I donâ??t post much but I thought I would reply to this.
I sold my 2000 SVT last October. It was tough but hereâ??s why.
After I bought my Contour SVT I started having problems. All my previous cars were high mileage and required frequent maintenance and the like. I enjoy working on cars so this isnâ??t an issue. Then I bought the Contour. It was new and trouble free. I got twitchy so I had to buy another car that was old and not maintenance free. I got a â??93 Miata.

Well the SVT is a great drive but the Miata is even better (especially in the summer). After a while I realized I was driving the Miata a lot more than the Ford. If I wanted a fun car I took the Miata. If I needed a car I could get dirty or not care aboutâ?¦ well I also took the Miata. The Ford was in immaculate condition and I couldnâ??t stand the thought of someone opening their door into my baby.

At the same time I also missed having a utilitarian beater. Before I got the Ford I had a Corolla wagon. Not gods gift to fun driving but it was great for hauling stuff or driving to places where people may open their door into my car.

So now I was stuck. I loved the Ford and couldnâ??t stand to see it get scratch or dirty yet I drove the Miata a lot more. In the end I decided to sell the Ford and buy a more utilitarian replacement. The sort of car I could get dirty and not worry about. I ended up with a â??97 SAAB 900 turbo. Same 0-60 time as the Ford, better equipped, hatch back and decent back seatsâ?¦ the Ford is sooo much nicer to drive. The SAAB feels like a top heavy Jetta in comparison to the Ford. The turbo 4 has great mid range power but it also has turbo lag and no power right off the line. What the SAAB really has is more interior room (you can carry a washing machine if you leave the hatch open) and with 60,000 miles (same as my Ford) I ended up with $4200 in my pocket after selling one and buying the other.

I still miss the Ford. Iâ??ve driven a lot of $20k-$40k cars. Few were ever a good as the Ford. That 2.5L motor is a gem. One of the best exhaust notes ever. Many of the newer cars have more power but none have an engine that sounded so good or was so smooth. The Contour SVT has a good solid feel and Iâ??ve never driven a 4 that was as all around nice as the Contourâ??s V6 (including the Acura TSX and Honda S2000). The newer cars may be faster but I will always love the Ford.