1998 Ford Contour Reviews, Pricing & Specs

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.Dec 20, 2011

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.Aug 28, 2011