As I see it, if you can work on one a little now and then, you won't find a better car for the money than a used contour/mystique. That's why I bought two of them. On the other hand, if you're going to hire someone else to do the repairs that may be needed, there are probably better options out there.

95 Contour Zetec, ATX (wrecked, sitting in the barn) 95 Mystique Zetec, MTX 2000 Taurus SEL 3.0L Duratec 1994 Crown Victoria LX 4.6 V8 1993 Chevy Silverado 4.3 V6