Overview & Reviews

Depending on how old you are, you probably have different recollections of the Mercury Cougar: Baby boomers will likely remember the original V8-powered pony car and its evolutionary change into a big, personal luxury coupe. Car enthusiasts of a younger vintage are probably more familiar with the Cougar as a small, spry front-wheel-drive sport coupe. About the only common link between all Cougars is their Ford genetics.

Debuting in 1967, the first Mercury Cougar was closely related to the second-generation Mustang. Mercury's version was marketed as being more plush and European. Coupe and convertible versions were offered, and this was the first time that "XR-7" appeared as an option package. From a performance standpoint, these early Cougars were highly regarded, especially as they could be equipped with a variety of powerful V8 engines.

By the mid-1970s, however, the focus on performance had diminished. The Mercury Cougar of this era was more of a personal luxury car. Mercury even experimented with sedan and station wagon variants. The Cougar finally settled into its role as a luxurious coupe at the dawn of the 1980s. As a close relative of the Thunderbird (atop Ford's new "Fox" chassis), the Cougar remained rear-wheel drive and could be V6- or V8-powered.

With consumer tastes shifting away from this type of vehicle in the 1990s, Mercury cut all previous ties for the Cougar's final iteration. As a smaller front-wheel-drive coupe with a focus on style, this Cougar was meant to draw in young buyers who otherwise perceived the Mercury brand as being old and out of touch. However, this approach didn't quite work as well as Mercury had hoped. Faced with disappointing Cougar sales, Mercury finally pulled the plug on one of its most popular and well-known nameplates in 2002.

Most recent Mercury Cougar

The Mercury Cougar spanning from 1999 to 2002 was based on the Ford Contour (and the associated Mercury Mystique), a small sedan with European breeding. Mercury hoped these underpinnings would give the Cougar a sparkling on-road personality while the coupe's sharp "New Edge" styling did the rest, yet this generation of Cougar never met with much success. Some say the car's branding as a Mercury ruined its chances with the younger consumers the company was after, though our experience with the car gives us a few theories of our own.

The Cougar had the makings of a credible entry-level sport coupe thanks to its accurate handling, head-turning exterior styling and an available 2.5-liter V6 with a five-speed manual transmission or four-speed automatic. It also had a generally well-laid-out and comfortable interior (rear seats excepted), a surprisingly utilitarian hatchback body style and a price that was considerably less than other competing models of the time.

On the other hand, the car was merely adequate in a lot of ways. Steering feel was heavy, and acceleration was nothing special, even with the 170-horsepower V6 (the standard four-cylinder put out a meager 125 hp). Outward visibility was also poor. In a comparison test of six sport coupes we conducted in 2001, the Mercury Cougar finished last.

Needless to say, this wasn't one of our favorite sport coupes. Shoppers still interested in a used Cougar from this vintage, however, can pretty much look at any year, as Mercury didn't make any significant changes during the model's four-year run. Slightly altered front styling went into the '01 model, when the instruments and steering wheel were also revised. For the Cougar's final year, Mercury released the 35th Anniversary Package with chrome wheels, hood scoop and an in-dash CD changer. There were also a few special appearance packages, such as the C2, the Zn ("Zinc Yellow") and the XR.

Past Mercury Cougar models

The last and best of the traditional Mercury Cougars came along in 1989. Along with the still-related Thunderbird, the Cougar was redesigned atop a new chassis with an independent rear suspension, and to everyone's surprise, gave up its V8. Instead, this Mercury Cougar used a pushrod 3.8-liter V6 with 140 hp (supercharged to 210 hp in upscale XR-7 trim).

The 1991 model year saw the demise of the five-speed manual transmission and the dropping of the supercharged V6 in favor of Ford's classic 4.9-liter pushrod V8, rated at 200 hp. A better 205-hp 4.6-liter SOHC V8 replaced it in 1994, when the body got a styling refresh and the motorized seatbelts were traded for dual airbags. More styling changes came in 1996, and the interior was made over for the Cougar's last year in 1997.

The basics stayed consistent throughout this Cougar's model cycle. A 200-inch-long body, roughly 3,600 pounds of weight and numb steering kept it from being truly sporty, but rear-wheel drive and the all-independent suspension gave it respectable handling and a rather serene ride. Acceleration was fine with any engine besides the basic V6, though gas mileage was pretty dismal regardless. Interiors are attractive (despite Ford's old hard-to-use radio) and four adults will fit, though the Cougar's interior space and comfort are more in line with that of a midsize car than its size and weight suggest.

There are definitely smaller, lighter, faster, more efficient ways to cruise the streets in two-door style, but if rear-drive, a V8, a decent-size backseat and a low price are of top importance (and muscle cars aren't your thing), this generation of the Mercury Cougar is probably a pretty good pick.

User Reviews:

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  This car was a LEMON!!! - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Kevin Chiu - December 27 - 10:00 am

  I bought my 2000 Cougar V6 Sport brand new in January of 2001. After 6 months of driving, I had over 30 pages in work orders. Everything in this car was wrong. Ford spent more money fixing this lemon then I paid for it. To top thing off, Ford Customer Care would not help me. Avoid this lemon!!!

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  Would not suggest this car to anyone - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By cat - July 4 - 9:46 pm

  alternator has gone 4 times in the year and a half...need a new high pressure power steering hose at 6ok miles new rack n pinion new tie end rods ect.

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  What a disappointment... - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By BADKITTY - May 4 - 10:00 am

  I would discourage anyone from even thinking about purchasing this car. It has been vitually falling apart since I purchased it 18 months ago. On the outside, the trim around the window is coming loose, the headlights are full of condensation, the paint is easily scratched. On the inside, the defrost trim is constantly popping out, the sunroof motor fell apart, the carpet is pulling away, electrical harness falls out, the cup holder is useless. I have lights lit up all over the dash for no reason. Dont throw your money away. Worst car I ever owned by far and Ive owned a bunch.

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  My 2nd Lemon - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Raff - May 21 - 10:00 am

  I am the un-proud owner of a 2000 Cougar, after Ford replaced my 1999 Cougar that was plagued with issues. The 2000 is no better! New transmission in under 18K miles, sloppy front end, multiple front tire rebalancing, bad oil seal on the pan, coolant leaks, radio problems, bad left/front half axel, new brakes in under 20K miles, bad steering knuckle, and the list goes on!!! Holman service is a disaster to boot. They replaced the trans and while driving home from the shop, the front left tire fell off! Almost got killed on that one. Never again would I buy ANY Ford product!!

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  Not a reliable car.. i hate my cougar - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Ashley - March 17 - 10:16 am

  I bought this car about two years ago after having a friend total my vw jetta which i loved. the cougar is nothing compared to that car and i can say i have had more problems with my cougar than i ever had with my jetta. within the first few months of having my car i liked it, it was nothing special but after like four months i started to have major problems with it. since i have spent probably close to $6000 fixing it. replaced the transmittion, any and every sensor possible, the alternator is bad now and i have had probably 5 batteries all go bad. the car stalls when it gets cold out or rainy. it is a very unpredictable car and i would not recommend it to anyone... wish i never got it

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  bad Cat! - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By BAD CAT! - March 19 - 3:00 am

  This has to be the worst car I have ever purchased. I have only had it for 10 months. It is parked now with a $2000 transmission bill! It has cut off in the middle of the expressway!. Trunk leaks, engine lights comes on, open door light stays on. CD player jams, terrible on tires/alighnment, "rattles" in the rear, and the list goes on. Would rather ride a bicycle! Would never own another one unless someone gave it to me, then Id still be leary!

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  Save your money - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By deathpig - December 24 - 2:00 am

  Dont even waste your money on this LEMON. I have had the car for 5 months now and i have had nothing but problems. The car has been in the shop 6 times already. Everything from the hood and trunk release, sun roof, engine, emission sensors, and the list could go on. I will never buy another Mecury, not to mention that the dealership has been a real pain in the kneck.

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  I hate this car - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By patskar - August 3 - 10:00 am

  Ive had this car almost 3 years and have just put in its 5th alternator. Ive also had two other separate electrical services. The radio has been replaced twice and the hatch release has been repaired twice and still doesn;t work. I am so sorry I bought this car. It looks pretty, but thats about it.

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  purchase only if youre rich - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By phantomrogue - May 10 - 8:20 pm

  i can not tell you how bad this car is...i bought it used with 65000 miles on it thinking that it wouldnt give me any problems, because i knew someone who owned one. the repair list is as follows: the tie rod ends went on the car. my mechanic was suprised that i was actually able to drive it without the front axel dropping out. the steering rack went, along with the starter that had to be replaced 2x. and now my mechanic thinks the flywheel needs to be replaced. the sunroof broke, and i had to fix it myself, cause i think youre out of your mind if you are gonna spend over $1000 to get it fixed. the upper and lower intake manifolds went and had to be replaced along with the gaskets.

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  Not So Great, But Not Terrible - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By patrick.168 - May 7 - 8:30 am

  I have had my Cougar for two years now. I am very ready to sell it. The transmission is slipping, the struts are going bad, the passenger window is breaking, its rusting, and the radio is poor. I have had to do quite a few repairs on this car. I have had to get new tires, whole new braking system, new shocks, like a few different, expensive things done to the motor. My service receipt pile is quite large. My car is currently in the shop for a blockage that isnt allowing coolant to get through so its over heating. I have heard worse stories however. I guess maybe mine is just getting old. Its a 99 with 122,222 miles on it and it had been wrecked previously.