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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  Dont Buy It - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By JeffMiller - February 27 - 12:46 am

  Although this car looks great and can be fun to drive, it has many problems. It has had more than 10 recalls in under 3 years. The "premium" radio cant get a channel to stay. The engine, wipers, etc. interupt the reception. The headlights let water leak into them. Infact, the doors and trunk leak. The back seats are very uncomfortable. The doors lock by themselves, requiring one to always keep a spare on their person. Need I say more?

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  Comfort & Reliability at a Cheap Price - 1996 Mercury Cougar
  By rrd - February 26 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 96 Cougar last June. The 1996 Cougar is very civilized. Power from the 4.6 L is excellent and smooth. I did buy a new 94 T-Bird in 1994 which I managed to total with only 500 miles. (I thank God Ford put in airbags starting in 1994, or I may not be writing this now!) I know these cars are safe first hand. It was in the winter and I was surprised how little traction these cars have in the snow and ice. I have a 4X4 for winter now, (but I am curious if this 96 Cougar can handle the snow and ice under very controlled conditions). If not, in the garage it goes until spring!

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  Very pleased - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Jessica - February 20 - 12:20 am

  I seem to have a different view than most people here. I have a 2002 Anniversary edition and absolutely love it. I have had no problems and have put 8k miles on it making a grand total of 51k. I dont know if its too soon to talk but it handles great, is a comfortable and quiet ride on the interstate, and gets great gas mileage (after driving 250 miles at 75 mph I have half a tank left). For a 2dr car the back seat is very roomy and comfortable except it does not seat very tall people well.

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  THE NEW CAT IN TOWN - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By XLiBra26x - February 15 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my black 1999 Mercury Cougar-V6 Sport Premium in December of 2002 (pre-owned). Some of its qualities are: rear spoiler, 16in" rims, side panel blinker lights, moon roof, fog lights, 600 watt stock am/fm cd player, mint conditioned black interior, solar tinted windows, cougar side panels, cougar emblem floor mats.

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  going strong - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By plybybunnie - February 5 - 6:40 pm

  ave had my cougar georgette for 5 years now, just turned over 200,000 miles, all original parts. very good running, reliable, just now starting to think about replacing the important parts. i LOVE my car and it has served me well. i dont see how anyone could not be satisfied with one. they must drive worse than me. ive taken my car cross-country several times, raced it, taken it camping. for a small car, it can hold and handle whatever ive dished out. thank-you cougar makers! i am one very satisfied customer!

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  Great First Car - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By rr16 - January 24 - 12:06 am

  I just turned 16 and i wanted to buy a car that i would love but a car that wouldnt completely drain my savings. The 99 cougar was perfect. It rides nice for a small car, it is fast and it gives you a feeling of security when your in it. All of the controls are easy to access while driving, and the heating and air conditioning work in seconds. If your looking for a car that makes peoples heads turn, you need this car. The great thing about it is you cant tell its 11 years old.

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  What Is The Mileage Expectancy? - 2001 Mercury Cougar
  By Jocelyn - January 15 - 1:46 am

  Ive enjoyed my Cougar. I replaced the transmission at about 60,000 miles but it was my fault it messed up. Im more interested in the mileage expectancy of a 2001 Mercury Cougar? Mine has 96,500 and Im having to drive from Tennessee to Ohio about once a month and wonder how long that will last?

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  Very pleased with Cougar - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By JDHeyne - January 12 - 10:00 am

  This was an eBay car and turned out to be great! I bought it about a year and a half ago, have put 50,000 miles on it (It is now at 110,000) and is still going great.The only major problem was the moonroof was not working(which I knew at the time of purchase) and letting a friend try to fix the moonroof. Driving 75 down the interstate the moonroof lifted from the passenger to the drivers side doing a 180. Nothing wrong with the car, just kinda funny looking back at it. It scared the ... outta me at the time. The reason for this is letting my friend "fix" it. Only other time it was in the shop (less than 1,000 miles ago) was due to an exhaust leak

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  Cougar Far From Purrfect - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Daphne - January 3 - 2:00 am

  This car is just one problem after the other. If you purchase this car it will spend most of its time in the shop. I have 44K on mine and the problems have been: defect in brake calippers not retracting which constantly wear out the rotars, sensors continually go out, alternator failed, leaving me stranded on the freeway, transmission greatly hesitates when you really need it the most, radio continually shorts out, cup holder is worthless, front defrost vents pop up. These problems are not one time occurences, they happen over and over again, compounding frustration. Please save yourself the frustration I have experienced and buy a more reliable car.

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  FELL APART AFTER WARRANTY FINISHED - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Marc26tx - December 11 - 2:00 am

  While under warranty it went in for transmission issue and a/c motor. After 36k was over, DOWN hill from there. Mass air flow sensor, fuel gauge broke,windshield wiper motor failed. Changed 4 alternators in 1 week and 2 different dealers who couldnt fix the problem and told me the car was possessed and I should sell it immediately! So then I took it to Carmax to sell it to them and it BROKE DOWN on the test drive! Since then, I traded it for an 04 Hyundai with 100,000k mile warranty and I will NEVER buy an American car again! Somebody at Ford needs to marry someone from Japan so they produce a reliable product.