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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Gorgeous car - 2001 Mercury Cougar
By Wr85H - June 2 - 2:00 amBought my cougar just over a year ago and have had not a single problem. I have the ZN package and everyone takes a second look at this car. Excellent cornering and braking with the 17" tires. Interior is great looking for a car of this price.
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Cougar XR7 - 1997 Mercury Cougar
By joe heineken - May 23 - 1:43 amBest car Ive owned out of four new cars. Nice looking, big, powerful, dependable. Great gas mileage on highway, on way to Ohio, only filled up once in Indianapolis. Not good on gas in town however. Had a few trim problems that were fixed by dealer. Now need work after 127,000 mi, but still runs great.
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Quality Not Job One - 1997 Mercury Cougar
By Mike Harris - May 19 - 2:00 amBe aware of Fords 3.8L engines. They are widely known to have defective head gaskets. Recallled for 92, 94 & 95 but not 97. This includes Mustang, Thunderbird, Taurus, and Cougar. Premature failure, usually just after experation of Factory 3yr./36000mile warranty.
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purchase only if youre rich - 1999 Mercury Cougar
By phantomrogue - May 10 - 8:20 pmi 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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Great First Time Car - 2001 Mercury Cougar
By cougar1 - May 7 - 8:40 amI am still young and this car was purchased as my first car. it has done very well drives nice and very reliable. on the downside the "sports car" look and the fact that my car is red attracts the police attention.
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Not So Great, But Not Terrible - 1999 Mercury Cougar
By patrick.168 - May 7 - 8:30 amI 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.
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Dont go to Village Lincoln Mercury - 2002 Mercury Cougar
By Jelena - April 19 - 10:00 amWorst experiences with a new car purchase. Dealership very unprofessional. New car leaked when it rained,sprinkle,or a car wash.Service told me to expect water leakage, they werent able to fix it or come up with a solution.It was fixed when I had to take one of them with me through a car wash. Amazing that trained technicians cant fix a leakage problem after the 4th try. Leakage since day one, air conditioner problem, and after driving past 2,000, you can really tell a difference in the performance. I couldnt imagine that car lasting more than a year without any more major problems, if I would have kept it.
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OK for the money - 2002 Mercury Cougar
By whome? - April 14 - 10:00 amThis car is definately a looker. The C@ pkg really adds to the look. DO NOT plan to have more than 2 people in it! Gas mileage is very good. The car handles curves extremely well. The engine is sluggish on start, but does well once on the road. Make sure you watch your blind spots - this car provides several.
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Been good to me - 2000 Mercury Cougar
By Zoey - April 8 - 5:23 amI bought the car new, it was cute and got great gas mileage. I have the 5 speed transmission. Everything held up great. I took good care of my care and can recommend it as a used vehicle if you are looking for good gas mileage and nice sound system. I didnt have any of the negative experiences mentioned by other owners. The tires went to 78K original, the tire tools clunk around, but you can fix that. Great sound system. Not a speed demon, but got me to where I wanted to go and didnt cost me much after the purchase price.
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I love it! - 2000 Mercury Cougar
By jwildeman - April 1 - 2:00 amI wanted something sporty and fun to drive at a reasonable price and reasonable insurance rates. I found exactly that with the Cougar.
