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

6.Ford Contour (1995-2000)

The Contour was essentially the North American cousin of Ford’s first global car, the Mondeo. Although it arrived in the U.S. a couple of years after its European sibling, it still held its own in a competitive compact sedan market. In fact, many reviewers said it was almost too good to fail. Ford made major strides in structural stiffness, turning this front-wheel-drive sedan into one of the most enjoyable drivers’ cars around. They really focused on making the Contour/Mondeo feel lively behind the wheel—it was a huge leap forward compared to the Tempo it replaced. But the real star was the somewhat overlooked Contour SVT, a sportier sedan that packed a 2.5-liter V6 loaded with performance upgrades. Think bigger throttle body, hypereutectic pistons, a polished upper intake manifold, and a 2.25-inch stainless steel exhaust. The payoff? A solid 195 horsepower and a 0-60 sprint in 7.5 seconds. The crisp, short-throw five-speed manual made it even more fun to drive. MotorTrend was impressed, saying it was just the thing to satisfy those Mustang urges.

Despite its strengths, the Contour was a bit cramped for American tastes, especially in back seats. On top of that, its price tag was on the high side, which hurt sales. Ford didn’t even manage to move the 5,000 SVT units they had hoped to sell. Later, Ford introduced a bigger Mondeo in Europe in 2001, but it never made the jump across the Atlantic—mainly because it would have stepped on the toes of the Taurus.