The 1997-1999 Mercury Tracer Retrospective & How Mercury Intended To Reintroduce The Tracer

This video will cover the 1997, 1998 and 1999 Mercury Tracer. The Mercury Tracer was new for 1997 and in its third-generation. Sharing mechanical commonality with the Mazda B-platform, the new 1997 Mercury Tracer was basically a clone of the 1997 Ford Escort, but it came better equipped.
The 1997 Mercury Tracer was available as a sedan or wagon. A 2-liter inline-4 good for 110 horsepower was the sole engine.
The Tracer was economical with a smart design, and provided everything a buyer expected in an upmarket compact sedan.

[@RealThatDesignerGuy]

These models are already distant memories for a lot of millennials who got these as their first car. It was probably used, not the cleanest and had some odd noises, but it worked, and parts were cheap. In 10 to 15 years no one is going to remember these cars or see them on the road because no one really thought to take care of them. They were commuter cars, work horses of the highway. People drove them till they died and moved on. It’ll be cool when some kid in 10 years finds this video and goes down a rabbit whole of 90s econo boxes with the end result of wanting to really buy a Ford Probe.

[@amdneels]

😂😂😂 I got one from my great great uncle 😂😂😂

[@kc0lif]

people nowadays don't take care of things

[@DanielSlaughter-vi5hy]

The Big 3 need to bring back small, reliable cars like this.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Agreed

[@kennyb.729]

Even though the Tracer didn’t sell that well…everybody knew someone that owned one. My boy Marvin had a brand new 1998 with the loudest system in it and he kept it clean too!!!

[@autochatter]

It is weird to me too...I saw enough Tracers running around, I though their sales would have been stronger.

[@texan903]

Really, this final generation model didn't have much chance to gain a footing, having been sold only from 1997-99, before being axed for good.

[@jlcii]

This car was brand new when I was in elementary school. I remember seeing so many of them on the road where I lived. It's sad that so many were neglected with time, because they really are adorable cars.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Same here. I recall seeing these back in 1996 and thinking how cool they looked. Adorable indeed.

[@Beth9228]

I almost did get a 1999 Ford Escort in navy blue color. I ended up with a 1998 Ford Contour SE in light denim blue in mid October 1999. My 2nd car was a 2005 Ford Focus. 3rd car was a 2011 Mercury Milan. 4th was a 2015 Ford Escape SE. My current vehicle is a 2020 Ford Escape SE in black. My sister had a 1991 Ford Escort till she traded it for a 1997 Ford Escort ZX2. My mother had a 1980 and 1995 Ford Escort station wagon. I did drove her 2nd one once on my own w/o having a driver’s license. I drove it on the road that she lived on. I felt good after driving it alone.

[@FeralRC]

I had both a 95 Tracer Trio and a 97 Escort. That 1.9 in the Tracer was a dog! 88hp rated and it felt more like a lawn mower engine. The 2.0 in my 97 Escort with the 5 speed manual was actually a lot of fun to rip around in. I miss that Escort.

[@kwaza8574]

Another great video. Keen ‘em coming!

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

You got it!

[@arnesahlen2704]

Sad about Tracers. I had a Gen-1 Tracer (1988) and loved it! (I wish you had included Gen-1 in this post.) It was, yes, an upgraded Mazda - but VERY upgraded, a truly classy little car.

[@mitchellmcelhenney9445]

I forgot about this car!

[@spencerolson1532]

Those ford escorts back in the day where pretty cool I always wanted one and I still want one

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Same

[@GermanCarGuyMN]

My grandma had a white Tracer. Unfortunately it fell victim to the Midwest road salt. I had a lot of memories in that car

[@arnesahlen2704]

You've heard this from me before: your voice and speech qualities are superb! (Well suited to auto history tales) May I ask where you grew up? A 🇨🇦Canadian, I'd love to pinpoint your great accent.

[@texan903]

Last week, I saw one of these. From the exterior, it was in near excellent condition. For a second, thought about waiting for its owner to come to it and ask how much they would take for it. Then, I remembered that I haven't seen many of them on the road in the past 10 years and figured it might be kind of hard finding parts for it if something went wrong.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

There’s no aftermarket support for these cars?

[@texan903]

@@MotorMaster_Stunticon I'm sure there must be some. Since these cars have been out of production for more than 20 years, I'm not sure how much or for how much longer.

[@minipandora22]

I love Mercury ❤

[@RageousMode]

Hey AT just curious (not a criticism), why is your use of subtitles not consistent throughout? Impressive how you managed to use the term "plebian" in one of your vids 😅 Another great release brother, and sorry to disappoint but I'm still dehydrated watching your vids as this was another beverage outside my collection 😎

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Just figured subtitles weren’t necessary for the whole video. Mainly just use them for the info that really need to be pointed out-hence the purple highlights.

[@szilardtoth8814]

Had driven the previos model. Ultimately reliable and fast. 4 speed automatic, 1.9 Litre IL4.

[@claudespeed277]

Love the references to the mercury mistake. Just goes to show how pointless it was.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Yeah it was pricier and more cramped

[@colinschmitz8297]

Great video! I don't really remember seeing that many of these around. It's possible there were some but I just don't remember them. I knew that they made them but they weren't either that popular or that memorable. That might highlight the problem. Having said that I think this styling was a good direction over the escort. I think they just needed to go farther with it and I think they needed to do more things to distinguish it from the Ford.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Thanks again for sharing your wise thoughts. I’d go with the loaded LS with the rear spoiler and leather seats.

[@doug6191]

11:17 - I said the same on Auto Chatter's video - the entire Mercury brand was replaced with a "Titanium"-trimmed Ford equivalent. GM should do that with GMC. Silverado Denali...Suburban Denali...Tahoe Denali...etc.

[@autochatter]

GMC exists because its always paired with Buick....So they have trucks to offer too. Chevy franchises can be standalone places. Mercury was with Lincoln so you had somthing cheaper to move customers over to...Which was mainly rebadged Fords.

[@doug6191]

@autochatter I remember when it was Buick-GMC stores. Now that Buick is all crossovers, it further renders GMC obsolete, especially since Buick's crossovers are nicer than GMC's. 🤷‍♂️

[@autochatter]

@@doug6191 That may be true, but there must be enough people who still want a GMC version of a Tahoe or Silverado to warrant its existance. When GM was going through bankruptcy, GMC was considered being axed then.

[@texan903]

​@autochatter yes. I would rather have a GMC Yukon Denali over a Chevrolet Tahoe Premier or Cadillac Escalade. GMC represents enough of a premium upgrade over Chevrolet and downgrade from Cadillac to justify its continuation.

[@autochatter]

@@texan903 I agree with you that GMC has been slotted as nice middle ground SUV wise between Chevy and Cadillac. And their pickups are considered a premium over the Chevys.

[@spencerolson1532]

I always thought of the ford laser as a old school ford focus

[@autochatter]

Awesome vid Rob! Funny how the Tracer was either roomy....Or it showed just how much the Mystique wasnt.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Yeah exactly man. Facts.

[@OLDS98]

The video was interesting. I liked two things how you discussed the Australia Ford Escort/Laser and the ties to the American version. I liked how you talked about the cars positioning in the market and that there was going to be a new Tracer, but plans fell through. What could have been indeed. The other interesting insight was how close it was in size and features to the Mercury Mystique. They clashed and that was an issue. You did your homework. Another channel did a video on the Escort and Tracer recently. The more you do the videos, the better they are. You could see that Mazda influence in the car. This is when Ford owned a part of Mazda too. They utilized it to their advantage. Thank you.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Thanks man. Yeah I know you couldn’t care less about this particular car haha.

[@OLDS98]

@@MotorMaster_Stunticon LOL! You know all and the many cars I am still waiting to see on your channel.

[@CsHyper]

"Angry face?" It looks like it's about to cry...

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

I always thought they looked mean.

[@LeeElmore-hq6gi]

I can’t find where to put my air conditioner refrigerant in. I have a 1998 they are two different places that might go but they don’t fit the nozzle and it does take R134 A so I don’t understand where the heck goes in.

[@Jordi7174]

The Mercury Tracer reeks of 'I think I'm better than my younger sister because I drive a Tracer and she drives an Escort. And I'm a shift supervisor at the corner store and she's just a cashier.'

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Haha, that’s a good way to look at it!

[@spencerolson1532]

Could you make a video about the pontiac Aztek

[@anthonyrivera4735]

The 1997-2002 escorts always looked liked the 1995-2000 ford contours.

[@autochatter]

Very jellybean! LOL

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

@anthonyrivera0917 nah, the Escort never looked like the Contour.

[@anthonyrivera4735]

@@MotorMaster_Stunticon even to this day, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a contour and a 3rd generation escort, because they look too similar to one another.

[@robertrussell4007]

I had two green Ford Escort 2 focus now I am the owner of a Ford Escape u can say I am fan of ford

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Sounds like it to me!

[@bradkrekelberg8624]

I always thought the Tracer's styling fit better with the ZX2 than the Escort's. Not sure what they were thinking there. Also, the Tracer's interior may have been bigger than the Mystique's, but the Mystique was a waaaaaaayyyyyyyy better car.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

The Tracer was going to get a coupe variant of the Escort ZX2, but the plan was scrapped. Nah, the Mystique wasn’t way better, it was way more unreliable!

[@39PSIOnTheDaily]

I always hated how the rear bumper leading edge was at exactly the same height as the rear wheel well and looked like it flowed out from it. Something about that one particular design cue made me absolutely loathe how these cars looked.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Fair enough!

[@somethingaim]

i had a 1992 tracer

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Groovy!

[@kbordenave]

I remember when I was in high school I always thought this was a good looking car, especially when I saw it with aftermarket wheels and tinted windows! Lol

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Yeah they are good-looking machines.

[@doug6191]

4:13 - Was Accent the Tracer's contemporary? I would have compared Tracer/Escort to Elantra.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Not necessarily. Just proving the point how a “lesser” car had more power.

[@doug6191]

@@MotorMaster_Stunticon I see now. The Aspire's competitor had more power than the Aspire's bigger brother.

[@rjcolombe]

The first gen Tracer (and Escort) were arguably more distinct and better looking. The second gen inherited the aero jelly bean looking that was taking over Ford at the time, and became more generic looking as a result.

[@fluffysharkdatazz9460]

Sorry, but prickly pear cactus water is the only ones we should be grabbing. Don’t get me wrong, I love watermelon, but this car gives me Arizona vibes

[@spencerolson1532]

But sadly the ford will no longer be building the focus

[@goclunker]

110hp from a 2L is laughable. A Miata weezed out more. That engine ended up in a kia Sephia. No reason why Mazda didn’t shove it in this

[@doug6191]

Never cared for the last Escort/Tracer. To me, it was inferior to the model it replaced.

[@autochatter]

Agreed 100%

[@kc0lif]

like a mercury lynx not mazda.

[@coltonphillips1]

You never see these anymore. Very unreliable and poorly made.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

A see a few every so often.