1997 Ford Contour Consumer Reviews

Vehicle

1997 Ford Contour GL 4dr Sedan

Review

Picked up the 1997 Ford Contour GL with only 48000 miles for $2400. Found it on Craigslist and the ad had it for $1995. It was mistake because the dealer
I spoke to said it should of been $2995. When I brought a copy of the ad they had to honor the sale of the price. The dealer said I got this for a steal and since they
didn't want to get in any legal trouble they took my cashiers check right away. The Contour runs great. The interior is in excellent condition. I am happy with my Contour. Just good luck I found this car. There lost is my gain.

Vehicle

1997 Ford Contour SE 4dr Sedan

Review

Excellent mid-size car, bought mine from a junkyard here on an Air Base in Germany for 400 bucks had 180k miles on it and just needed a new set of cam seals, front springs (the new springs were actually in the back seat when I bought it) and had to adjust my parking brake a little tighter, of course I did the usual tune up stuff when I bought it (oil change, coolant and tranny flush, new plugs etc.) but it's now at 195k miles and still goes GREAT it's pretty quick for what i'd call a socker mom car and out handles some of the beamers here, those last 15 miles weren't easy driving miles either, alot of autobahn @ 100mph+ (that governer at 112mph is a PIMA) overall I can't complain

Best Features

I love the decent smooth acceleration the 2.5 duratech gives, probably the best ford v6 EVER, the suspension is solid but not too stiff so it creates a nice balance to the sportiness I enjoy and the smooth ride my wife likes, the front seats are a little "flat" for me, i prefered my honda's deeper bucket seats, but they aren't bad for a long drive, the back seat has plenty of room for my son's rear facing car seat, and friends when I want to drive 4 people around, the trunk is spacious. only complaint I really have is my manual shifter is a little bit of a longer reach than I would like and takes too much effort between gears, as compared to my wife's audi 80 which i can almost flick around.

Worst Features

I would suggest that ALL contour owners remove the stock resonator (if not get a better exhaust entirely) as it does next to nothing and is insanely restrictive, also replace that terrible stock airbox with a better intake, and you'd be suprised what that 2.5l can do when it can breathe, also if you have had the car for awhile I'd recommend some stiffer control arm bushings and new springs as those always seem to go bad, and the stiffer bushings will make this good handling car handle like a lotus.

Vehicle

1997 Ford Contour GL 4dr Sedan

Review

I bought this four-banger ("Sport" version) when it was 3-years old. It's performed very well. Excellent mileage on the highway but just OK in the city. Really good handling was always noted by the critics and anyone who drives my car is surprised by its performance. It has a somewhat bland/odd exterior. Critics complained the legroom in the back wasn't enough. To me it's fine unless you have long legs. There is a persistent problem with a switch for the heater/AC control. It's a recall so it gets replaced when it breaks (every 3-years or so) for free. The timing belt broke at about 65,000 miles, a few miles beyond when the manual says to replace it. Be warned.

Best Features

Big windows...great visibility. Excellent durability of paint/finish.

Worst Features

Better cup holders. Annoying "Check engine light" that comes on intermittently. Dealership says it's a common problem but there's nothing to worry about...which has been true over 9 years.

Vehicle

1997 Ford Contour GL 4dr Sedan

Review

Ford - Drive One? I had a 1997 Ford Contour GL that was fun to drive and very fuel efficient during its time. I really took care of it as well. However, throughout my experience of driving it since August 1997, I went through a lot of adversity with it in the long run as far as recalls and parts replacement is concerned. I had a lot of stuff replaced in this car; it did cost x-amount of dollars for repairs. Other than that, the car ran pretty good during its time until a major oil leak occured; it was gonna cost thousand of dollars to fix. As a result, it was goodbye for me driving a Ford around March 2009. After that, I went out and bought a 2009 Honda Civic LX Sedan as a replacement.

Best Features

Adequate trunk space, roomy inteior.

Worst Features

Needs better accelaration.

Vehicle

1997 Ford Contour GL 4dr Sedan

Review

I bought it new in early 1998 and the first tune-up according to manual was after 10 years. Never had a problem with reliability. I drove it up and down the east coast and into Canada and I must write that it is indeed reliable and low maintenance. The color looks like it is just 3 years old. I am proud of the 97 Ford Contour After 10 years, it still has no rust and the paint is still shiny considering the it is never garaged.

Best Features

Low maintenance, reliablity, low gas consumption even after 10+ years.