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:

• 

  good car, good value - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By me12 - February 5 - 10:00 am

  so sad to see you go

• 

  Pleasure to Own - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Display name - January 18 - 6:40 pm

  Roxy as I like to call her, was mine preowned at 22,000 miles in 2002, now with 67000, there is no end in sight. No you will be winning any drag races with the Cougar, but it can throw you can in your seat when in the mid RPM-band. Plenty of leg from for driver, I am 6-2 and I could not drive if seat was all the way back. Backseats are buckets, neat to sit in, hard to get out of, and hatchback provide low headroom, I still love them. Have gotten over 35 MPG on the highway. Not taxing around city either, probably 27 or 28 with built in MPG calc. Have replaced fuel pump, a few fuses, trunk actuators. Great sound, no blown speakers. No broken head or tail lights after 67000.

• 

  The perfect car - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By old78chev - January 18 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car for my wife and we have driven it everywhere. We drove it to and from the state of Washington and Oklahoma. You want a great gas car that looks good this is your car.

• 

  Great little car - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By RF - January 11 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned mine for 2 years now and still enjoy driving it. It handles like crazy, has a decent amount of power, and looks great. Everything has worked flawlessly - Ive only performed routine maintenance. I replaced tires early due to finding the cars handling limits. It sticks like glue!!

• 

  Problem Kitty - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By tony_from_ny - December 30 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car new. Loaded, and with discounts and incentives it only cost $18,500, well below sticker. It has been a disappointment. 9 visits under warranty for a lot of little, nagging problems. Some I fixed myself after giving up on the dealer who was clueless. Now that the little stuff has been taken care of, its not bad. Fairly comfortable on a trip, although the sport suspension (an option) is a little rough on bad roads. The 170HP rating is optimistic. Probably closer to 155 in reality.

• 

  Love the car...too many repairs! - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By P schwedler - December 26 - 6:30 am

  This is my type of car. I love the unique look, the V6 power, the roomy hatchback. This is the 1st new car Ive purchased, and Ive taken great care of it. Ive failed the Mass. emmissions test due to a broken sensor. The fuel pump was recalled. The alternator cracked and my car died in rush hour traffic. This all happened in the last few months on a 3 year old car. Glad I got the extended warrenty! The steering is very heavy, but I can deal with that. My friends Jeep Cherokee has a tighter turning radius than my cougar. I love the car, but hate the hassle.

• 

  great - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By davisjim - December 5 - 10:00 am

  Nice car - a little small for anyone over 6 foot tall.

• 

  So far no probs....... - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Tamcam85 - October 6 - 2:00 am

  Purchased in Oct 02, b-day gift to myself(gift that keeps on taking haha). I am paying $350/month-mostly due to my own poor credit, I will be paying like $20k by the end of my 5/yr loan-(I hope it stays worth it for that long). It hasnt given me any probs so far. I dont use the cupholders. In fact, I dont allow drinking/smoking in my car-so the faulty holders are not an issue for me. Going through a bad winter up here in the northeast has caused some interior noise issues while driving over the bumpy terrain-I can only hope warmth will tighten it back up. Everyone that sees my car loves it. No issues with the remote door/trunk lock, or the stereo.

• 

  Glad I didnt pay to get this car! - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Art Jackson - September 19 - 10:00 am

  I got it because my father couldnt drive anymore. Styling nice, but has ergonomic issues. Center console hits my leg in an uncomfortable way. Door wont stay open easily. Cup holder is PATHETIC! Radio has VERY weak reception! At about 57000 miles the maintenance headaches started: oil pan gasket leak, catalytic converter replaced, A/C leaked refrigerant, oxygen sensor failed. Oh yeah, at 36500 miles (just barely out of warranty) the C/V joint broke leaving me stranded on a freeway onramp.

• 

  unreliable - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By beau66 - September 11 - 10:00 am

  Although this car looks good and has some of the best features for the price, it is unreliable. Ive had the cougar for almost 2 years now, and I have put over a 1000 miles on it just from taking it to the shop to get repaired. It has had problems since day one. Ford customer service is a joke. They wont do anything to help me get out of this vehicle, they do fix the problems that occur, but when all you have is problems something else needs to be done. Sure the repairs are warranted, but, its not worth having a new vehicle if you cant count on it.