What's your preference?

My SVT dosent feel 1/2 as solid as my 95, it dosent have all the little things either, like a light in the glovebox, in the door handles, heated side mirrors, light in the hoodliner etc. I miss all those things.

How do you people have so many Miles on your cars? i have 125k KM'S, and i feel like that is a lot...

Originally posted by Tourige:
How do you people have so many Miles on your cars? i have 125k KM'S, and i feel like that is a lot...

Do you really need a literal answer to that?

I'll grant that I only had 77K on my Contour when I gave her up .. but then again I didn't have a 50 mile commute either. My dad put 125K on his old minivan in a little over four years due to his job; I imagine others on here do so as well.

i sat in brapples seats and my god it was a total different feel and comfort..the svt leather is stiff and not really designed for comfortness..

Originally posted by Goonz SVT:
i sat in brapples seats and my god it was a total different feel and comfort..the svt leather is stiff and not really designed for comfortness..

That sucks... mine are quite comfortable.

Originally posted by Slack Master Doug:
That sucks... mine are quite comfortable.

You think so till you experience a '95 leather seat!!

Also ... I notice you have a T-red (assume with tan interior, as MNB wasn't available with T-red for '00) .. reportedly the tan leather is a bit softer than the MNB leather. I can't tell myself, but others have said so ...

The 95-97 interior rawks! The door handles/locks are really cool (even with the funky motor, it sounds cool), which sure they exist in the 98+, but it aint the same...

The window controls and such are on the door panel and not on the funky thing next to the handle on the 98+, that's yucky.

The dash looks way nicer too, what happened to the contour/mystique design team after 98? It's like the taurus team took over and messed things up

The shifter area.. yuck, and then there's that whole thing about "Mystique" or "Contour" being in italics on the dash if you don't have the clock.

"Uh.. yeah I'm driving my.. uh.. oh.. contour!" yeah like you'll forget what you're driving.

It still looks.. okay.. I guess, but the earlier ones looked cooler, more spacey, and stuff. The only way you can tell these cars are really as old as they are, is by looking at the instrument cluster -- ya know, with the mechanical odometer and such.

IMHO the 98+ contours look better than the 95-97 on the outside though, but that's because they adapted the outside design of the mystique

Totally objectional though!

96 seats are the same as 95 too...and the pre98 grey leather seats suck,they feel cheap,the only good leather in the contour was the tan...in the mystique,pre98's they had a little storage area by your left knee..a pretty big one,i thought that was neat,i tried to put it in my svt dash but the metal supports arent the same...

Originally posted by OoTLink:
The 95-97 interior rawks! The door handles/locks are really cool (even with the funky motor, it sounds cool), which sure they exist in the 98+, but it aint the same...

The window controls and such are on the door panel and not on the funky thing next to the handle on the 98+, that's yucky.

You talking about Mystiques? Because door handles didn't change between model years (i.e. pre98 Contours have the same style as 98+ Contours, with the exception of the 98 which has raised window switches; and pre98 Mystiques have almost the same door panels as 98+ Mystiques) ...

Dashboards: all Contours had the same dashboard, with the pre98 having a different vent bezel (just looks a bit different and isn't as functional as 98+ with regard to direction). Mystiques 1995-1998 had same dashboard (1998 had revised vent bezels as well), but Mystiques 1999-2000 had the same dash as the Contour.

If I have time later this afternoon I'll find and post a few pics of the different model years ... some of you'd be surprised what carried over and what didn't.

Sorry about the awkward angles, some of these were the best pics I could find ..

pre98 Contour: link

98+ Contour: link

pre98 Mystique:

1998 Mystique:

1999+ Mystique

I would definatly say when I swapped from cloth to leather, the cloth was more comfortable, but only because of the range of motion of the seats... if the leather seats could go farther than they did, they would be more comfortable.

I have a 99 contour and I love my interior. I have 72,000 miles and my driver seat still feels new! I dont know but I feel I got a great interior in my car.

Originally posted by Matt R:
I would definatly say when I swapped from cloth to leather, the cloth was more comfortable, but only because of the range of motion of the seats... if the leather seats could go farther than they did, they would be more comfortable.

Are you talking about how far back the entire seat moves? I noticed that when I swapped from cloth to leather in my Mystique. I moved the seat all the way back and I kept hitting my knees off the steering wheel,when before with the cloth I never hit my knees off the wheel. I found I had to have the cushion of the seat tilted as far back as it would go and recline the seat quite far back to give me the illusion of feeling sitting farther away. After a while I got used to it though,but even my passengers complained the seat didn't move back far enough and some taller people were hitting their knees off the glovebox.

As for the interior,I quite like the Contique interiors,no matter what year,but my preference goes to the pre98s for build quality,seat comfort,the console and the light package.

That's not a very glorifying picture of the pre98 Mystique; look at the poor broken dash vents

I'm assuming that's a 1995 from before they upgraded the center vents.

Originally posted by BadDoctorFrost:
That's not a very glorifying picture of the pre98 Mystique; look at the poor broken dash vents I'm assuming that's a 1995 from before they upgraded the center vents.

CBM?!!

I want a '98 Mystique dash for my car...

I have tan leather interior & like it. The cloth seats in both the Contours I owned were/are more comfortable than any of the leather seats I've had. I have not tried the '95 leather seats...

Originally posted by TourDeForce:
I want a '98 Mystique dash for my car...

Yeah that does look nice! I rode in my uncles mystique and he had that dash and shift knob (wood) and it looked killer. I will have to hunt one down in the junkyard.

Originally posted by TourDeForce:
I want a '98 Mystique dash for my car...

I wish my light switches were set like that, in the armrest. I like that better than the oddly contorting door panel switches on the Tour.

Grass is always greener on the other side.

Originally posted by Jeb Hoge:

Originally posted by TourDeForce:
I want a '98 Mystique dash for my car...

I wish my light switches were set like that, in the armrest. I like that better than the oddly contorting door panel switches on the Tour.

You mean the lighted power window switches, I assume.

Whoa, the interior on the pre98 contour is WEIRD. Totally. I always thought it had the same dash as a pre98 mystique!

http://www.talesmud.com/721.jpg <- What I cruise 'round in. That pic is, rather old, but it hasn't changed any

Originally posted by TwoTwinTours:

Originally posted by Matt R:
I would definatly say when I swapped from cloth to leather, the cloth was more comfortable, but only because of the range of motion of the seats... if the leather seats could go farther than they did, they would be more comfortable.

Are you talking about how far back the entire seat moves? I noticed that when I swapped from cloth to leather in my Mystique. I moved the seat all the way back and I kept hitting my knees off the steering wheel,when before with the cloth I never hit my knees off the wheel. I found I had to have the cushion of the seat tilted as far back as it would go and recline the seat quite far back to give me the illusion of feeling sitting farther away. After a while I got used to it though,but even my passengers complained the seat didn't move back far enough and some taller people were hitting their knees off the glovebox.

As for the interior,I quite like the Contique interiors,no matter what year,but my preference goes to the pre98s for build quality,seat comfort,the console and the light package.

I have compared a '98 Contour leather seat to a '00 Mystique leather seat and I noticed that the Contour seat slides back a little further.

Originally posted by 98 SE:

For aesthetic preference, I like the cloth available on 98+'s better than the cloth pattern on pre98s. However, the '95 leather front buckets own all others in terms of comfort. I sat in his dad's car at a meet and didn't want to get out!

I like post98 interiors better.
I also like the post98 cloth pattern and color better than a pre98. I like the cup holders much better in the post98(upgraded ones) because the pre98 cup holders ones are fragile.

*grin* I kinda like the pre98 cupholders. They don't take up any space when you don't use them, and when ya do.. well yeah they're okay provided nobody hits the cups in em!

Of course, my mom's friend being an idiot, has done that so many times driving our car. I'd hate to think of how many cans of soda got down into the emergency brake area.

My cupholder in my 95 is broken,and the cupholders in my 98 were useless. Currently I use one of the cardboard drink trays that drive-thrus give you as my cup holder.

I've always wondered what cupholders is everyone talking about for pre-98's? Mine doesn't have cupholders. Mabye it was somehow taken out. Possibly it wasn't available on GL's?

Originally posted by zetec herman:
I've always wondered what cupholders is everyone talking about for pre-98's? Mine doesn't have cupholders. Mabye it was somehow taken out. Possibly it wasn't available on GL's?

It's a pop-up design in the center console to the right of your E-brake handle. They might have been broken off; many are (they are very fragile!). A revised cupholder design was offered .. see the pre98 Mystique photo I've got above ... slightly sturdier but you only get one cupholder instead of two.

My first Contour memory ever was sitting in a '95 or '96 Moonlight Blue SE on the showroom floor, while my dad was purchasing a '93 Taurus, and playing with those pop-up cupholders. I was about ten years old back then and had little concept of car models .. it wasn't till many years later that I recognized the pre98 cupholders in that memory ..

Originally posted by zetec herman:
I've always wondered what cupholders is everyone talking about for pre-98's? Mine doesn't have cupholders. Mabye it was somehow taken out. Possibly it wasn't available on GL's?

Had one on my '95 GL.

On the 95-97 stick shifts you only got one cup holder no matter what, on the 95-97 automatics you got two

On mine the front one doesn't "lock in" right, so it can tip to the left

Yeah, the leather power seats don't move as far back as the cloth manual ones. I'm not incredibly tall (around 6'2"), but I am definately cramped when it comes to the leather seats. My knees don't fit very well, and the steering wheel has to be all the way up, or I can't get in and out, and I can't see the gauges. Also, the cloth seat you could get a lot of back support from... it would tip far enough forward it would push on your shoulders and make you sit up straight, which makes long drives more comfortable. The leather seat won't do that, so I tend to slouch, and get pretty sore after a 4 hr drive home.

I like my interior, but I have some nags...

1. The "can" holders suck. Cool lookin', but useless.
2. The seatback adjustment wheel sucks on Pre-98s.
3. The slats on my AC vents are screwed up from people hitting them
4. NO LUMBAR SUPPORT.
5. The car is obviously not meant for us '6"2 people. I've got the seat all the way back, and I just barely fit.

Other than that, I love my interior. It's decently classy, when kept in good shape...

I figured out my cupholder issue. I have that litle black base piece (which is cracked). So the cupholders were broken.

Originally posted by MadMerc97:
I like my interior, but I have some nags...

1. The "can" holders suck. Cool lookin', but useless.
2. The seatback adjustment wheel sucks on Pre-98s.
3. The slats on my AC vents are screwed up from people hitting them
4. NO LUMBAR SUPPORT.
5. The car is obviously not meant for us '6"2 people. I've got the seat all the way back, and I just barely fit.

Other than that, I love my interior. It's decently classy, when kept in good shape...

1. sure
2. ok
3. don't let people hit em
4. 95 SE leather seats have had adjustable lumbar support, my LS has power lumbar suport and seat back
5. I'm 6 ft and I don't sit anyway close to having the seat all the way back

I'm also 6 foot. Most comortable ride ever. I've never ajusted the seat!

Lumbar support has always bugged my back; in every vehicle I've driven it's been too high up to be comfortable.

5'8" here (very short legs, rather long torso - I sit as tall as any normal six-footer and taller than some) .. as awkward as I am in any social situation, my body was made for driving, since I've fit perfectly in every car I've been in so far.

Originally posted by BrApple:

Originally posted by MadMerc97:
I like my interior, but I have some nags...

1. The "can" holders suck. Cool lookin', but useless.
2. The seatback adjustment wheel sucks on Pre-98s.
3. The slats on my AC vents are screwed up from people hitting them
4. NO LUMBAR SUPPORT.
5. The car is obviously not meant for us '6"2 people. I've got the seat all the way back, and I just barely fit.

Other than that, I love my interior. It's decently classy, when kept in good shape...

1. sure
2. ok
3. don't let people hit em
4. 95 SE leather seats have had adjustable lumbar support, my LS has power lumbar suport and seat back
5. I'm 6 ft and I don't sit anyway close to having the seat all the way back

Unfortunately, I have a '97 with cloth upholstery, which means 0 lumbar.

Well my seat is ALL the way back. Maybe I'm just used to driving Firebirds and Crown Victorias...

In my opinion the pre-'98 Contours and Mystiques are better looking; I think mainly because they are two different cars. That is the front end was totally different between the two as well as the rear. '98 up are the same vehicle except for the grill. And as mentioned there are the little things for the Mercs, like the rear dome light, mini glove box on left side of steering colum, fancy under hood light (not sure if that was an LS YA thing or all Mercs had it). Of course the pre '98 Mercs had a different dash than the 'Tours; which Ford copied for '98 & up. Speaking of which someone said that Ford improved the vents in '96? Does anybody know if the '96 & up dashes are the same? As in mounting holes? My dash is so messed up from previous owners that the only reason that what's left of it is still there is because it would look rather ugly without it. I plan on replacing the dash and now it looks like the best bet MIGHT be to get a '96 or '97 dash.

As for the pre '98 cupholders mine has the single but it is broke and since my wife is trading off her '96 'Tour for an '05 Taurus I'll swap the cupholders. Hers is the original 2 cup holder that is still complete and unbroken.

Later. Pepse.

Originally posted by MadMerc97:

Originally posted by BrApple:

Originally posted by MadMerc97:
I like my interior, but I have some nags...

1. The "can" holders suck. Cool lookin', but useless.
2. The seatback adjustment wheel sucks on Pre-98s.
3. The slats on my AC vents are screwed up from people hitting them
4. NO LUMBAR SUPPORT.
5. The car is obviously not meant for us '6"2 people. I've got the seat all the way back, and I just barely fit.

Other than that, I love my interior. It's decently classy, when kept in good shape...

1. sure
2. ok
3. don't let people hit em
4. 95 SE leather seats have had adjustable lumbar support, my LS has power lumbar suport and seat back
5. I'm 6 ft and I don't sit anyway close to having the seat all the way back

Unfortunately, I have a '97 with cloth upholstery, which means 0 lumbar. Well my seat is ALL the way back. Maybe I'm just used to driving Firebirds and Crown Victorias...

I have cloth seats in my mystique ....

I'm pretty sure I must be an isolated case. My back just doesn't like sitting in those seats for more than an hour or two at a time...