Mercury's sibling to the Ford Escort, the Tracer offered a line of small, economy sedans and wagons. Competing against such models as Honda Civic, Hyundai Excel/Accent and Protege, the Tracer team presented a 2-model lineup consisting of base and sporty LTS 4-door sedans, and a single trim level station wagon.
Year-to-year changes[]
1991[]
The power lineup began with the base 88-horsepower 1.9-liter 4-cylinder engine that came standard with a 5-speed manual transaxle. A 4-speed automatic was an option. The hotter LTS sedan came with a 127-horsepower, 1.8-liter engine with the same choice of manual and automatic. The LTS also came standard with 4-wheel disc brakes, larger tires, cruise control and an uplevel stereo. A Tracer Trio option package was available with 7-spoke aluminum alloy wheels, rear decklid spoiler, leather-wrapped steering wheel and special badging.
The option list included 4-wheel antilock brakes, Premium Sound System upgrades, power moonroof, tilt steering wheel, power locks and windows and dual power mirrors. Like most Ford products, options could be grouped together into packages for considerable savings.
1993[]
Alongside the Ford Escort, the 1993 Tracer was unveiled on February 11, 1992 and went on sale on May 21, 1992.
1995[]
While there were no changes to Tracer's exterior appearance, the big news inside was a passenger's-side airbag. Unfortunately, the annoying motorized belts were still retained. An integrated child safety seat for the rear seat debuted on the option list, and style-conscious Tracer fans learned that the instrument panel would now be color coded to the car's exterior.
1999[]
The Tracer sold through this model year as Mercury's entry-level car, with the last units produced on July 2, 1999.
Retail prices[]
As of January 10, 1994:
- $10,350 (1994 Mercury Tracer 4DR Sedan)
- $10,620 (1994 Mercury Tracer 4DR Wagon)
- $12,660 (1994 Mercury Tracer LTS 4DR Sedan)
As of late 1994:
- $11,280 (1995 Mercury Tracer 4DR Sedan)
- $11,800 (1995 Mercury Tracer 4DR Wagon)
- $13,140 (1995 Mercury Tracer LTS 4DR Sedan)
As of January 12, 1995:
- $11,380 (1995 Mercury Tracer 4DR Sedan)
- $11,900 (1995 Mercury Tracer 4DR Wagon)
- $13,240 (1995 Mercury Tracer LTS 4DR Sedan)
As of October 1, 1995:
- $11,755 (1996 Mercury Tracer 4DR Sedan)
- $12,285 (1996 Mercury Tracer 4DR Wagon)
- $13,625 (1996 Mercury Tracer LTS 4DR Sedan)
As of April 22, 1996:
- $11,145 (1997 Mercury Tracer GS 4DR Sedan)
- $11,670 (1997 Mercury Tracer LS 4DR Sedan)
- $12,220 (1997 Mercury Tracer LS 4DR Wagon)
Shipping prices[]
- $375 (1994 and early 1995 models)
- $390 (1995 and early 1996 models)
- $415 (1997 models)
Gallery[]
