Originally posted by svtcarboy: Let's face it, the entry mid-size sports/sporty sedan is a core automotive class, which Ford has chosen to ignore. They have left an enormous gap between the Focus and the Taurus which hundreds of thousands of Grand Am/Stratus/Altima/Galant... buyers can slip right through.
As I see it, there is nothing that competes with the void left after the SVT Contour. Not Ford, not Honda, not VW. Certainly not the listed above. None of those are as sporty as the Contiques were. None offer V6 manual trans sedans in a midsize chasis.
It was a niche. Demand for what you want is still there, but I doubt Contour enthusiasts will flock to Grand Ams. Personally, I plan to outgrow the Contour. I hope I don't fall into a rutt of owning the same iteration of a car every 4-5 years. While no one expects the Contour (or any other 15-20K car) to be their dream ride for 40+ years, I hope to never buy another new one. Maybe as cheap transportation used some day, but I have no desire to purchase one for more than $5000. I want a BMW. Which one I'm still deciding, but that is my next goal. I can accomplish that without question, before I turn 28. Will I use it as daily transportation, or maybe a cheap used Contour for that, I don't know.
My point is, the Contour is/was a stepping stone car. As good as it is to a lot of people (myself included), even the SVT wouldn't be on my shopping list for more than a 5 years.
