Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Mercury Cougar
This discussion has been closed.
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Mercury Dealers are offerring $1000 cash back on 99 left overs
take all the options and figure out what the invoice is for the car.
I got my 99 in Feb/April for 400 under invoice.
Don't go by sticker price, not many cougars sell for sticker...
my sticker said something like 21-22k, I only paid around 18
Test drive each, good luck.
I would also question the build quality of the Sebring. Although I have owned several Dodge vehicles without any problems, I have herd of major build problems with the Avenger, which I believe is just about the same car as the Sebring. If i'm wrong about this, please correct me.
-Rob
Thanks for clearing that up. I wasn't sure about that.
My final suggestion would be to test drive both cars back to back. Then make a decision.
I have a '99 Cougar V6 w/ conv group and Automatic(I got in June of '99). I have had NO problems with the transmission. Fuel economy: city - 21-22mpg and Highway- 26-27. The best I ever got was about 28 mpg.
No, the v6 Cougar requires 87 octane only. I think it is a waste to get any higher octane. If your new car knocks or pings with 87, get it checked by your dealer.
Reliability: Pretty good. The only problems I have run into are: back hatch did not want to open all the time. This was fixed by dealer. I also have noticed rattles in my dash and hatch. The dealer has been unable to find (or hear) these so I have learned to live with them. Other than that, it have been a wonderful car. I would totally recommend the Cougar. You will also hear some individuals that have had numerous problems with their Cougars. I believe these are LIMITED cases and the car should not be judged solely on these instances.
Why I like this car: Where do I start. It is the best car for the money. Great handleing, great touring car and comfortable. The styling is also awesome. I am sure my other cougar friends will fill in the blanks.
Also, if you want more power, look at the new and coming Cougar S!!!! 200hp.
What year and month was your Cougar built in?
$.02 please...
BTW, when I parked Celica once in front of Mercury dealer the guy thought that this is a cougar.
If you need a bigger trunk then Cougar would be better, but I already have Grand Marquis for the trunk and interstate ride.
At a time I bought Celica it was only ~$500 more than similarily equipped Cougar.
- Intake
- Throttle Body
- Injectors
- Intake Manifold
- Exhaust Manifold
- Exhaust System (Borla dual tip cat-back system)
- Modified computer program
- Stiffer suspension
- Standard leather/heated seats
- Different instrument panel
- Racing type pedals
- Different rear wing
- Different center hubs on wheels
- "S" badging
The limited numbers will make it difficult to get. On average each dealer will only get one. SO that means they will be unwilling to budge on the sticker price, which should be around $23,000.
I have had my Cougar for well over 15 months and I still get comments on it from complete strangers. I'm sure the Celica gets looks and comments, but it's design is to trendy for me, and I personally believe it will look very out of date in a few years time (kind of like all of those teal and purple cars that were so popular in the early 90's. I used to want a purple Camaro back in 1991. I saw one the other day and I asked myself "What was I thinking?).
No the Cougar isn't the fastest car from 0-60mph in it's class, but it has a lot to offer for the price. For instance the world proven Mondaeo platform and the Duratech engine. The car is smooth, responsive, quick off the line, and handles like a champ at speeds well over 90mph. As someone stated, the stock top speed on the V6 MTX (Sports package) is 140mph. With a chip it is raised to 145mph. I personally have tested both top speeds and I found no problem achieving either of them (I would not recommend trying this due to the dangers of driving at such high speeds on public roads).
If your looking for more performance, I would recommend that you purchase the MTX. Either way (ATX/MTX) the Cougar is a great car.
PS - Also, to the person who is getting a refund on their Cougar. I'm sorry that you got stuck with a lemon. But i'm happy that you made FMC make good on it. Remember that all manufacturers produce the occasional lemon. It is unfortunate that you happened to be the unlucky person to get stuck with it, but that doesn't make all Cougars or FMC products lemons.
Practicality, Design attributes, Performance, Reliability are all good things, but if you cut out half of the population for your target market (by that, I mean tall people) then you've already lost the game. I'm very comfortable in the roomy interior of my Cat, and I think I'll keep it that way. Besides, the V6 is smooth, power is sharp, and response is quick. The same can be said about the new Celica too, but only above 5000 or so RPM's.
I'll stick with my Cougar, thank you ...
Yes time will tell, but I wouldn't jump to any conclusions. The Mondaeo platform and the Duratech engine have been proven to be very reliable and to be great performers on a world platform.
Yes the Cougar is an American car, but it was primarily designed and tested in Europe.
I personally don't buy in to that old stigma that foreign cars are better than American cars. This may have been the case in the early 80's, but times have changed. All of my cars have been American and I have never had any major problems with them. All of them have had well over 150,000 miles on them when I sold them. Prudent maintenance is the key with any car.
BTW, what is real mpg for Cougar? With Celica I am getting ~23 in city, not 27 from specs.
My $0.02
BTW - I'm 6'1", have the sunroof, do not recline the seat at all, and have absolutely no problem with interior room. Yes, the backseat is miniscule but hey, my 5-month old daughter hasn't complained about the lack of leg space yet....
Happy in my Cougar ...
Car was bought July, 27 1999
Returned February 18, 1999
total of 7126 miles
-hatch would not release (same as mrpotato1)
-hatch would not close (same as mrpotato1)
-hatch rattle, became loose
-fuel guage would not register full all the time, still doesn't at this time(same as mrpotato1)
-fuel leak
-window molding leaks on both sides, poor design
-window motor and relay burned out
-lumbar adjustment broken
-lumber frame cracked
-headlight, chipping from inside
-third radio/cd replacement
-back-end became loose, needed adjusting
-brakes squeak loudly, all the time
-tremendous amount of brake dust
-brakes would lock up, rub and grind
-dealer ordered wrong part for fuel guage, had to go back
-in shop a total of 28 business days, does not include weekend work days, a total of one week worth of personal time off to pick-up, wait, or go get car. It all adds up and is really annoying.
This car was obviously a lemon. Ford bought it back. It's probably the one in a million that didn't work out, but if you start experiencing that same above problems, watch out. Your troubles are only beginning. so if your Cougar is running great, fabulous. They still look real sharp and shame on toyota for copying the design. Bad, Bad foreign car maker.
p.s. I am now driving a Pontiac Firebird/Formula with the ram-air option, t-tops, 6-speed, etc. the type of car i had before the cougar. should have kept it, but oh well.
With my V6 MTX I get anywhere from 23-30mpg depending on traffic.
Turbos
I've never been to fond of turbos. I'm sure they
have improved over the years, but I would much
rather go with a supercharger.
The only way I would let my Cat be a guinea pig
for something like that is if they were willing to
offer full insurance if this thing blew up my
motor, they would replace it with a new one at no
cost what-so-ever to me. And even then I would be
without a car for the initial install and testing
period, which could last for quite a while. IF it
worked, it would be nice to get a free turbo, but
that's a big "IF".
Good luck to anyone who is willing to try
something like that!
There's a lemon in every bunch. Just to let the rest of you know, my Cougar is still running great, and I would recommend this car to anyone.
Have a great weekend, everyone, and be safe on the roadways!
About that reliabily - once I read a road test report on the new Beetle. The guys loved it, it was rated very reliable, as during the first year they had only "minor" maintainance, like broken latch, handle, seat, rattle, breaks, some engine tuning, airconditioning. The list was almost as long as chaldean's above.
Head room/leg room - I not sure if the following is correct, but FWIW:
Cougar Celica
Front Headroom 42.5" 44.1"
Front Legroom 37.8" 38.4"
Source - right here at Edmunds (check the New Car Section). I've verified the Celica #'s; they agree with both my brochure and the owner's manual. Can't verify the Cougar numbers. When you tried the Celica, did you actually run the seat back.........?
Have you driven a Cougar, by chance? Not to persuade you to get rid of your new Celica, but just as informational ride. I bet you'd understand my view of the interior dimensions.
I think overall, different people are just built differently. It seems you had the same problem with the Cougar that I had with the Celica.
Glad to see so many happy Cougar owners on here. I haven't bought a car in ten years ('90 Cutlass Supreme SL) so was worried I made a poor decision. Reading the comments has been a relief.
I test drove the Celica GT (and 8 other cars). Very nice cockpit, but it didn't have the passing power I like, plus it felt cramped side to side for my tastes, and it was just too insect-y looking.
Congrats on your choice of automobiles! I'm sure you won't be disappointed!
Good Luck With Your New Kitty!
I hope you like your new Cat as much as I like mine. I bought it March 22, 1999 and have 8200 miles on it. I have had absolutely no troubles with it, and still find people asking me what kind of car it is!
I presently own 2 Fords, but with 302 V8 and truck with diesel. The small V6 concerns me.
If you're worried about it, also ask people who own Contours, as they have been on the market for a longer period of time, and are also adorned with the Duratech V6.
I currently have 26,000 miles on my 1999 Cougar V6 MTX and she runs like a dream! I love this car and I love the engine. It is a wonderful balance of power, luxury, and style. The Cougar is a great touring car.
The preceeding massage brought to you by badulah & stageleft!!!!!!!!!