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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  Best Car Ive EVER Owned - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Derek Robichaud - October 25 - 10:00 am

  Greatest car EVER .. Fun to drive, sporty and quick .. She loves to hug the road around curves and growls when riled ..

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  Fun to Drive - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Chris_Voetbal - September 29 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my Cougar for 3 years now and I have had only one problem. In its 3rd year, the cables on the sunroof snapped during normal operation. The dealer says "We have to replace the whole sunroof so itll cost ya $$$." A private mechanic says "Ill get some new cables and well have it repaired for about $$." Maybe I have more of a gripe with Ford? Other than the sunroof, I have not had one single second worth of problem out of the car. It drives great, its as comfortable as a sports coupe gets, and its a fun car. My only other gripe is that since it looks fast, all kinds of other cars want to race it... maybe their jealous of its tight appearance?

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  My Cougar - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By tmccli3 - September 15 - 11:16 pm

  Fun to drive. Not very many aftermarket parts available but I am doing what I can to make it a part of who I am. The 4 cylinder has next to nothing for performance upgrades. I dont have a v6, so it is a struggle to add performance. I trust the reliability to drive it anywhere. I had it for about two weeks and took a 2500 mile road trip when it had 167,000 miles on.

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  Cool Cat - 1997 Mercury Cougar
  By El Draco - August 26 - 2:00 am

  When I get my cat people always comment on how nice it looks and how its a shame they dont make them anymore. Not only that the car has been a lot of fun to drive and very reliable mechanically.

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  2002 Mercury Cougar V6 Ultimate A4 - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Steve - August 16 - 12:26 pm

  I bought this car used with 80k miles. It hasnt been a bad car, though it hasnt been the best. The styling is sharp and the interior isnt bad. I find it to be rather low on power, but I am used to cars with much more power (had to buy something for gas mileage). Speaking of mileage, Im getting appx 22mpg combined city/hwy. Ive had some electrical issues, but other than that, it seems rather reliable *knock on wood*. Its also not too boring to drive (sure, its no Corvette, but its more enjoyable than a Civic). The styling has worn well considering the trends to edgier designs (and especially since the car was discontinued 4 years ago).

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  A pretty AMAZING car! - 2001 Mercury Cougar
  By cwe005 - August 10 - 2:16 pm

  Its a 2001 Mercury Cougar ZN. Its got close to 150,000 mi, and its a precision build machine! Like everyone says, it doesnt have a whole lot of power but the fact that it weighs close to 3500 lbs doesnt help either. Its amazing to drive. Corners like a beast, brakes like a beast, looks like a beast. Its a ZN, and its had routine things go wrong with it (water pump, burnt out blinker bulbs, CD got stuck, transmission rebuilt) Its still amazing to drive though, on smooth pavement it rides like its on a cloud. 17" rims mean tires are CRAZY expensive, but they make the car look amazing though! This is the sportiest daily driver you can have. But never get over 3K rpm, because I get 15 MPG

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  Worst car ever - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Mihai B - August 5 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car brand new and since that day, im spending most of my time at the dealer for all kinds of problems. Im trying to get rid of it, but it lost so much value over the last 2 years that im losing to much money. I do not recommend to anyone!

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  GREAT BODY BUT.... - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By YOSHE - July 31 - 10:00 am

  I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW W/ 7 MILES ON IT. IMMEDIATELY I RAN INTO BRAKE PROBLEMS CONSTANT GRINDING. BRAKE DISC WERE SHAVED DOWN THEN COMPLETELY REPLACED. NEXT PROBLEM ELECTRICAL. CAR ELECTRICAL SYETM THEN THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT COMPLETELY. TWICE ON THE HIGHWAY!! ON-GOING BATTLES BETWEEN DEALERSHIP NOT WANTING TO WORK ON THE VEHICLE B/C THEY DIDNT DO THE INITIAL REPAIR WORK. LOVE THE BODY LOVE DRIVING CURVES AND WINDY ROADS. AS A YOUNG PERSON BUYING THIS VEHICLE STYLE OVER RIDES OTHER OPTIONS. IM NOT COMPLETELY UPSET OVER PURCHASE, BUT NEVER AGAIN BY A 1ST YEAR VEHICLE. LET THEM WORK OUT THE KINKS FIRST AND THEN BUY ONE....

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  THIS CAR IS THE BOMB - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By CHAMPIONS789 - July 20 - 10:00 am

  THIS VEHICLE HAS THE BEST STYLING, THE BEST FUN RATING TO DRIVE, PLUS I THINK HONDAS SUCK.

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  99 Cougar - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By dlrkid1 - July 14 - 2:00 am

  This car is great to drive. I love it. It is so fun to drive and it has plenty of room. Everything is easily accessible and the sound system is great. No complaints.