The only commercial I recall ever seeing a Contour or Mystique appearing involved a heavy girder flattening it. Aside from an insurance company (I think), did Ford ever air a TV commercial for them?
I got a Ford Mastercard in college, and used those points when I got a "real" job. I was warned against buying a car the first year it was released, but figured the first year problems would be sorted out in the Mondeo. Whoops! Back on point, I wasn't lured to the dealership by advertising. I had $850 in CC points (5 years of college is expensive!) and the dealership was across the street from the plant. Plus my father had an affinity with european cars (i.e. fun to drive) which I apparently had inherited. Each of these circumstances I would regard as "rare" and scarcely on the radar of the typical Ford/Mercury car buyer.
I got a Ford Mastercard in college, and used those points when I got a "real" job. I was warned against buying a car the first year it was released, but figured the first year problems would be sorted out in the Mondeo. Whoops! Back on point, I wasn't lured to the dealership by advertising. I had $850 in CC points (5 years of college is expensive!) and the dealership was across the street from the plant. Plus my father had an affinity with european cars (i.e. fun to drive) which I apparently had inherited. Each of these circumstances I would regard as "rare" and scarcely on the radar of the typical Ford/Mercury car buyer.