That's because the solidly built Contour - derived from Ford'ssuccessful European Mondeo model - is a "driver's car." Such an autoresponds so well to commands that it's entertaining to drive, whichis a big plus.
The generally quiet Contour's quick, precise steering has justthe right amount of power assist, and the suspension providesexcellent handling and a composed ride. The brakes haul the car downwith polished assurance.
But not all is perfect. The slick, front-wheel-drive Contour,which fits in the "large-compact" family sedan category, has beencriticized for its lack of back-seat space.
It's true that the Contour's cockpit feels somewhat narrow andlacks the rear-seat room of, say, the rival Chrysler Cirrus. But itcomfortably seats four 6-footers if the driver is willing to move hisseat up a little. The dashboard is generally well-designed, and thefront seats offer excellent support.
The Contour's trunk is roomy, but is handicapped by a rathersmall opening and old-style hinge arms that can damage cargo ifyou're not careful when closing the trunk lid. Another drawback isthe painfully slow-acting European-style twist knobs that adjust theangle of the front seatbacks.
Making up a lot for the Contour's faults is its sophisticated170-horsepower, twin camshaft V-6, although my first experience withthe engine last December was nearly disastrous; it began making anunholy racket during a brief test drive. Ford yanked the V-6 andwhisked it to its headquarters for analysis, but never kept itspromise to tell me why the engine sounded as if it was about toexplode.
During a recent test of a Contour V-6, the smooth, 2.5-liter,24-valve engine ran great, although the car's crisp-shifting, $815four-speed automatic transmission sapped power and made the 0-60m.p.h. time (9.1 seconds) just average and 65-75 m.p.h. passing on highways decent - but hardly noteworthy.
Don't want the automatic? Then you get the Contour's standardfive-speed manual transmission, which has a rubbery, imprecise shiftlinkage I wouldn't want to live with. Anyway, this is a family carbest suited to an automatic.
The V-6 is standard in the top-line SE model, but costs $1,080extra for the base GL model and $1,045 for the mid-line LX model,which I recently drove. The SE is a hot-rod Contour, with suchthings as a rear spoiler, perfor mance tires and a sport suspension, which some will find to be toofirm.
A pretty good 2-liter, overhead-camshaft, 125-horsepowerfour-cylinder is standard in the base and LX Contours. It offersdecent performance with the manual, but only marginal accelerationwith the automatic - especially when the car is loaded or driven inhilly areas.
However, if economy is important to you, the four-cylinderprovides an EPA-estimated 24 m.p.g. in the city and 35 on highwayswith the manual and 24 and 32 with the automatic. Figures with theV-6 are 21 and 29 with the manual and 22 and 30 with the automatic.
Both the V-6 and four-cylinder are European-style motors thatwork best at high revolutions per minute and don't make the Contourfast off the line.
The GL has a $13,310 base price, and is fairly well-equipped,with dual air bags, AM; FM radio, power steering, reclining frontbucket seats, console and dual remote outside mirrors. The $13,995LX adds stuff such as a console with armrest and cupholders, heatedpower mirrors, split-folding rear seat to enlarge the cargo area,tachometer and cassette player.
The $15,695 SE provides the above-mentioned items, as well as arear spoiler, four-wheel disc brakes, alloy wheels andleather-wrapped steering wheel.
Key options for all models are $780 air conditioning, $565anti-lock brakes and an $800 traction-control system that enhancesroad grip and includes anti-lock brakes.
While practical, the Contour V-6 is a good choice for familydrivers who need a sedan but would rather be behind the wheel of asports car.
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