Driving Impressions
reviewed by
As impressive as the V6-powered editions of the Contour and Mystique
are, they seem a little tame compared to the SVT. In fact, this little
honey should be able to run with some pretty tall dogs with pretty fancy
pedigrees--and fancy pricetags. Specifically, the BMW 328i and Audi A4
V6 come to mind.
As you'd expect, adding 25 horsepower diminishes the length of time
it takes you to get to 60 mph. Ford pegs it at 7.9 seconds, but we found
this to be very conservative. About seven seconds is closer to the mark.
And if you're interested in seeing how fast you can cross Montana--no
posted daytime speed limits, y'know--Ford says the Contour SVT will do
143 mph flat-out. We're willing to take this on faith, but it's clear that
the SVT version of the Duratec V6 loves high speed work, and it emits a
lovely whiskey tenor snarl while so engaged.
Power is just one element in a package designed to compete with sporty
Euro sedans, of course. Other requirements include the agility of a cheetah
and the grip of a badger. Augmented, natch, by serious stopping power.
Not to mention supple ride quality.
We think this car, like its tamer counterparts, scores very well in
the ride/handling derby. Ford's Special Vehicle Engineering group--the
folks who spec out SVT hardware--made a number of alterations in SVT'S
suspension components to enhance response, without any readily apparent
compromises in ride quality.
As a result, the SVT Contour is a significant cut above its regular
production counterparts in a couple of key sport sedan areas: it turns
into corners with zeal, and it's more balanced than the standard Contour
and Mystique. You don't have to spend quite as much time waiting for the
car to change directions, and there's a strong sense of sports car feel
without sports car ride stiffness.
Adding braking power to match the extra thrust was simple. The development
team dipped into the European parts bin and installed the bigger front
brakes used on the Mondeo.
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