2000 Mercury Mystique: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

Mercury ceased production of this near-duplicate of the Ford Contour in late December. Mystique ends its run in 4-cylinder GS and V6 LS versions. Ford is devoting Mystique's Kansas City assembly plant to production of a new compact sport-utility vehicle, about which it has released no details. Contour is not expected to survive past the 2000 model year.
The last of the Mystiques got the manual in-trunk emergency release adopted for all year-2000 Ford Motor Company cars. It's designed to prevent persons from being inadvertently trapped in a locked trunk and has a glow-in-the-dark pull-handle. Both Mystique models continue with standard manual transmission. Automatic is again optional, as are antilock brakes. Four-wheel disc brakes are standard on LS models with manual transmission and are included when ABS is ordered on automatic-transmission LSs. Traction control is optional for the LS only.

COMPETITION

Mazda's 626 gets the nod as the Best Buy in this class. Not because it's the fastest or roomiest, but because it is the best all-around performer. Ranging in price from $18,000 to $22,000 depending on equipment and engine choice, the 626 offers room for four large adults, a comfortable but sporty ride, above average acceleration, and good fuel economy. Recommended choices include the sporty Mitsubishi Galant, the vanilla Nissan Altima, the powerful Oldsmobile Alero, and the refined Volkswagen Passat. Hyundai's Sonata is our Budget Buy here. Though it's just an average performer on the road, its below average price and quality construction help it stand out. Chrysler's new PT Cruiser is the wildcard in this segment. Not really a sport-utility or minivan, the PT has been well-received by our staff. It offers versatility and eye-catching styling not found among compact cars.