People often ask me why the hell I bought a Ford Contour. Well, during the summer of 1997 I was looking around at Neons, Cavaliers, Sunfires, and Escorts to buy, when a salesman asked me to drive a Contour to see what I thought. I'm 6'4" tall so those other cars were a bit too small for me. I fit about perfectly in the Contour. Took a drive around, and loved the car. Had alot more pep than the old 1991 Escort LX Wagon that I used to drive, and the ride was awesome.
Went back home to get prices and stuff on the car. Figured out how much the car I wanted should cost, and went to the dealer ready to bargin. Got them down almost $4000 and within $100 of what I wanted to pay. SOLD! So here I am, driving one of the best cars I have ever ridden in, and I LOVE it.
But the car didn't quite do everything I wanted, so I have put about $2500 worth of stuff into it (not to mention the $1300 I paid after I got into an accident to have a new hood put on, and the entire front end repainted). It's about perfect for me, though I wish that I had been smart enough to get the Duratec V6 and manual transmission. Otherwise I love it.
This car handles like a dream. I feel scared when I ride in my roommate's Camry as he takes turns quickly. The Contour just seems to hug the road much better, and feels as steady as a rock at 80+ MPH going down the highway. But I wouldn't know about that because I always follow the speed limit :)