Solid and dependable

We own a 1994 Mercury Tracer. It is the second Tracer wagon we've owned, the first one was a 1991 model. We bought both based on cost, nicely packaged at $15,000 which included A/C and AM/FM/Cassette.

There are good and annoying traits with the Tracer. The good points are:
1) Dependability. Both cars have been dependable. The '94 Tracer has
over 100,000 miles on it, and we've just drove over 1800 miles round-
trip without a worry (and we were pushing 85 MPH all the way!) In the
six years I've owned car, I've not done any maintenance except oil
change.
2) Capacity. I'm always amazed at how much I can fit in the cargo area.
As an example, for my trip (see above) I packed three large suitcases,
one cosmetic case, three garment bags (stuffed!), a laptop computer
case, four pillows, and various Christmas packages. I could still
close the cargo door and not move into the back seat! We also seated
four adults.

Annoying traits:
1) Acceleration. While the 4-cylinder is dependable, it is slow on the
acceleration. We would get from 0 to 60 in about 15 seconds. Give
yourself plenty of lead if you're going to pass someone.
2) Back seat Room. As I said before, we seat four adults. I've watched
my son grow from 4 foot 10 to 5 foot 11 in my Tracer. He's lived in
the back seat. While he's never complained, you can tell he's
confined in the back seat; his knees hitting the back seat. Also,
don't even try to fit more than four people in a Tracer.
3) Noise. When travelling at highway speeds (between 60 and 80), the road
noise can be deafening. You will have to speak-up (just short of
shouting) when conversing with another passenger. The hum from the
tires especially in the back seat is annoying and in the front seat
you may hear a slight whistle from the wind at high speeds.

All in all it's a good car. It steers well and breaks well. It's never hard to start, nor does it complain when pushing it hard. One recommendation is to use an upgraded fuel. When pushing it hard (either because of load, speed or A/C) it tends to knock on just regular unleaded.

If you're a small family on a budget or a student looking to get to and from college, this is the car for you. If you have more that four people or like sports car acceleration, move on to a mid-size car.