12 DISCONTINUED FORD CARS FROM THE 90S, RANKED WORST TO BEST

8.Ford Tempo second gen (1988-1994)

The first-generation Ford Tempo wasn’t exactly a showstopper in the 1980s, but it had a few things going for it. The styling was decent for its time, and its drag coefficient of 0.36 Cd wasn’t bad at all. Ford even touted its computer-designed interior, which, honestly, looked pretty acceptable by mid-’80s standards. Unfortunately, what really held it back were the engines—those HSC four-cylinders were essentially rehashed inline-sixes tracing their roots back to the 1960s. Then came the second generation... and things got even more forgettable. Sure, the body got sleeker, but whatever charm the original had was dialed way down. It now blended into a sea of similar-looking sedans from the early ’90s. Power didn’t improve much either—the carryover 2.3-liter HSC four-cylinder was still the base engine, pushing out a paltry 99 horsepower. For comparison, a 1.6-liter Honda Civic of the same era made 109 hp.

So why does such a snooze-worthy Ford rank this high? From 1992 to 1995, the Tempo had a surprising twist: it could be ordered with a 3.0-liter Vulcan V6 making 130 horsepower. Ford even firmed up the suspension and offered it with a five-speed manual. No, it wasn’t a thrill ride, but it had sleeper potential. It could hit 60 mph in 9.3 seconds—not bad at all for a “mild” performance car of its day. Still, it wasn’t enough to keep buyers interested. While the first-gen Tempo sold like hotcakes—over half a million in its debut year—the second-gen failed to capture the same enthusiasm. Eventually, Ford pulled the plug, clearing the way for its first global model: the Mondeo, known in North America as the Contour.