98 SVT, 92,000 miles
Contour engines are strong, it's the stuff around them that gives you fits. Water pumps, wheel bearings, and catalytic converters all will fail. $2K for a car with high mileage is still a pretty good deal. A Honda Accord with smiliar wear would go for $5 to $7K, although it will probably need less repair work that the Contour. If you have the inclination and expectation that minor things will go wrong, then you should enjoy your Contour. If you expect it to be mechanically perfect, then it will not be the car for you, even though it will be cheaper (from a total cost) than the example Accord mentioned above.
Lee K
