1998 Ford Contour

Rating from impown

(1)
Comfort:		3 out of 5
Performance:		2 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		3 out of 5
Interior Design:		3 out of 5
Value for the Money:		1 out of 5
Reliability:		1 out of 5

"The Contour is unrelentingly unreliable. If you must buy one, plan on about $300 to $400 a month in repairs. Plan on being stranded by the car. It isn't very fuel efficient. Comfort isn't bad. The ride is busy. It handles decently. Power from the 2.0L engine seems insufficient. The cars come with a lot of European made parts, partially explaining all the troubles. The Contour is not a car you'll be happy with."

I would recommend this car to a friend: No

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from john

(2)
Comfort:		3 out of 5
Performance:		2 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		3 out of 5
Interior Design:		2 out of 5
Value for the Money:		1 out of 5
Reliability:		1 out of 5

"I bought a 1998 Contour with less than 100k miles on it. About a year after owning it with no problems, things started to break. The radio stopped working, the dash board intermittently failed, then of course the check engine light was on constantly. Not to mention I had to replace water pump, alternator and a leaky brake cylinder. Replacing the exhaust system was sort of expected since that was because of how old the car was, not really based on the number of miles of use on it. What ultimately ruined the car (with just over 100k on it) is a spark plug was arcing to another cylinder (is the way I understood it from my mechanic's explanation) making the car impossible to drive. I am not sure it was even repairable but by this time I was sick of repairing it so I didn't even attempt to."

I would recommend this car to a friend: No

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Just getting around

Rating from Small Change

(4)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		3 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I've owned my 1998 LX 4D Sedan Contour since 2010, like it a lot. It gets good mileage, seats are comfortable, ample trunk space, nice body, not a smooth ride like a sedan, but doesn't jostle at every bump in the road either. It has less than 95K miles. Only issues I have are the check engine light is on all the time (I've had it checked many times w/no solution), stalls sometimes while crossing intersections, and the gas gauge doesn't work. However, I did find out it will run out of gas at approximately 315 miles. It's a good car, I like it and hope to drive it until I can't afford to repair it anymore. My current costs since owning it are oil changes, insurance, and fuel. Not bad."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from Guy who should have researched his car better.

(2)
Comfort:		3 out of 5
Performance:		3 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		3 out of 5
Interior Design:		2 out of 5
Value for the Money:		1 out of 5
Reliability:		1 out of 5

"I bought a Contour LX with a 2.0 L 4 cylinder engine I bought several years ago as my first car. Since I bought it I've had to replace the battery twice, the alternator twice, have the transmission rebuilt, the timing belt replaced, the timing tensioner replaced, and the idle pulley replaced. And I still have to have some gaskets replaced because it is leaking oil. This car for the most part has gotten me to where I need to go, but when something goes wrong it has always been expensive to fix(expensive parts). It has more space for the driver than most cars I've driven which is important since I'm 6'4". The ride is a little bouncy, but comfortable. It's not a fast car, though I don't really care if it is or not as it is fast enough to change lanes without slowing down everyone behind you. The heater works great, the AC not so much. Not the nicest interior either, very bland and plasticy. It's possible that the previous owner didn't take care of the car and that's why I've had so many problems is a relatively short time. The only reason I haven't gotten a new car is because it has always been cheaper to fix it than buy a new car. I have spent too much money on repairing this car(not including basic maintenance like oil changes). After the last round of repairs I've started saving for a new car and I won't make the same mistake of not researching the heck out of every car I look at."

I would recommend this car to a friend: No

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from Scott S

(5)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		3 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		4 out of 5

"The Ford Contour SVT might not be the fastest performance sedan, but it is certainly one of the best handling and most fun to drive. I believe they are great used car values, especially compared to the Audi A4 or BMW 3 series. I bought my 1998 model used with 54K miles on it - now has 90K miles, and has been very reliable. The only caveat is some parts are getting hard to find, as this was a limited production model. A little too much plastic in the interior, but the seats are comfortable, and it is very easy to drive."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from tatortabby

(4)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		3 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		3 out of 5
Interior Design:		3 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I sold my 98 Contour this week after 12 years of ownership and 190,000 miles. It never left me stranded or require engine/transmission/ac work. I inherited a newer, low mileage vehicle or I would still be driving it. It routinely gave 30+ mpg highway and had the coldest ac of the dozen cars I have owned. Time was catching up with it and there were small annoyances (small leak in trunk, broken heater vent, one window only went down a few inches, hum in one speaker, lost several hub caps). Had an alignment 6 months ago and the technician said there was a surprising lack of wear on the front suspension."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from Sarah

(4)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		3 out of 5
Interior Design:		3 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I bought a '98 Contour about a year ago, and I love it. We've had a few problems out of it (speed sensor went out, airbag light and check engine light are on - mine has been modified to run on CNG, and the engine light has something to do with that, so it's a little more complicated to fix than on a normal Contour), but nothing too big or too difficult to fix. I like the small size of it; it's more comfortable to me than the larger vehicles I've driven (I'm a fairly small person, but my friends have driven it and had no problems with the size, either). I learned to drive in a '05 Camry, and I was surprised to find that I prefer the way the Contour handles. The steering and gas aren't stiff, but they certainly aren't as touchy as most newer cars; it feels safer and easier to control to me. It's affordable and also gets fairly good gas mileage; it's very comfortable and easy to drive. There's nothing I don't like about this car. The people I bought it off of had no problems and really liked it as well, and I know someone else who had one and also liked theirs. I'd definitely recommend it to someone, especially someone just learning to drive or looking for something affordable."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Just getting around

Rating from monsur

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"i think in total, it will be good car, and i will show my friends to get this.............................................................................................................................................................."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Having fun

Rating from EricO

(3)
Comfort:		3 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Handling:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		3 out of 5
Features:		3 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		2 out of 5

"My contour is a GL model with the Sport handling package and optional features like sunroof and cruise control. I got it used as a lease return, and the previous owner maxed it out on optional equipment, so this car is nearer the SE trim level than the GL (which wasn't even officially available in 2008!). This Ford has goods and bads, like many American cars: mine has a strong, reliable 2.0 liter engine, tight manual transmission and very controlled handling. However, there have been many minor electrical problems that required replacement parts, the sunroof assembly was replaced twice, and body trim seems to strip off or break away after 6+ years. The car is a lot of fun to drive in southern California, handling curves easily and having excellent steering. On steep climbs the 2.0L engine doesn't have the oomph to make it in top gear but has a nicely tuned transmission gearing for smooth shifting and precise speed control. Seating is adequate for 2 adults and 2 kids but cramped for 4 big ones. Trunk space is okay but not on the level of a Honda Accord, for example. Seats are comfortable but not grippy unless you spring for the racy SVT model. The sunroof is bound to break at some point, with one of the following problems: the motor will burn out or strip the gear, the track glides will freeze and the mechanism will jam in place, or (if it's old enough) the glass weatherstrip seals will lose their glue and come undone with a loud whistling noise if you drive over 50mph. The car is also famous for its blinking airbag warning lamp, which usually indicates a wiring short in one of the seat or door sensors. Nobody gets these fixed as it's an expensive electrical repair. So I like my car because it handles great and has a lot of pep for its size, but dislike the cheap trim and iffy electrics that make it repair-prone."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Having fun

Rating from jb

(5)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Handling:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Features:		3 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I loved this car. I was acctually going to give it to my 16 yr. old daughter to drive. Never gave me much trouble. I had 144,000 miles on it and it ran perfectly until someone rearended me @ about 40 miles and I was not hurt but the car was totaled."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Transporting family