2000 Ford Contour SVT Review
2000 Ford Contour SVT Review
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Powerful V6 engine, impressive handling, good value.
Cons
- Fussy radio controls, lack of refinement.
What’s new
The 2000 Contour is unchanged from 1999.
Edmunds says
For pure road-going thrills in a well thought-out package, the Contour makes for a fun car at a great price.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2000 Ford Contour SVT 4dr Sedan and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.36 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$190/mo for Contour SVT Base
Contour SVT Base
vs
$176/mo
Avg. Midsize Car
Vehicle overview
We've made no apologies for our unabashed appreciation of the Ford SVT Contour. A labor of love from the Ford Special Vehicle Team (the same folks who bring us the Mustang Cobra and F-150 Lightning), the SVT Contour is a must-drive for budget-minded sport-sedan shoppers. SVT's version of Ford's Contour comes fully loaded, packed with real enthusiast hardware, and is capable of 0-to-60 mph sprints in just 7.5 seconds. It's no wonder the SVT Contour has been a frequent visitor on Edmunds.com's "Most Wanted" list.
Power comes from an SVT-modified 2.5-liter Duratec V6, which makes 200 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 169 pound-feet of torque at 5,500 rpm. The sweet-revving engine is all-too-willing to reach redline quickly, and the muted burble from the exhaust makes the $23,000 domestic sedan sound like an expensive, exotic sports machine. Needless to say, acceleration is considerably quicker than a regular V6-equipped Contour.
The tires on the SVT Contour are considerably more performance oriented than those found on the regular Contour. For 2000, the SVT Contour is shod with 215/50ZR-16 BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW performance radials. The suspension is equally tweaked to increase handling ability. The sporty little front-driver is surefooted and nimble on curvy roads, and the performance brakes and standard ABS inspire confidence.
The SVT Contour looks good and performs a variety of functions well. It also does this without extracting a huge financial toll for your enthusiast yearnings. It's not perfect, mind you. The SVT version still inherits some of the Contour SE's faults, most of which concern the interior. The backseat is too small to hold three adults comfortably. There's also a difficult-to-operate stereo and too-small cupholders.
We expect 2000 to be the final run for the Contour. And when these cars go, so does the SVT version. Oddly enough, the sport sedan is one of the few car segments that have held promise in the face of booming truck sales. In fact, most of Ford's major competitors now claim at least one strong-selling sport-sedan model in their 2000 lineups. If you want a sport sedan and there are no SVT Contours left, you might want to look at a Nissan Maxima SE, an Audi A4 or a Pontiac Bonneville.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2000 Ford Contour SVT.
5 star(45%)
4 star(39%)
3 star(10%)
2 star(6%)
1 star(0%)
51 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
4 out of 5 stars
Still great after 8 years
svt'er, 03/25/2008
2000 Ford Contour SVT 4dr Sedan
Ok - I bought this car 2/00, so I've had it a while. I drive hard, and went 115k before replacing the clutch. Other than a warped dash (fixed under warranty) and a foghorn sound (web showed me how to fix), I have had no real issues with this car. It's still a very solid and reliable performer, and very fun to drive. Yeah, I get made fun of a lot for driving a Contour, but every time I … throw it into a turn or hear the exhaust note when I gun it, I still grin (although don't get into the SVT after test driving the new M3 and expect to still feel impressed). Still a great buy if you ask me -- especially considering that you don't see yourself coming and going everyday.
4.63 out of 5 stars
Great Car
nicobra50, 10/23/2004
2000 Ford Contour SVT 4dr Sedan
This is truely a great "drivers" car,
handles so well stock, and it just has
that certain look. It is a true
sleeper too, hardly anyone knows what
the SVT Contour is, so it makes it
that much more special.
3.88 out of 5 stars
2000 SVT Contour
sdlundbe2174, 12/17/2004
2000 Ford Contour SVT 4dr Sedan
This car is fun to drive. I have autocrossed and taken it to a road course. The steering is awesome, the torque build up is linear, same with the brakes, they don't surprise you by doing something you did not expect or ask them to do, and they respond to your input quickly. The exhaust note sounds great, even better when combined with a Cold Air intake. The car does have issues though. I … have had to replace the moonroof motor 3 times, fuel pump, front supension components, fog lights burn out all the time, lack of replacement OEM size tires (need to upgrade to 17" rims/tires if you want a good selection), and others issues I have forgotten about.
4.75 out of 5 stars
A Classic
Xtal, 10/04/2007
1999 Ford Contour SVT 4dr Sedan
Performance, handling, total driving experience. The Contour SVT excells in all categories. Last year I took mine to an autocross competition and even the instructors were amazed at how well this car performed. We ran it through a training course and it did so well on the skidpad that we had to force it to break-loose to demonstrate the throttle- steer technique. I have driven and owned … performance cars since I began driving (1964) and this car is the best "out-of-the-box" performer I have owned.
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2000 Ford Contour SVT, so we've included reviews for other years of the Contour SVT since its last redesign.
2000 Contour SVT Highlights
Engine Type | Gas |
---|---|
Combined MPG | 21 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $190/month |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 13.9 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Safety
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriver3 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRolloverNot RatedDynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalPoor
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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