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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  Sold it, want it back! - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By ricknliz - September 5 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car early on in the production run, so I will admit, it had its problems. Starter, trunk release, and defective tires were my biggest complaints - however the performance of the car made up for any problems. With some small modifications, it had just as much power as the new model, and could outrun most other cars on the highway.

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  googd one - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By uywatta - August 30 - 10:00 am

  good car had fun... no problems none

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  mine - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By my cougar 00 - August 30 - 10:00 am

  runs good needs a little more trunk space

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  Cougar Reveiw - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Rob Webber - July 30 - 10:00 am

  I purchsed this vehicle because I thought it was going to be well manufactued and be a great addition to the Cougar family. It turns out that I was wrong. This car was very sportey from the out side but when you get inside there are many problems and things that Ford Motor Company could have improved on. One, the engine is not that great even though the Duratec engine can have great potental to reach high standards. The seat belt is to small even for a slim woman, the molding on the passenger side door is loose, and the sound system is very crapy.

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  ok....... - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By ok.... - July 29 - 12:56 am

  i really liked this car when i saw it on the lot, but now i hate it. Its got a lot of problems and i would not recommend it to anyone else. It shakes in between 60-70 mph The check engine light turns on and off. Its horrible on gas i get maybe 18 mpg The windshield wipers are horrible I hate this car Im gonna buy a jetta!

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  Why Complain? - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By elfsquid - July 1 - 10:00 am

  I have had mine only a year now and it was in full service condition. I bought it from Car Max, with 37000 mi, and then had it reinspected after purchace. Both inspections were outstanding. I only have two problems with it. First the windsheild has a 1/4 of the regular view that is needed because it is too angled and the rearview is right in the line of site. Next the headlight seal cracked and requires a replacement of the full light instead just the cover.

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  GrrrrrrWOWllll!!!! - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By JeffsfirstCougar - June 17 - 10:00 am

  I had been drooling over a Prelude SH until I drove one and kept asking myself if I wanted to spend all that money on something so plain and basic as the SH is.... Once I spotted a Cougar, I researched it and fell head over heels for it. The third day we owned it, a teenage girl ran a stop sign and had this car not been able to react during a swerve and skid she would have totaled this car... I never felt like the car was out of control... Wonderful car!!! C2 models a definite plus...

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  Dont buy one - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By unsatisfied - June 17 - 2:00 am

  The Mercury Cougar is number 5 on the "lemon list" put out by the government. I have had mine in (that has less than 30000 miles on it and is still under warranty) 4 times in the last three months! The have replaced the "brain" to the transmission, fuel pump, etc. 2002 is the last year they are making them because they have so many problems.

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  Cougar - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By tweety - June 11 - 10:00 am

  I have had numerous problems with this car. The fuel pump has gone out three times and the starter has also been replaced. It seems to be sluggish on take-off and dosent perform like a sports car like I expected. I am very disappointed in this car.

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  96 Mercury Cougar - 1996 Mercury Cougar
  By 96greencougar - June 6 - 10:00 am

  i have owned mine for two years, the V6 is to small of an engine for this car so if you have the chance buy the V8. remeber that even though the V6 is a 3.8 this is a big car so the more power the better. Just like any sports car lack of fuel economy is part of the deal. For a coupe this car has alot of room in the backseat. Over all i am very happy with my cougar