Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General About an inch away from buying this car....post your opinion

A 'no-brainer' is right because you're obviously not using yours to it's full potential. The performance is NOT nearly identical. The pony cars are all nearly identical. The Corvette is not and has never been a pony car. None of them are close to the peformance of the same year vette (even within 2 years of each other.) Your SVT is a better comparison to the Camarobird/Mustang ponies. When you're talking performance, you're talking 1/4 trap speeds (measured by tenths of a second), top speeds (mph), and handling (g's). The vette is more than a full second (or more) faster in the 1/4 than the ponies (and people pay hundreds of dollars to shave tenths off.) Top speed is more than 20+mph faster than the ponies. Short of changing out the rear-end, how many greenbacks to increase top end by 20+ mph AND keep your 1/4 times?? And the vette sticks to the skid pad a couple tenths better than the ponies. How much to even up that score?
The ponies performance as a whole is well below that of a vette. Once (and only once that I'm aware) the premier GM supertuner Lingenfelter did a Camaro that was better than the factory vette, and cost less than the base vette. I'd let that exception apply to your statement. Otherwise it's a little-league game being played in a big-league field. Yes, you'll occasionally see some in-the-park homeruns, but no one of these ponies is slamming them out of the park.

I'm rating each car when it was new, not based on current used conditions and prices. No, I have not driven all of the cars I have no interest in, but then I haven't driven a Ford Excursion either, due to lack of interest. My mom however does have a BMW Z3 2.8, which I have driven, and have also driven a Corvette.

It's interesting that you bring up a refusal to compromise, as you are far more willing to compromise than I am. You're willing to compromise everything to maximize one set of attributes. I'm not. I want a car that maximizes every set of attributes from acceleration and handling to comfort and low price.

The Volvo 850R doesn't measure up to the SVT Contour (new to new) in my ratings for the perfect car due mainly to high price, but it also loses points in the feel, styling, and handling departments.

Styling I know is personal opinion, but I personally don't think most of the exotics (and particularly Vipers) are really attractive cars. Then the Vette looks like the prosthetic penis it represents for most buyers. The SVT Contour's excellent proportion with lines that are classy, yet with a dash of attitude are superior.

Please, lets not turn this into a pissing contest. Comparing the CSVT to a corvette or pony car is like comparing a stock F-150 4x4 to the latest Bigfoot monster truck. Two totally different vehicles designed to do totally different things, and each performs their role excellently.

Its not that I don't like the SVT contour or think its a great car. You are right...it does everything well. Its just that I want a different feel. I want something that will perform on a wholly different level than the CSVT on the track. That's what I am into. I love my CSVT, but I love 13's even more. I don't need all that the CSVT offers, but I need more than what it will ever be able to offer in specific areas. I would also really enjoy having an open top vehicle for those nights out on the town.

I want a vette, but financing an older vette is way more challenging than financing a newer car. The credit parameters are totally different, and if you have negative equity in your trade then forget it. You really need to have about $5k down and no trade as most finance companies will not go but to 80 or 90% LTV excluding taxes.

Reconciling this challenge with my desire to have fun this summer in a V-8 car, I have decided to expand my search for a good quality used cobra or (hopefully) an LS1 Camaro SS. Both of these cas are beats, pure and simple. Although they may not look as good as a vette or have the sophistication I was originally after, I think I would get over it with a couple of quick 40' burnouts.

So, my ideal next car is one of the following:

1992-1994 Corvette (please work....please?)

1998 or newer Camaro SS (hopefully in black or that sweet hugger orange color)

1996-98 cobra...if I could find a triple black 97 cobra vert with low miles I would buy it tomorrow and end my search right there. Well, a 98 coupe may work too.

Any of these cars can be had in my price range. Any of these cars will run 13's and still look good enough for the ladies . I just want to get back to what I like in performance....good ole american muscle.

So you see, its not ever about which one is the best....its about which one will best suit MY needs. That's what car ownership should be all about.

Worst case scenario....I keep the CSVT and continue to enjoy its finer qualities. And if that is the worst thing that ever happened to me I think I'll be alright.

I'm going to make 2 points, and then give the thread back to it's rightful owner

How does a 2nd generation SHO fare in your book? A bigger car, with a really sweet engine, more luxurious interior, but not quite as nimble because of it's large stature. I love everything about the car (My mom has a 95 3.2L ATX), except for the handling and brakes (both of which would be remedied by aftermarket parts if it was my car).

About the 850R, are you sure we're talking about the same car? The 850R was a suped up version of the 850-T5 (kind of like the SVT relation to the standard Contour V6), with 240HP stock, a REALLY stiff suspension, the blackened rims and trim, and special R spoiler. With a $300 chip, you could kick up the turbos a notch and hit 265hp.. Add an exhaust and an intake, and you're practically at 300hp.

Just curious, as a friend of mine is in the market for one, and we've driven quite a few of them over the past month.. Phenominal car, but hard to come by, as only 2000 of them made it over to the US.

Cartman,don't you have a Boxter?If you do I don't think that anyone in this organization has room to compare handling and luxury of your car.IMHO

First, in my ratings, aftermarket does not count. It is how it sits on the showroom floor, new. A perfect car shouldn't require any modification.

On the 2nd Gen SHO, I'll rate the MTX, as it rates higher. The car is a little plusher, quicker, and the room is a plus, but the lack of handling, braking, and styling (they didn't make it enough different from the Taurus) hurt the car. Also, the car got expensive very quickly when you added the amenities to make it more luxurious. In short, it's a worthy car, and I think very well of it, but has more compromises than the SVT Contour.

I am talking about the 850 R as well. I had a friend with one. It was quick, but the chassis couldn't handle the engine, and it just wasn't nimble. A bone-jarring ride, high price, and Volvo styling with bad add-on's are way too much of a compromise to be in the running.

All I can say is whenever I see an 850R in red i wet my pants!

I love those cars!

the actual engine in the 850R (also known as the 850 t-5R in 1995) is essentially the same as the reg 850 turbo. That's what I was orignally aiming for instead of the Platinum 850 we have now, but with the 17's it rode on the pirelli's would be toast in no time with the potholes in NY. While it doesn't have the handling of a SVT it has no prob out accelerating it. While I wouldn't call it quite the perfect car it has a lot of advantages over the tour.

As far as the vette goes. The only c4 I would buy comes with quad cams standard. 'nuff said.

-Pete