 I had a 1996 Contour and bought this car 9 months ago as a replacement and already have put 10k in miles on it. I have not been disappointed. The car gets great gas mileage. I drove from Raleigh to DC on 7.5 gallons! You can seriously get 36mpg if you stay around 65mph. I found you get around 30mpg 70mph+.  I love the way this car handles and the smoothness of it when I drive. I seriously feel like I'm driving a car that is worth 2x as much as I paid. The only downside I have is the interior leg room. I'm 5'9" and I have the set pushed all the way back. There is no way I'll ever be able to push those rear seats down for extra cargo space and be able to drive. 