Duratec V-6 pulls well, revs well, has a flat torque curve. 4-wheel vented disc brakes, cabin air filter, anti-submarining seats, and all-speed Traction Control are unusual for this class of car. Steering feel is very good. Manual Transmission and clutch work well enough that my wife willingly drives the car. Seats are comfortable for long trips. Upgraded driver seat is 6-way power with manual lumbar support. The flip down arm rest is nice. I'm 6 feet tall and have no problems with leg or headroom, even with the moonroof. Trunk is a decent size.
Whenever I have had warranty issues, Demmer L-M in Dearborn, MI has done their best to fix the problems the two times I have been in. They put in the new synthetic manual transmission fluid under warranty with no questions.
Maintenance-wise the car burns no oil, gets decent mileage (24-25 mpg combined), and I haven't had any serious powertrain or electrical problems up to now.

My main issues are nickel 'n dime stuff a lot of folks wouldn't notice, and while I know of some serious issues with the Contour/Mystique in general, my car has not experienced any real expensive faults. The interior is the worst; lots of squeaks 'n rattles that are more annoying than anything else. The instrument panel is poorly made, lots of surface imperfections, and cars in hotter climates are experiencing panel warp near the windshield with their defroster inserts popping out. In the years since the car was first introduced in 1995, lots of nice-to-have items have been decontented out, mostly in the form of deleted courtesy lights, cheaper fabrics, less sound insulation, etc. It's pretty silly to have a loaded LS with leather and a moonroof and have an econobox single-note horn. It got even worse for the 2000, the last model year, which I found out when my driver visor had to be replaced. The current part is about half the thickness of my original part. I had to get the other side replaced so it wouldn't look stupid. The stereo is pretty lame, but it does work. Cupholders only work for wide large mugs, although the inserts will hold onto a pop can OK.
Maintenance-wise, I know the water pump has a habit of cracking around 60k miles, and the supposed 100K plugs start to lose performance after 45K miles or so, so those will be what I consider premature maintenance items, but at least I won't be surprised by them. The alternator is next to impossible to service, so I hope I never have to get to it.

Overall, this has been a good car and my dealership experience with warranty work has been average for all dealers, and above-average for American dealers. It's about the best performing, best handling sedan in its class.
My car has not had any recalls yet, leading me to believe the '99 is one of the better years for the Contour/Mystique. Some of the common major issues other Mystiques have run into, e.g. underhood wiring harnesses, catalysts, oxygen sensors, transmissions, suspension, etc. have not been an issue on this car. The car is extremely fun to drive, and is perfect as the second family car. The back seats are a little tight, but fine for the young kids I have. My biggest problem area is the cheaply designed interior, and Ford's relentless cost-cutting of the nice-to-have features the car used to have.

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The engine hasn't burst into flames yet!

At first it was just pieces falling off. We got used to it. Last week, at 47,000 miles, our transmission blew up. Mechanic said it was a faulty part. Ford doesn't care. Do not buy this car, it is junk!

Ford Mercury Mystique is obviously a total lemon(1999). There are so many serious things wrong with it. I would never reccomend this car to anyone. The whole situation makes me feel sick.

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Our Ford Ranger('90) has gone through three transmissions.

It has child safety locks and windows

Mass air flow sensor goes out, power windows don't roll down, electical problems under the hood causing excess current to flow into engine, speedometer cable went out, idle varies and much more.

I will never buy another mercury or ford again after the problems I've had with this car. My 1995 mystique or mistake as all the mechanics call it, started giving me problems about 8 months after I bought it. Just in time for the warranty to run out. It had an oil leak from day one and since got worse. My power windows don't roll down and I've had it fixed once already. I've had to replace the mass air flow sensor, altenator,ignition switch, and had the electrical wiring redone due to the recalls. It is fuel effiecent when it runs. Which hasn't been very much in the past 2 years. I don't recommend this car to anyone.

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Strong motor, handles well, good in snow, nice interior with leather seats, good fit and finish.

Recalled several times for relatively minor problems, drivers window does not work properly (fixed twice) weak low beams, back doors sqeak loudly,
trunk opener switch sticks, check engine light comes on every 3 months poor resale value.

With the exception of the noted problems this is a decent vehicle. We get good service from the local dealer, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy this car used with reasonable miles on it. My 98 with miles deductions is worth about 9k at the most. About a 50% loss in less than 3 years. This will be the last new car I will ever buy.

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Didn't compare

The Mystique is a fun car to drive, it handles very well on all types of roads, the interior is very impressive to the eye, as is the outside. The 4-cyl is very peppy and the transmission is shifts fast, quick off stop lights to. The seats are great for long driving and the stereo is sounds great- I did replace the deck with a CD Player but left the speakers. The colors for this car suit it perfectly. The car is well built and doesn't have that tinny feeling that most new cars have. The steering is still tight even at 110,000KM. I was also impressed how loaded the GS model was for it's price. Heated mirrors and a block heater as a standard for Canadian models were a big suprise to me.

The engine compartment is very small, I usually do most of the repairs myself and have found that you need very small hands. Unfortunatly the first day I owned the car the speed control and range sensor let go in the transmission. But Ed Learn Ford had the problem fixed the next day and it was back on the road(has never stranded me since). There have been little things that have happpened to the car, but it could happen to any car out there. Things like the battery, the fan control for the A/C, a leaky winsheild. But all were fixed properly and have never reappeared.

The car is very well done, too bad it was discontinued. I would recommend this car, the ride is good, good on gas and the car is pleasing to the eye. This car, once you buy it will grow on you. I have enjoyed owning this car despite all the problems I have had. The car is great for commuting, my car usually does about 900KM a week and runs very well. For the most part nothing critical has happened to the car. It is a definite buy. I never though I would like any other car but my Subaru but this car was just to good to pass up.

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I used to drive a 1995 Subaru Legacy with All Wheel Drive. I found that the Mystique handels more like a sports car that the Legacy. The Legacy felt more truck like. Parts for the Mystique are pletiful and inexpensive compared to the Legacy. Although the Mystique is Front Wheel Drive it hasn't burried me in the snow yet. I still like the Legacy however it is a gas guzzler, the Mystique has a 2.0L 4 and the Legacy has a 2.2L 4, I usually get around 500KM to a tank of gas, I would be lucky if I hit 400KM on the Subaru.

This car rides good, gets decent gas milage, and the interior is pleasing to the eye. Poeple never comment on my car's appearence before they get in, but when they do they often say "nice car." The seats are very comfortable. The outside appearence is not all that flashy, but certainly not ugly either. The price wasn't bad either. I bought it wrecked for $2200, then had it rebuilt for $2,000 more, for an overall cost of $4200.

I've had a few minor problems from my car, but that can be expected after it's having been wrecked. My driver side window will no longer roll down, and the speaker in the same door has quit working. The ash tray for back seat passangers was cheap, and broke the first time I tryed to remove it. The car also idles a bit fast. These are all minor problems, and I really can't say they were all manunfacturing flaws, since it has been wrecked.

I've read a lot of bad reviews for this car, and I honestly can't see why. My car was wrecked and is holding up just fine. There is nothing truely special about it, but there is nothing horrible about it either. My only regret in buying it is that I got the 4 cylinder istead of the V6. The four cylinder does fine, but if you crave power like I do, you will need more. It is my dream to own a hot-rod sports car, and while the Mercury Mystique is a far cry from that, It will at least help me save money until I can get that sports car. To anyone who's just looking fo a nice economy car, I would highly recommend it.

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The Ford Contour is just like it.

Robust construction, smooth powerplant, very agile, effortless steering, good controls and instrumentation, spacious trunk.

Exterior design - particularly the rear end of the car - is uninspired; back seats unsuitable for adults on lengthy trips; braking is good, but why would Ford include rear drums in such an otherwise advanced design?

Firstly, the construction is substantial - the car simply feels solid. The suspension is wonderful - a bit rought at times, but the handling inspires confidence. The steering is perhaps the best I've ever experienced. The 2.0L DOHC I-4 won't blow any doors off, but it sounds great on the cam and has ample power - particularly if you make occasional use of the convenient overdrive shut-off switch on the shift lever.

The front seats are fairly comfortable, even over long trips. The interior controls are well-placed, and the instrumentation is well-lit and easy to read. The a/c takes a few minutes to be effective on hot days, and the stereo system is unremarkable. All 4 speakers are located in the doors, so audiophiles will want to install some in the rear window.

I love the sculpted hood and front grill design, but the rear end - particularly the tail-light assembly - is decidedly uninspired and detracts from an interesting front end.

I bought a '99 with 14,000 miles, ABS, solar glass, CA emmissions, 15" alloy wheels, and sticky tires for $10,300. It's a lot of car for the money, and fun to drive. I know these cars have been plagued with some reliability problems in earlier model years, but I think these have been pretty much resolved in the past two years.

Note: It's a lot of car for $10,300 - but maybe not for $17,000. I would never buy a new car, as that "new car smell" simply is not worth the depreciation costs over the first year. I spent two weekends cleaning and detailing the car (cleaning the upholstery and carpets, rubbing out minor scratches, removing the dealer applied polish with Safe-cut, re-applying wax and rain-x, etc. The car looks new, but I saved $6,000).

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Performance, comfort, stealth

Reliability, dealer service

I had high hopes for this car when we bought it -- I'd driven a Mondeo in Europe and really enjoyed it. The '95 Mystique we bought in '97 with 40k miles had nearly every option on board -- leather, CD, traction control, power everything. Unfortunatly, while the driving was enjoyable, ownership was not.

On the plus side, this is the most comfortable long-distance car I've ever driven. The steering wheel just felt good to hold, and while it wasn't adjustable (somewhat surprising) the seats range of adjustability made up for it. The V-6 was powerful, and made wonderful sounds. The transmission shifted smoothly and had nicely-spaced ratios. The car felt like a solid piece -- no rattles or squeaks. While the suspension was softer than the sports cars I was used to driving, it wasn't hard to move quickly down a country road. And the champagne-metallic paintwork seemed to make it invisible to police.

While the car never stranded us, though, it seemed as if there was always some small problem. In the three years we owned it, there were three recalls for potential catastophic problems. Fixed by the dealer without complaint. The coolant level light came on continuously, even though the system was full -- after replacing two catch tanks (which have the sensor built-in), we found that this is a common problem, and overfilling the catch tank slightly cures it. The gas filler door required constant fiddling to make it open with the remote lever. The center air vent broke and required an afternoon to put back together. Two oxygen sensors had to be replaced. Worst of all, the fuel tank developed a leak at the junction with the filler pipe, which required replacement of the whole tank.

Dealer service was terrible. At 60k miles, the speedometer cable broke -- not common, but not all that unusual. The dealership (Ted Britt Ford in Fairfax VA) took three days to fix it, although I had told them exactly what was wrong (and they rapidly confirmed it). When the fuel tank began leaking, I took the car to Brown's Lincon-Mercury (also in Fairfax) to have them determine why the tank was leaking -- they put the car up on the lift, saw evidence that fuel was leaking (from marks on the tank) and told me I needed a new tank. While the charge was modest, I essentially paid to be told what I already knew -- they had not put enough gas in to reach the point where the tank was leaking, and told me nothing about what caused it.

I sold this car reluctantly -- first, because I really enjoyed driving it and it was a useful size, and second, because I was reluctant to pass on such a lemon to someone else. I can only hope that I'd sorted everything out, and the new owners have a trouble-free car.

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Good interior space for a small car. Rides and handles reasonably well for a small car. Good gas mileage.

Power steering doesn't give enough boost at low speeds. Rear end rattles on bumpy pavement. Four cylinder engine is rough at idle--especially when A/C is on.

I paid $5,000 for the car with 50,000 miles in 1998. Except for the A/C, which has been repaired twice (and needs work now) the car has held up well. Seats are comfortable.

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Great handling and suspension tuning; even the stock tires (V-6 model) were ok. The engine is fairly powerful and acceleration is good; the exhaust note is very nice. Offered lots of features for the money.

Too many quality control issues, ranging from rattles and squeaks to brake problems. The service received by the dealer was absolutely atrocious. I have never experienced mechanics as incompetent and indifferent. The resale value on Mystiques is extremely low. If you think this is a low-cost alternative to an Audi A-4 or BMW 328, think again. In terms of quality and refinement, it falls far short. The European Mondeo has been just as bad in terms of quality.

New price about $16,000 in 1995. I cannot really recommend it because of the many problems and the poor service I received, along with the bad resale value. However, if the car is in good condition and if all service records are there, it may be a cheap way to drive a car with the handling and performance of a European sports sedan.

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Currently own a 1999 Camry which does not handle as sharply but even with its 4 cyl engine is much quieter, better built, and better engineered. The Mystique is more fun, but owners will pay for this fun in terms of lack of quality and low resale value.