Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General Interested in a Contour SVT

I'm in the market for a new daily driver. I'm interested in a Contour SVT. I'd appreciate any information/advice/feedback on what to look for/think about when looking for and owning a Contour SVT. I drove my first one recently and, in this limited experience, liked it.

Good choice in car, even though I have a Zetec ATX I still love it to death, I don't know how I would be owning a CSVT. I complain a lot when the Mystique is dirty, and it isn't in the best of shape.
Also if you decide to get one, stick around here, you'll love it I learned a lot from this site. Wait til the SVT drivers chime in.

Search around a little bit. But in general, get the absolute lowest-mileage, best condition car you can find. Many CSVT owners are unloading these days (myself included, as of Monday!), so there should be some nice CEG'er-maintained ones out there.

Yeah, like mine too. 47k on the clock

First hand welcome. Yes search and dont jump at the first one you see. Good things come to the ones who wait.

I love my SVT as a daily driver. If I treat it well, it treats me well. I used to be on it and it put a dent in my wallet for the best. It is like any other car out there, things will break.

I just picked one up in Decemeber, and its been good so far. It hasn't been without incident, I've had to make some investments, as it had 131k on it when I bought it, and is now around 137k. But as a daily driver its great. Just enough performance to keep you satisfied (for a while, I'm already 3 liter shopping, or thinking about another "fun" car) without killing you in gas mileage, tires, etc. Very comfortable too, IMO. Its a tad small for getting people in back, but it can't be everything. Trunks good sized. Ground effects don't seem to get in the way much, although it will catch easier in the snow. My car has good allseasons on all four corners, and its easily the worst car I've driven in the snow. But its not bad, and I'm sure with snows at least up front it would help a ton. Decent mod potential too, although its by far one of the more difficult engine bays to work in that I've delt with. Maybe all my GMs were good for something.

worst car ever in the snow? and this is coming from somone who used to own a grand am? This is one of the best handling snow cars that I have ever had or have ever driven. There is a little bit of understeer, but that is to be expected by a FWD car in the snow.

No shiz! Worst car in the snow? My buddy has pics of him driving his CSVT through 3 foot drifts with bald KDW's?! I should see if I can get them scanned. I've driven a lot of cars in the winter and a FWD Contour is among the best if not THE best next to a Taurus. Someone needs driving school.

I've gotta disagree on best snow car. Maybe it was my tires, but the last time I drove in snow/slush, I couldn't go faster than maybe 20 mph...on the highway! I got passed by an old Olds Cutlass. My RWD GMC 3500 does better in the snow. (And before you say someone from Texas doesn't know how to drive in the snow, I learned to drive in Wyoming. LOTS of snow).