What makes a car powerful is apparently its engine make-up. The Ford Tempo has a 98-horsepower 4-cylinder engine that went into GL and LX models, while GLS and All-Wheel Drive Tempos got a 100-horsepower rendition. A V6 Tempo pulls smartly at all speeds and feels particularly spirited with stick shift though almost as noisy as the 4-cylinder engine. Its engine also works pretty well with an automatic transmission, because the 3-speed unit is not prone to "hunting" between gears. Though Ford Tempo does not have much significant engine feature to make it stand above the rest, it is surely powerful enough to stand any road and distance condition provided that proper maintenance and regular check-ups are made.