Hmmmm... ok, well I thought you meant 1.5 inches of play while trying to physically wobble the wheel. I am not sure how the Contour behaves but I think that as far as directional rotation the slack before transmission engagement is normal. For this kind of thing and without being able to physically look at the car, I would have to say take it to a shop and see what they tell you. That way they can put it on the lift and look at the wheels from front to back while they are being rotated to see if the tread is cupped, etc.
Anyways, do let us know what you find. I'm sorry I wasn't able to pinpoint it exactly but like I said without seeing the car firsthand it's a bit tough.
