You are asking a very subjective question. I don't think that anyone can tell you what car to buy, since your situation is going to be very different from anyone else's. Bottom line is that you need to make your own decision.
That being said, I believe that the only question that anyone can answer is "If they were going to buy a used car, would they get a Ford Contour again?"
Personally, the answer would be no for me. I look for basic functionality out of a car. I want a car to get me from point A to point B. I also want as few problems as possible with the car. Therefore, I would go with a Japanese car.
As I said, your situation is probably different.
1996 Contour SE Sedan 4D (Royal Blue)
Duratec V6 2.5L 24-valve DOHC
Automatic
75,000 miles
No Mods (unless you call the DMD a mod)
Replaced EGR valve (gunked up), EVR (EGR VR), PCV valve, and evaporative emissions hose (cracked).
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