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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  Bought a Pretty Car & thats what I got! - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Sara - November 8 - 10:20 pm

  I bought my 2000 V6 Cougar used and drove it for 2 years with little incident, nothing but routine maintenance. In the two following years I replaced the alternator twice ($600 a pop), manifold intake gaskets about $500, rear brake caliper broke causing brake failure (I would be dead if not for engine brake) $600 for new caliper assemblies and pads. I have also "run out of gas" - completely stalled - when going up hill with 1/4 tank of gas! Had my car towed to the shop just to have it start and run just fine, the second time I topped it up with a jerry can and it was fine. Not yet replaced a fuel pump but its not running well and Ive been told that or dirt in the fuel tank, well see.

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  A fun car for the price - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By black cougar - November 5 - 10:00 am

  I have owned this car since I bought it new in Sept. 1999. I like the cars styling, handling, and acceleration is good with a V6 5 speed manual. The quality has been decent so far when I compare it to friends cars. I have 76,000 miles on it and have only had to replace the alternator, which cost $400 (not cheap). Although the fuel pump is starting to go now. These two problems seem to be typical for Cougars. I am thinking about getting a new car now that this one is older, but I dont see one that I would rather have in the same price range.

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  2000 Mercury Cougar V6 - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By auttie95 - October 25 - 5:02 pm

  I got this car for my first car and so far i had to replace my battery...spend $300 cause my engine light was on but come to find out it was my O2 sensors...my door sensors are all broken and my sunroof is broke...SUCKS ON GAS !!! it also makes a really weird noise when i start it up and the RPMS go crazy

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  My 2nd Baby - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Cougar1999 - October 18 - 1:06 pm

  I just got the car and so far have only two complaints about it. 1... The sagging doors. Pins cannot be replaced I have to actually buy complete hinges for it. 2... The sun/moonroof clips broke and its impossible to find parts for this car. My Cougar currently has 200,650 miles on it with a five-speed V6 and runs strong. The computer claims 27.3mpg so Im going to actually perform my own calculations to see if its correct or not. Car is a good car and I intend on putting many many more miles on it. Maybe Ill make 300k who knows!!

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  Black Cat - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Arion - October 9 - 10:00 am

  The cougar is a nice looking car. It handles and rides well, but is underpowered, and overmatched by little japanese 4-cylinders. Of all Sport coupes, this is probably the nicest and more of a nice sporty car to cruise in.

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  First Annual Review - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Bobm128 - October 9 - 10:00 am

  I liked my Cougar V6, when I first bought it. My Cougar now however, is developing rattles, has had pieces of weather-proofing trim come off, the rear brakes are groaning, 3 transmission bolts came loose, & the CD player starts skipping after ~3 hours of continuous play. I do drive my Cougar with verve, but I dont abuse my car. I maintain it properly, the way a pre-midlife crisis car should be. Its my impression however, that my car was not built as well as I thought and that its starting to fall apart. After reading Consumer Reports review of the Cougar this year where Cougar owners rated is as much worse than average for reliability, I am dreading the worst.

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  The Kitty Cat From Hell!!! - 1997 Mercury Cougar
  By Justin - September 18 - 8:03 pm

  This rare 30th Anniversary Mercury Cougar is a lot of car for the money. This car came loaded with leather, power seats, one-touch sunroof, climate control, autoheadlamps and many other options. However, it has had its fair share of problems. It was trouble free up until 60,000 miles when the oxygen sensor needed to be replaced, causing the service engine light to come on. At 63,000 the ABS module went, which was very expensive to repair. At 65,000 miles the service engine light came on again and this time it was the ignition coils. At 68,000, the intake manifold gasket cracked which caused coolant to leak all over once pressure was built up in the lines. What is next to go?

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  I wish I bought this car new - 1996 Mercury Cougar
  By Vegasman - September 18 - 10:00 am

  I bought this Cougar Last month. I thought that I would park it in my garage and use it as a back up when I did not want to drive my new Chevrolet SSR. TO my suprise this eight year old car with only 52000 miles deives better than some newer cars that I have had. It goes to work with me every day and everything still works. What a great buy for $4,500.00 dollars.the V6 has pleanty of power and will cruise along just fine. This is a fun car to drive and I do not feel that I am driving an old car. In Las Vegas it gets very hot in the summer and AC works great. It is a car that looks great and is fun to drive.

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  The Best Car ive driven in 17 years. - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By jimmy - August 5 - 3:30 pm

  I absolutely love this car. ive had it since january 2004 and it has absolutely nothing wrong with it. It drives great and is a fun car to drive. Great car for beginner drivers (as it was mine) and every age after that. A+++

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  Fun but had problems - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Myrddin157 - July 29 - 10:00 am

  Fun car to drive, relatively quick and handles very well. Major complaints involve the electrical system (fuses, switches, spark plugs/wires etc.) which failed rather often. Car went through brakes very frequently. No major repairs to the engine. Most repairs involved interior components, electrical system and the exhaust system. (2 catalytic converters were replaced)