Originally posted by 2000GreenTour:
Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
Originally posted by 2000GreenTour:
Originally posted by RogerB:
Ford 500 =





Many auto writers have said that about the Contour, too. Especially if you got a GL.


Where?



Car and Driver did a comparison test in fall of 1997. Tested a 4 banger GL with ATX, came in last out of like 7 cars, so there.

And the 500 isn't meant to be a "Contour SVT replacement". It's a full line car, not a "cult car" like the C-SVT, (or SVT-C for the anal retentives.) Compare it to the plain Contours/Tauruses, and it is world's better.





I would expect the Zetec GL ATX to come in last in a lot of comparos. But even in the first year it was offered here, the Contour came available with a V-6, MTX, and sport suspension. That is a full-line automobile.

The 500 comes out with only one, weak powerplant (for its class), and the "better" model with AWD comes "only" with a CVT automatic. Enthusiasts need not apply.

OK, so the Taurus SHO took a few years to arrive, and there was no manual at first. I don't know what to tell you. I'm not saying the 500 won't sell. I can't predict such things. But my initial assessment stands. Ford aimed low and hit the mark.

Come on, the lowest output of any competitor is the Camry, at 225 hp. The Accord puts out 240, the Maxima, 265. 203hp is OK for the "economy" offering, but Ford needs to come out swinging with a more powerful option on the check sheet, especially for such a heavy car. What about the big Duratec out of the Freestar?

Function before fashion. '96 Contour SE "Toss the Contour into a corner, and it's as easy to catch as a softball thrown by a preschooler." -Edmunds, 1998