1998 Mercury Mystique consumer reviews

Super comfortable ride, pretty good Gas mileage, 100% reliable, got a little pickup to it, as well. Perfect for students or mom with young kids.

I inherited this 1998 V-6 LS series Mystique in 2009 with 43K miles on it. Now, in December, 2018, it has just passed 95K miles. I flush the transmission every 20K miles. Takes 8 quarts and is easy and inexpensive to do. Reason for frequent flushes is cheap FoMoCo did not put a transmission filter on this model. I replaced the spark plugs and timing belt and water pump belt at 75K miles. I use Mobil 1 extended performance 5/30 synthetic oil. In rural Texas driving, it averages 27+ mpg on top tier regular unleaded gas. Drives and runs very well. I tend to drive it rather gently, aware that this model is not the most robust ever made! Only big expense was an alternator replacement for $800, which I could not do because this usually easy repair requires removing the engine! Bad design, Ford. Otherwise, I am very pleased with this car.

for an older car it is a very good car. i enjoy usng it on a day to day basis. for a smaller car it has decent room inside. the trunk is huge, and the engine is strong. its a workhorse ive had it for 10 months and put close to 10000 miles on it already and its still going strong just need to keep up with the cheap maint. such as tires oil changes balance checks etc. currently im in the market looking for a newer car but i do not want to give this one up one of the most reliable cars ive had has a lot of get up and power for a tiny 4 cyl engine. most of the parts are still original and are going strong for many years to come. the seats are comfortable it has plenty of storage room in it be it the back seat or the trunk i moved my whole apt in this car with only 2 trips

This car is a great car. The owners before me didn't take care of the transmission very well. (they were elderly) But I love my car, and Mercury's in general now

The Mercury Mystique was a true gem. I had a 1998 with leather seats. Super comfy, handled great always felt safe. Great car that lasted for ages.

On the LS 6-Cylinder version of the vehicle labor costs are very high. They packed way too much into too small a package. E.g. Having to drop the entire front end to get at the alternater, which had to be replaced the moment I bought the car at 60k miles. It has run for me for the last 2 years and has taken me the distance, but upkeep has been a hassle. Wont whine when you step on the engine and has a comfortable ride when your shocks/struts arent being replaced.

For those you do not know, the Mystique is the Mercury Version of the Ford Contour. The platform had been original designed in Europe for the Ford Mondeo. . Unfortunately those of us in America don't like small rear seats, and the Taurus/Sable outsold the Contour/Mystique. Also unfortunate because the Contour/Mystique platform offered better overall customer thrills. The C/M was known for their great handling and out performs anything like it in the class. Suspension and handling included vented front rotors and optional rear disc. Each corner featured McPherson strut setup and traction bar (sway bars) on both the front and rear. The C/M featured independent rear suspension (no solid axle connection) for improved grip. A performance improvement not featured on most common small to mid-size sedans until almost a decade later. . Matched the 4 cylinder Zetec with the 5 speed manual and enjoy maximum fuel economy with a fun 4 seat ride! . For those who do not like shifting, the 6 cylinder model with an automatic is the way to go. The power of the two additional cylinders will make up for the performance lost in the automatic gearbox! . I would recommend staying away from the 4 cylinder automatics unless you live around a flat terrain area with minimal hills and high speed entrances to the highway system. The 4 cylinder paired with the automatic is underpowered. . The Duratec 6 cylinder engine won design awards the year it was introduced. Dual over head cams with 24 valves produced 170HP with almost equally matched torque. The Duratec engine provide enough power to get your going quickly, yet was conservative enough to give you adequate fuel economy. Best mated with the 5 speed manual, the optional 4-speed automatic will serve you well. Any Contour/Mystique equipped with a Duratec is worth the drive. Make sure to tip the throttle and raise the engine above 3,500rpm. The Duratec engines were designed with secondary intake manifold runners, which open up to provide additional power, and close to provide good fuel economy. . The advantage of the Mercury line comes with added comfort and nice trims. Many Mercury versions were equipped with pseudo-wood grain trim, leather interiors, and alloy wheels. . Performance, looks, quality all terms worthy of the Mercury Mystique!

The mystique is a great car for the year it was produced. It's elegant and the interior and comfort is outstanding. Nice perfomance and power. A bit gas consumer (2.5L Engine) but within the standars (20mpg-city 29mpg hwy)

I have a mystique GS roots (canadian edition) 4 cylinder zetec with tranny 5 speed, it's excelent compromise for economy fuel and confort. The zetec it's a excelent motors, soft, economy in fuel, and good performance for the cylinder.

That saying about don't judge a book by it's cover proved true for this car. I bought it because the body looked good and paid$3000. It cost me just as much to fix it and it only had 76000 miles on it.