OT: Mercury Cougar

[goldwing2000]

Tell ya what... this should give you any and all information you would ever want to know about the car.

Cougar Nuts

Personally, I don't give a rat's ass enough to go poking around their board but If you really want to know about the Couger, the information is there.

 

[Micah]

Friend of mine had one, but he thrashed the hell out of it, so I dont know how well it would hold up normally.

v6 was fun, the stick was smooth (drove it several times). His only beef was electrical: the sunroof stopped working, albeit after about 3 yrs -- it was factory. The cig lighter stopped working as well.

Other than that, he enjoyed it a lot. The suspension was tight, but not mazda tight (Ford Probe 4-cyl tight). He tore the hell out of it as I said, so I dont know how much longer it would have lasted had he treated it as a granny daily driver. I can say it held up better than some fords I have seen to the beating, but then again it's the auto trannies that get weak in the first place.

If you find a manual that has had dealer service, I say go for it. I did research for him when he wanted to go F/I, and found 2 turbo and one supercharger kits for the car.

I work with a guy with a 5speed 6-cyl Cougar. His Sunroof doesn't work either. He does pretty much beat the piss out of it. It hasn't died yet.

 

[tunersteve]

Cougars - bad idea. Tons of issues with them over their short lived return, designed for young females, lack a strong tuner backing compared to the mazdas. Spend a little more coin and get a 3rd gen Pro or a 3s, you'll thank yourself in the long run.

 

[Captain KRM P5]

The Cougar was actually the 3rd Gen Probe.

bingo

 

[jeffmsp]

from what i have heard from my friend who is a mechanic for ford is that he has to work on them all of the time, the car and that motor have alot of problems from what he told me.

 

[MZ3_GS]

Had a Contour V6 SE 5 Spd.

IT was quick and strong...the only problems were with non-mechanical such as radio and power window and such.

 

[Kevin]

I just ended my 5yr marriage to one

What do you guys think of this car and what do you know about it.

Comparable to the new Mazda3, but being the car buyer on the market...I'd have to throw this in the mix. When you talk about dollars when it comes to cars then you have to look at the used and the new. A new Mazda3 with what I want on the car will be 19,300 (probably 18-7 or 18-8). Now, a used 2002 Mecury Cougar under 30k miles at 13,000 or less.

There's quite a nice gap in there for modding and adding.

I don't know a whole lot about the car itself so I wanted to know what yall thought about the car. Piece of crap? Unreliable? What?

Would it be worth it or should I just opt for a new 3?

I think I can offer some insight on this subject.

I bought mine new in 1999. I fell in love with the looks. The car itself was a pleasure to drive. It was designed and tested for the European market and it paid off. New edge styling on it and the Focus still look fresh. Looks are decieving...this IS A BIG CAR! A wheelbase of over 106 inches and overall length of over 185 inches is creeping into Mazda6 territory. Quality of materials are good for a ford and interior held up well. I had over 115.000 miles on mine.

Now the bad part. Let's see....where do I begin. When driving the car to get my first free tank of gas (paid for by the dealer) I found out the gas hand wasn't working properly. Took 30,000 miles to finally get it fixed and a lot of bitching after running out of gas three times due to inaccuracy.

Next problem...alternators. Mine ate them like tic-tacs. Went through four of them and just found out they usually last about 30,000 miles. Also some cougars (mine included) had fuse problems which caused some of the alternator problems, especially in wet weather.

Next problem...transmissions. Mine was an automatic and it had to be overhauled at 35,000 miles (just made it under warranty) due to a it loosing third gear. Manuals are mot the best either, due to notchy cable linkage. Automatic is best suited for the V6, but if you must have manual, so be it.

Next problem....tires. Mine had the sport package with 215-50-16's. Later models used same size but 17" diameter. problem is that you can only find two manufacturers who make them, Firestone Firehawks or BF Goodrich and both brands are not the best. Plus at $125-140 a piece every 30-40.000 miles, aren't cheap.

Lastly....dealer service. I actually had to write Lincoln-Mercury's headquaters in California to actually get the car serviced a few times. Mercury dealers in my opinion are not used to dealing with younger buyers. Servicing fat ass Towncars and Navigators have ruined them as far as the youth aspect goes, which was ironic since it was the younger demographic they were trying to capture with the cougar.

Overall the car is a hoot to drive. It has very good handling and grip. The V6 is a bit sluggish down low but the upper powerband (3500+) is wher it makes the power and is pretty snappy. Watch out, cause although it is only 2.5 liters, it drinks gas like a drunk does cheap wine. I miss the silky sounds it makes when nailing the throttle. If you find a 4cyl don't bother...the car is too heavy and you won't be pleased with the 130hp The V6 makes 170hp/165 ft lbs but feels stronger. 90% of Cougars will have V6. The long wheelbase gives a superior ride over things like Celicas, Eclipses,etc. Mine only had one squeak from the hatch and it was occasional. Depending on which year you getthe 99-01 projector headlights sucked. They are too small and dont have a wide beam. Check them for cracks and discoloration for they cost $350+ to replace. I had to use the driving lights alot at night and they weren't much help. The 01-03 had the Austrailian headlights which put out better light but look out of place on the car (my opinion).


Cougars have VERY POOR RESALE VALUE. Not surprising since it's a domestic, but dealers will try to overcharge you if you are not careful.

Excellent chassis and motor (never had to add a drop of oil) but plagued with other small problems and bad dealers made the ownership
terrible and high cost of ownership.

 

[Kevin]

I used to own a Contour, and I can say it wasn't bad at all. If you think it was a bad ride you must have been in a badly modified one. The Contour had a pretty decent suspension and was pretty locked down. The Zetec was smooooth unlike the rough loud one the P5 comes with. On long sweepers I firmly believe it would kick the P5's ass quite easily. It felt much much more stable in cornering then the P5 does. Short corners the P5 can take it though.

I would like to know where you get your opinion from.

I agree. The Cougar has it's issues, but it has a excellent chassis, good motor, and good grip. The Focus is getting the props it deserves, but the Cougar and Contour/Mystique were not appreciated. Very capable cars indeed.