While lawn maintenance can often be done all at one time in a clean yard, the same is not the case if the lawn has become overgrown. Soldiering on with few evident differences from one year to the next, Ford’s front-drive compact tended to get lost in the great gray mass of Detroit market-fillers that you were more apt to rent on vacation than put in your driveway. Collectible Automobile magazine thought the SVT Contour so good that it would one day be a coveted keepsake. Escort, Contour was very close to its transatlantic cousin, having the same smooth, tightly drawn styling, plus an ultra-stiff structure and a sophisticated all-independent suspension that contributed to crisp, taut handling. The ’95 tally was almost as good: just over 410,000. Like Escort, Taurus wouldn’t see another major change until late decade. Many prospects thus balked and walked when Contour arrived at a minimum of $13,300, over $1000 more than a late loaded Tempo. Interest value was definitely not a trait of the early ’90s Tempo. Yet for all its crushing dullness, Tempo remained a decent seller, with steady model-year production of well over 100,000 units through swan-song ’94 — and the ’93s made a surprise spurt to better than 238,000. Tempo’s only changes of note in this period were loss of the AWD option after 1991 (when it was called “Four Wheel Drive”) and the ’92 addition of the 3.0-liter Taurus V-6 as standard for top-line GLS models (which then went away) and an option elsewhere.

To complement the chassis, the 2.5 Duratec V-6 received higher compression, deep-breathing exercises, and other measures to achieve 195 bhp (later 200), delivered through a mandatory short-throw five-speed manual gearbox. Critics raved. Road & Track called Contour “a giant step forward in the compact sedan arena.” Car and Driver termed it “stunningly satisfying.” Those verdicts came from road tests of the top-line SE model and its 2.5-liter “Duratec” V-6. A comparable 3-Series BMW or Mercedes-Benz C-Class cost thousands more, yet the SVT Contour was easily their equal on a road course or a dragstrip, running 0-60 mph in about 7.5 seconds in most road tests. In line with a fast-growing Detroit trend, both Contour engines could go 100,000 miles without a tune-up. Having made its mark with hot Cobra Mustangs and rapid F-150 Lightning pickups, SVT was asked to realize the Contour’s full sport sedan potential for 1998. Marketers doubtless hoped the new model’s image would boost sales for the rest of the line. As mentioned, Taurus took over as America’s most-popular car line in ’92. But though eclipsed by those cars for image — and ultimately by a V-8 successor for perfor­mance, the V-6 SHO was a rewarding driver’s car with a pleasing blend of American and European characteristics.

To maintain performance parity with the five-speed model, the 3.0-liter Yamaha V-6 was enlarged for the shiftless SHO to near 3.2 liters (192 cid), yielding a useful 20 extra pound-feet of torque (220 in all), though no more horsepower. An interesting ’95 variation was the SE (Sport Edition) sedan, a kind of budget SHO delivering alloy wheels, rear spoiler, sport front seats, and other extras for about $18-grand with base 3.0-liter V-6 or just under $20,000 with the punchier 3.8. Interestingly, the smaller “Vulcan” V-6 got some needed NVH improvements in preparation for the all-new second-generation Taurus. SHO pricing remained unusually steady in these years, but neither that nor the automatic was much help to sales. Base prices remained very attractive, rising no higher than the low $12,000s. Even so, the base price was amazingly low at around $23,000. Even so, Ford had bet heavily on these cars (dubbed “CDW127” in the company’s new internal code, the letters denoting “World car” in the “C/D” size class), so it was vital they succeed. A new all-Ford design optional on lesser Contours, this engine made 170 spirited horses — enough for Consumer Guide®’s five-speed car to charge from 0 to 60 mph in just 8.9 seconds.

While that betrayed an aging design long since paid for, it also helped Ford to keep moving this metal. The best way to clean a dishwasher door’s exterior and keep it fingerprint-free is by wiping the outside with warm, sudsy water. As works keep you busy, so hiring the experts for keeping a home clean is a wise call. The applied science of zymology, or zymurgy, is the study of how microorganisms, whether they use oxygen to metabolize or not, ferment the stuff around us – what the biochemical processes are, which specific organisms are doing it, and how this works all over the world, including in our foods. Opt for an SE with desirable extras like ABS and traction control and you were well over $20,000, which was Taurus money. After using Chemical Guys glass cleaners, you’ll get pristine optical clarity in all weather conditions with no left over residue and no streaking.