Used 2000 Ford Contour Consumer Reviews
2000 Ford Contour
This is my second car, so far it has been very reliable for me. It gets good gas mileage, it rides good.
A Ford so good I just bought a Toyota.
Having evolved from a European design the Contour has better handling than other American cars its size. Unfortunately they cheapened the quality for the US market. The car has been a major disappointment. The dash top curled up like cardboard. The gas mileage is terrible, never more than 21-22. The plastic gas tank warped and burned out the pump (repair cost $968). The speakers are the cheapest junk I ever saw. It's impossible to remove the oil filter without spilling oil on exhaust manifold. Rear drum brakes don't adjust reliably. Ford took what was an excellent car and turned it into another typical piece of American junk. Never again.
A good second car
This car is one of the few I've owned that I considered worth holding on to as a second car. By far the best value on the market for a V6 with manual, it gets > 30 mpg overall. It's still a pleasure to drive and has had no major problems - except, strangely enough, it needed a new fuel pump at 60K miles - same as reported by several other users. The after-market moonroof and optional CD/AM/FM system were worth getting.
Don't Buy a Contour!!!
I bought a 2000 ford contour with about 25,000 miles on it. It is in the shop about once a month for a number of problems, things inside the car such as the dashboard and the windows now rattle, and above the speed of 65 I hear an annoying whisteling noise. My brother also owns one and reports the same problem with a little variation in the small annoying things. I am dumping money into this car.
This has been a solidly reliable car
This car has required only 2 minor repairs in 76,000 miles. We drive it daily and have taken a number of long trips with it. It handles well. It is a great size for driving in traffic and the visibility is good all around. It's not over-powered, but there are slower cars out there for the price. Too bad they stopped making this car --- I would buy another one.