Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General Contour vs. Civic

First of all, sorry to clutter up the forum with my random comments (all two of them). But anyways, I recently returned from my roadtrip in my 95 GL. I visited my mom and dad and went to dinner with them one night. Out of curiosity, I offered to drive my mom's 2000 Civic, and I felt like I was driving a go-cart. I even floored it (which made mom and dad a little ticked) and the accleration was on the lower end of okay. Sure these are very "reliable" cars, and are rather inexpensive, but I was not impressed. The interior was cramped and boring. When I'm in my Contour, I feel like I'm in a jet cockpit from the way it was designed. All I can say is I'm glad I spent 3500 on my 95 Contour GL which has a V6, instead of 3500 on a 89 Civic.

I'm really liking the depreciation value on our cars. (Since of course I got mine used; I'm sure all the SVT owners out there are really getting screwed when they try to sell.)

But I just hope you have some more money set aside for future repairs ... remember, it's not noted as being reliable as the Civics for a reason...

That said, I share your enthusiasm for the dash design and the handling/speed!

I've got to admit the interior on the 88-91 civic's is boring and they are slow until ou put a few hundred in them.hint hint look at sig

Civics aren't "factory hot rods" thats for damn sure. But like codeo says, drop some cash into one and it will be much more fun. It's no Contour until you put about $5000 into it though. :p

I had some moron in an 88 Civic with a fart tip try to race me tonight.. Wouldn't get the hint the first time, and kept trying to provoke me at every light - Which he then ran a few seconds before it turned green. Was sort of amusing, but it wasn't fast or anything.

The one flaw with your theory though is that an 89 Civic will probably hold up better than a 95 Tour.

In all fairness, if you were driving anything less than a 4 door Civic, you really can't compare the two, but since you feel that they were comparable, here are the differences...

95-2000 Contour | 2000 CIVIC LX 4DR
Wheelbase 106.5 | 103.2
Length 183.9 | 175.1
Width 69.1 | 67.1
Height 54.5 | 54.7
Headroom 39.0 | 39.8
Max Frt Leg Rm 42.4 | 42.7
Rear Headroom 36.7 | 37.6
Min Rr Leg Rm 34.3 | 34.1
HP @ RPM ? | 106@6200
TORQUE @ RPM ? | 103@4600
0-60 ? | 10.3
1/4 mile time ? | 17.8
All numbers came from www.edmunds.com and www.consumerguide.com

I of course guessed at the LX part of the CIVIC (considering that is the most common of the CIVIC) and found those performance specs for a 2000 (which the EX would be slightly higher), but I was unable to find HP and Torque and 0-60 and 1/4 for the GL. Now granted, the CIVIC is probably slower than the Contour, but as you can tell from the numbers, it is definitely not CRAMPED as compared to the Contour.

Just FYI...

it's a contour v6 GL, so engine specs should be 170hp.. not sure about tq, but it could be around 130?? If it's an MTX, it should get you in the mid, to high 16's, maybe???

Well anyways, glad you like your Contour, and welcome to CEG!

I just happen to save the .htm for the 2000 SE from Edmunds.com (which should be pretty much the same as a gl):

WHAT'S NEW FOR 2000
Only one version of the Contour is available this year (not including the SVT). It is very similar to the 1999 Contour SE Sport series. New colors are offered and an emergency trunk-release handle is standard.

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PROS AND CONS

Pros:
Solid handling, standard V6 power, affordable price.
Cons:
Limited room for rear passengers, pedestrian interior.

EDMUND'S REVIEW

There is nothing like a little sibling rivalry to shake things up. The arrival of the 2000 Ford Focus has affected both the Escort and the Contour. Effectively, the Focus will be slotted between the Escort and the Contour in terms of price. To avoid having the Focus steal sales away from the Contour, Ford has taken the Contour upscale, discontinuing the entry-level LX series from 1999.

The 2000 Contour is very similar to the '99 Contour SE Sport. The 2.5-liter Duratec V6, 15-inch, eight-spoke aluminum wheels, rear spoiler, remote keyless entry, body cladding and fog lamps are now standard. A 60/40 split-folding rear seat is also standard, though leather seats are no longer available.

Whether these upgrades will help alleviate the Contour's rental-fleet image, we're not quite sure. But we do know that when we've been behind the wheel of a V6-equipped Contour, we've generally had a good time. The V6 is just one part of an equation that makes this car such an excellent purchase for the shallow-pocketed enthusiast. The real excitement of the Contour's driving experience is the result of the car's excellent chassis, suspension and steering. Toss the Contour into a corner, and it's as easy to catch as a softball thrown by a preschooler.

Since its introduction, the Contour has won plenty of awards and has received great press from automotive critics. In 1998, Ford gave the Contour an exterior freshening to make the car more distinctive in the crowded family-sedan marketplace. The interior still receives some gripes, however. It lacks some of the refinement found in competing cars and Ford has never been able to solve the lack of room for rear-seat passengers.

People less concerned about driving and more concerned about spaciousness may want to investigate the Dodge Stratus and Chevrolet Malibu. They aren't as exciting as the Contour, but they can hold people more comfortably. And if you're disappointed that the Contour LX is no longer available, you need not worry-a quick hop to your local Mercury dealership will net you a 2000 Mercury Mystique GS, which is effectively the same thing.

Test drive 50 different vehicles yourself at Edmund's auto show, which will be touring the U.S. in the Summer of 2000. (More Information).

WARRANTIES

Basic: 3 yr. / 36,000 mi.
Drivetrain: 3 yr. / 36,000 mi.
Roadside: 3 yr. / 36,000 mi.
Rust: 5 yr. / Unlimited mi.

SPECIFICATIONS & SAFETY FEATURES

Performance Data
Acceleration (0-60 mph): 8.5 sec.
Braking Distance (60-0 mph): 138 ft.
Roadholding Index: 0.81
Base Number of Cylinders: 6
Base Engine Size: 2.5 liters
Base Engine Type: V6
Horsepower: 170 hp @ 6250 rpm
Torque: 165 ft-lbs. @ 4250 rpm
Dimensions

Exterior:
Length: 184.6 in.
Width: 69.1 in.
Height: 54.4 in.
Weight: 2769 lbs.
Wheelbase: 106.5 in.
Interior:
Front Headroom: 39 in.
Rear Headroom: 36.7 in.
Front Shoulder Room: 53.9 in.
Rear Shoulder Room: 53.3 in.
Front Hip Room: 50.7 in.
Rear Hip Room: 45.3 in.
Front Leg Room: 42.4 in.
Rear Leg Room: 34.4 in.
Maximum Luggage Capacity: 13.9 cu.ft.
Safety Features
Anti-Lock Brakes: Optional
De-powered Air Bag: Standard
Head Air Bag: Not Available
Side Air Bag: Not Available
Integrated Child Seat: Not Available
Traction Control: Optional
Stability Control: Not Available
Crash Test Results
Driver: Rating = Very Good
Passenger: Rating = Good
Side Impact Front: Average
Side Impact Rear: Good
Crash Offset: Poor
Bumper Bash: Poor
Fuel Data
Fuel Tank Capacity: 15 gal.

EPA Mileage Estimates: (City/Highway)

Manual: 20 mpg / 28 mpg
Automatic: 20 mpg / 29 mpg

Range in Miles: (City/Highway)

Manual: 300 mi. / 420 mi.
Automatic: 300 mi. / 435 mi.


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"Whether these upgrades will help..."

Making "Sport" the standard retail line wasn't necessarily an "upgrade". They just made the SE available for fleet orders only. There are alot of 2000 SE units on the used car market.

Most 2000 Tours sold were SE fleet only models like I have.

The tq is actually 165.