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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  Nice Kitty - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Rocketman53 - October 7 - 2:00 am

  For you Fast and Furious types, the 2000 Cougar is a much better car than most reviews lead one to think. Yeah, the steering feels a bit heavy, but its a subjective observation. I dont find it objectionable. The power of the 2.5L V-6 is more than adequate, 145 mph top end, while the four wheel disc ABS brakes strong enough to stop you in a hurry. The interior is sleek, and all business. The New Edge look makes the Cougar a real chick magnet. Ford blew it when they discontinued the model line. The prices are a bargain compared to other similar vehicles.

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  Problems, problems - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Midge - September 27 - 10:00 am

  The car has been in the shop for numerous rattles, one air conditioner squeak. And, it has broken down three times for the brake safety sensor failure, thus leaving me stranded. The car will not go into gear when the sensor and brake lights fail. The service department doesnt know what is wrong. The car has been in the shop, maybe, 19 times for various repairs.

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  Garbage car! - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Mark Renes - September 2 - 10:00 am

  I was reading the reviews, and I cant believe anybody had anything good to say about this car. My car is sitting in the shop right now, with the Ford techs trying to figure out why Im on my 4th alternator, and why my car wont start 90% of the time. When I picked up my car in January of 2001, Reverse didnt work and it got a transmission overhaul at with 16 Km on the car. My rear bumper doesnt fit properly either.

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  no wonder they were discontinued - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By cougarmuscle - August 29 - 10:00 am

  My cougars history...headlights and covers were replaced within 6 months of purchase...transmission went up at 19,000 miles(transmission slipped into neutral on highway, was nearly run over by big rig), sunfroof was replaced within 3 years, electrical and computer problems too numerous to list...it is sitting in a repair shop as I write this critique for same problem...and there were countless recalls issued..in general fun to drive when its operating but Ill never by another Ford or Mercury product......

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  good to be gone! - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By kittykila - August 15 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive but too expensive to maintain. I have nearly 100K on mine and have put in 4 alternators and one converter. Radio will short out at times. Airbag and check engine lights come on in cold or wet weather. Bought the extended warranty up to 75,000 and quite glad I did! Still lost an addl alternator at 90,000. Will sell it to a teenager soon.

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  Its a love hate relationship - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By smileybecca2005 - July 23 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my car almost 2yrs. Had 38K miles on it and now has 68k. Had new tires when purchased,need to be replaced now.immediate problems were with the fuel gauge (not accurate...resulting in NO GAS) and the radio, which goes in and out. I have had minimal problems with it (with regular maintenance and new break pads) until about two months ago. Since then i have had to replace the alternator and the fuel pump and have had more frequent squeaking in the car & the trunk release is tricky sometimes. I have loved my car and hate that it isnt as reliable as i need, as i have found myself on the side of the road at least 3 or 4 times from all this.

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  Reliable - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Jeff - July 22 - 10:26 am

  The 4 cyl. is very reliable. But the same engine is reliable in its other platforms as well. Ive beaten the heck out of this car and it is still ticking away. Could use a tune up at this point in its life, but Ive had it since mile 4 and its been a great car.

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  1999 Cougar - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By tricia2670 - July 14 - 2:00 am

  Tight suspension, well built, good pick up

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  Junk! - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By lawree - July 9 - 2:00 am

  I just traded my Cougar in & couldnt be happier! Fun fact...when I went to get my trade-in value the car chose not to start! I only had 40K miles on it and cant even tell you how many times I had to walk to work b/c the car was at the dealers. They, of course, never found anything wrong with it. Apparently, it was my fault that the check engine light and the airbag light would occasionally come on - that it would occasionally just choose not to start - that neither the hood/truck releases worked. And so on... Once I got the car back it would be fine for 2-3 months and then start again.

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  Cougar - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Not worth it - June 14 - 10:36 pm

  Runs great when not needing repairs. Like the others, engine light never turns off. Fuel pump replaced, hoses replaced, but beware the biggest problem is the engine is on top. The labor costs are double due to this fact and since they no longer make this type, the parts are hard to find and costly. Good freeway car but the maintenence was costly due to parts and labor costs. All mechanics hated working on this car and I paid for it. They commented never to buy a Cougar again....not a mechanics favorite and you will feel it in your pocket.