comfortable, but became crampt for longer trips. What I did like about this vehicle is that we walked away from a 80 mph hit from a drunk driver. The unitized build literally save our lives. This would be a good starter car for a new driver.
February 20, 2010This car is very suprising. I drive my girlfriends all the time and to be honest it is a total sleeper. Great interior, great gas mileage, and good performance. Ive actually seen a teenage girl outrun a grown man uphill in one of these... he was in a new mustang gt convertible. I was shocked. It is also great for a family car it seats 4 comfortably or 5 well not so comfortably. A giant trunk I mean huge could be a mafia car. I actually got this thing to do a donut not that impressive but it is when your driving a front wheel drive 4 cyl.
September 23, 2009Performance didn`t scared me. Braking was okay and handling was good. Build quality is good too. Appearance: interior is classy while exterioir looks like an escort. Cost and gas mileage are low. If you have to buy a contour, try to find an SVT. SVT won`t deceive you.
November 3, 2008poor acceleration of the line, but rides decent at 70 mph. decent handling even when you power into the corners. the 2.0L engine could use a few more horsepower, and maybe more torque. decent interior space for a small car
August 20, 2012Needs some work. drives smooth. its been sitting for half a year and has no major rust from it. Started right up after charging the battery. Not so sure about the gas mileage. Fun little car to drive. Cant wait to fix it up!
January 29, 2010It was a really really good car until I took it into a couple trees. I never had any kind of problems with it. Granted I only drove it for 6 or 7 months before demolishing it. It had around 200000 miles and still ran great tho.
August 17, 2009
