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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  Fun car - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By tjl - September 6 - 12:36 am

  I just bought my 2000 Cougar V6 with every option it could possibly have. It had some of the problems I read about in these reviews like stalling and the electrical but I brought it to a Mercury dealership 7 times till they got it right. They replaced the fuel pump, egr valve several vaccum lines. Every once in a while the engine light comes back on and its just a vaccum line came off the egr valve. Just put it back on and the light turns off after a cycle or 2. Its been running great since I just put a Cougar banner across the windshield and an aem ram air intake. It gave the car a mean growl to it. Now Im just waiting for my new exhaust..

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  Great all around - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By OCEAN - August 29 - 3:56 am

  weelll i got the 2000 v6 mercury cougar, and i have to say. its very appeling to the eye, great handling and i love the exterior and interior. Ive added a few things to my cougar to make it a bit to, well how can i say this, so it could look more like a true sports car. ITS look beutiful. Ive added a kit, spoiler, rims, z3 fender, and a top of the line pantjob. with these improvement the mercury cougar beat the celica, eclipse,civc and probable any other mid-size sport car

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  2002 Mercury Cougar V6 Sport - Thumbs Up - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Caladan - August 25 - 10:00 am

  For what it is, a 2 door (plus hatch) sport coupe, I am very pleased with the 2002 Mercury Cougar. Its not a car for everyone, but I like it. A sporty look inside and out, but is still fairly economical and reliable. Handles well around town or on the Interstate. The car is so smooth it hardly seems like youre going fast when the speedo reaches the higher numbers. Fold down split rear seats make for ample cargo room in the rear of the vehicle. No mechanical problems in 10,000 miles and the dealer has treated me very well during routine maintenance. This car is a real bargain if you want something fun, reliable and economical.

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  Excellent Car! - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By RT - August 23 - 7:16 pm

  I purchased this vehicle used in Nov. 2000. The vehicle only had 8,500 miles on it when purchased. It now has 122,000 miles and is still going strong. I have not had any problems! I no plans for replacing it.

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  Piece of Junk - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By JTC - August 17 - 8:20 pm

  In the 5 years I have had this lemon, I have replaced the alternator twice, the transmission once, the starter, and the blower (only worked on high speed fan). The headlights dim for no apparent reason...the service guy told me that I would have to replace the connector between the starter and alternator ($1,000). Ive had nothing but problems with it. I wish I never bought it.

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  2002 Cougar V6 35th Anniversary Edition - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Qwerty - August 15 - 8:03 pm

  One of the best cars Ive owned, easy fun to drive, got some power to it, would be nice if they could get a more powerful v6 in it

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  Beautiful Cat - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Michael - August 1 - 9:53 pm

  Notable information about the Cougar: -The engine was designed by Cosworth. They also design engines that go in formula one cars. Pretty respectable. -The Cougar introduced fords new Edge design. Notable among this is that the cougar is a blend between American and European design. The hatchback styling is European, the high displacement high torque engine is american muscle. It was designed to be at home on the twisty nuburing. -Ford discontinued it because the Cougar dances around the Mustang. Ford wanted to sell Mustangs because theyre in keeping with the all american Ford image. They also sold them for $20K more, the same thing was done to the Thunderbird. Twice.

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  2002 Merc Cougar - <3 - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By mielejam - July 26 - 11:32 am

  I LOVE my car. It is, for the most part, reliable. It has had its share of repairs, including alternator, rear wiper wiring, and is currently in the shop to have the transmission resealed. My moon roof stopped working while the alternator was going, but works just fine now. This car is in great shape for going on 9 years old, and is fun to drive. It gets decent gas mileage and has had no significant breaks until now. :)

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  Seasoned Cat - 1996 Mercury Cougar
  By car lover - June 30 - 4:23 pm

  I bought a 96 V8 XR7 in sept. of 03 with 94652 miles on it. It is now June of 08 and it has 209231 miles on it with the original engine and no rebuilds! It always starts like a champ and still has the abilty to go buck! The transmission however is the only true drawback with its sluggishness to respond. There is a temporary lag when kicking down to passing gear and an uncharacteristicly poor throttle response. Once you learn to work around those details or modify to change them, the car is a ball to drive. Previous owner modified the PCM to generate more ponies but the change was made by the dealership and not by some shade tree mechanic!

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  Great Car and Fun to drive - 1996 Mercury Cougar
  By Cougarnut03 - June 27 - 2:00 am

  I bought the v6 model with 83,743 miles on it and used it all summer throught rush hour traffic all day. The car has never stalled and has always promptly started up. My car doesnt have the traction control option so i just put two 50lb sandbags in the trunk and it helps alot in the winter. The seats are very comfortable and there is plenty of legroom for someone who is 62. As for speed, the v6 is plenty as long as you are not trying to race a mustang. The v8 would be great im sure but if you dont want to shell out the extra cash, the v6 is not slow at all.