The Ford Contour underwent changes for each model year. The Contour and Mystique shared two engines with the Mondeo, a 125 hp 2. The powerful engine took the car from zero to sixty mph in 8. It has a smooth-shifting,five-speed manual transmission, and it holds the road and handles well. Straight-line acceleration sees 0-60 mph flash by in 7. The head of the Mondeo project was , headquartered at in Essex. Safety was a high priority in the Mondeo design, with a driver's side it was the first ever car sold from the beginning with a driver's airbag in all of its versions, which helped it achieve the title for 1994 , side-impact bars, seat belt pretensioners, and higher models as standard features.
Chassis and body dimensions remain about the same—slightly smaller than a Honda Accord—on a near-identical wheelbase. And if you want an automatic transmission, you don't want this car; it's manual transmission only. Styling was partly addressed by an Aspen model, which featured 15-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, and full leather trim. Decent, but not quite the best. Production at in , and started in August 15, 1994. Drivers like the Contour's steering and smooth automatic transmission. Power is just one element in a package designed to compete with sporty Euro sedans, of course.
Intended as a , it replaced the in Europe, the in a large portion of Asia and other markets, while the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique replaced the and in North America. However, in 1999 it dipped into sixth place and had been outsold by its biggest rival, the. Despite being billed as a world car, the only external items the Mondeo shared initially with the Contour were the windscreen, front windows, front mirrors and door handles. Engine oil filler cap 4. But, then again, that's Ford's problem,not ours. Basically, the car was probably a little too European for American taste. On the curvy, hilly roads of northernMassachusetts and southern New Hampshire, it seemed to pull smoothly andstrongly in any gear, at any time.
You don't have to spend quite as much time waiting for the car to change directions, and there's a strong sense of sports car feel without sports car ride stiffness. Not to mention supple ride quality. . One was bolt stretch and the loss of preload in the rod bearings and the other was the loss of oil pressure or at least oil flow to the bottom end. There's no doubt--it was fun to drive. For a complete overview of all Mondeo models, see. This car shared the engines 2.
To take full advantage of the new-found power on tap, the suspension was fortified with recalibrated springs and modified shock valving. In 1997, the Mondeo was introduced into South Africa as a replacement for the Ford Telstar. The new cupholders, however, are too shallow and still don't work very well. Over-optimistically, the floor pan was designed to accept virtually any conceivable drivetrain, from a transverse inline-four engine to a longitudinal V-8. The Mondeo launched in New Zealand to replace the -based Telstar following the closure of the assembly plant in 1997. Other requirements include the agility of a cheetah and the grip of a badger. Walkaround Ford wanted a little more drama in the front of the Contour and Mystique, and we think their facelifts achieve exactly that, as well as more distinction between the two models.
That is the front wheel bearings and hubs won't hold up to any kind of track duty with sticky tires and I had weird things go wrong that I had to fix as no shop would touch it. This was done to keep the engine used in Mazda vehicles to maintain a lower engine displacement based tax level in Japan. By 1989, Ford had confirmed that it would be launching an all-new front-wheel drive car to replace the Sierra within the next four years, although it had not yet decided whether the Sierra name would continue or be replaced, with some subsequent reports even hinting that the Cortina name could make a comeback, having being axed in 1982 when replaced by the Sierra. Now all of the models received sporty suspensions. Autocrossed a few times, but I wasn't very good at it to be honest.
Power is just one element in a package designed to compete with sporty Euro sedans, of course. The switches and knobsand stuff were more plasticky than you'd see on a 3-series. This model was also exported to. The Ford Contour was manufactured at Ford's busy Kansas City Assembly plant in Missouri. The cars received slightly above-average fuel economy ratings from Consumer Guide. The cars received slightly above-average fuel economy ratings from Consumer Guide. Compared to the debut model, the 1996 lacks chrome bumper strips but has more leg room and head space for rear passengers.
And the complaints about tight rear seat space came primarily from the automotive press, as distinct from owners. Torque remains at 165 pound-feet, but it's available under an improved power curve. Stock exhaust manifolds and Vortech Supercharger installed. It was produced locally at their Silverton plant in 1. Many earlier-model Mondeos, from Japan, were also sold locally. The three shared major systems, including body structure, powertrain, and suspension.
The Mondeo featured new manual and automatic transmissions and sophisticated suspension design, which give it class-leading handling and ride qualities, and subframes front and rear to give it executive car refinement. Model Years Engine and type Displ. This car is unique in that it has factory traction control, which was not listed on the options list, as well as the earlier 98 body side moldings. They are five-seaters and can tow up to 1500 pounds. The bodykit option was listed as a delete option for those who did not want it fitted as standard. One was bolt stretch and the loss of preload in the rod bearings and the other was the loss of oil pressure or at least oil flow to the bottom end.
The facelift left only the doors, the roof, and the rear quarter panels on the estate the same as the original model. The mid-year changes are as listed below. The similarly priced , which was concurrently launched by the for the 1995 model year, matched the Contour in design, performance and driving dynamics, but had more features and a larger interior. The cars were generally too small for most Americans' tastes and enjoyed more success in Asian and European markets. The lowering of specification levels around that time e. Even the extractor vents on the rear doors were replaced by a panel bearing the name Mondeo.