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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  LOVE it - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Robin - October 27 - 3:53 am

  Had my 2002 V6 Cougar for 4 years now. I love it...love to drive it, love to look at it. Shocked to read the bad reviews. Ive had no problem what so ever with my girl. (Course, now I hope I didnt "just" look a gift horse in the mouth. I average about 32 MPG. I live in the mountains and love her get up and go! I broke her in hard though, I did not baby her I stomped on the gas peddle at every light just to break her in the way I wanted her to go. She jumps at the lights now. Shes perrrrfect.

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  Worst Mistake EVER! - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By SunshineE - October 23 - 2:43 am

  This car was the worst mistake my father and I could ever make. I should have known better. Its American made! Everything that could go wrong did. My father spent so much money fixing this car its ridiculous. He spent more than the actual cars worth! It has been in and out of our mechanic since Dec 2009, Ive had it less than a year and Im already selling this piece of junk. The gas mileage is horrible. 16.5 mpg (city) I should be driving a huge SUV with that gas mileage. It was nothing but headaches beginning to end. I would strongly advise anyone to never buy this car. I cant wait to get rid of it. Im scared every time I get in it. I always think its going to break down on me. Never again!

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  Looks Good but Buyer Beware!! - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Cougar Lover & Loser - October 14 - 4:13 am

  I have had my Cougar for going on 4 years now. It had 69k when I bought it & I just took it over the 87k mark last week. Let me start off by saying that I love the looks of this car, especially with all the bells & whistles (like leather seats, moonroof, and traction control) BUT the looks alone are not worth the hassle the Cougar brings. I have replaced the alternator ($700/ea) three times! IN LESS THAN 18,OOO MILES! Today, I noticed the same old flickering lights & I headed off to trade her in for a Rav4!

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  Lots of fun - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By CougarLover - October 10 - 6:13 pm

  I bought the cougar for my wife, and she loves it. It is sporty and very fun to drive, she rarely lets me behind the wheel. We have had 0 problems, we have not even had a problem with the fuel pump yet. ***Knock on wood*** I have had a blast with this vehicle and the silver looks fantastic. I only wish it had a moon/sun roof. But I bought used so I got what was there.

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  ONE BAD CAT - 1996 Mercury Cougar
  By Lion Tamer - September 20 - 10:00 am

  Awsome, awsome, awsome, awsome, awsome, i love this car, awsome, i wish they had never made that new Japanese looking peice of junk, i love my car.

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  Driving it til it dies - 2001 Mercury Cougar
  By Love my cougar - September 15 - 3:03 pm

  Bought my car 6 years ago for an awesome price from a friend. A couple car dealers, and mechanics told me that it was not a smart choice, had electrical problems, etc. I was hesitant and nervous I would be fixing it a lot, but I still couldnt pass up the price. Six years later, I have put nothing more than basic wear and tear money into it. It is by far the best car I have ever owned! Wouldnt trade it for the world! So glad now that I made the right choice!

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  A fun but sometimes scary year! - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Pippi - September 11 - 9:13 am

  The sporty V6 is fun to drive on highways and interstates but is not the best around town. I bought this car used last year and I loved it then, but after a while of driving in different situations I realized that it just was not for me. I am a short female and if I adjust the seat so I am comfortably ready to drive I end up about an inch from the visor! Also for me there is a huge blind spot behind the rear seats, which are so uncomfortable only my dogs ride back there, at first that was fine but now I need to carry people back there and they are too tall. When the car starts up in the morning and I back out of the driveway the car hums and the brakes squeaks, our service peep say it doesnt

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  I love my car - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By W_Sh3a_J - September 4 - 7:33 pm

  Even with my Cougar being a salvage, its awesome. I fixed/replaced some things, all parts were cheap, except getting the reverse fixed. Now my car is all good! And yes, the heater/air is excellent - its real powerful! My Cougar has dual overheads too and they say its rare and that its fast! Also my Cougar is beautiful! Plus, it looks small but its roomy with a big trunk for my system.

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  A++++++ 35th Aniv. - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Platinum Cougar - August 13 - 2:00 am

  Great sports car at compact price!35th Aniv. Model is even better than plain!

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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.