1999 Ford Cougar V6 review from North America

I bought the car in May of 08. I had wrecked my Cavalier at Christmas, and had only been allowed to start driving again in April.

When I got it, I had to fix some minor things in it, no big deal. Someone had tried unsuccessfully to cut the cat con out.

In the beginning I was pretty excited. The car is what you would consider fully loaded, the whole nine yards. It was by far the nicest car I had ever owned.

In July, on a weekend trip, the transmission slipped and quit working, with no warning. I managed to get it home, only to have it sit in the basement for two months.

After two new sensors, and almost a hundred dollars, my father finally admitted it was the trans, and we couldn't fix it. So we paid a local auto repair shop to do it, because the dealer tried to screw us once we had the car up there. That visit to the dealership still cost me 150, not counting the gas to haul a car there and back.

The local auto shop was honest and up front, a first, and charged us 3050, removal, installation, and Ford re-manufactured transmission with 100k or three year warranty. I wasn't taking chances.

As I was driving it home, the alternator went out. To have that fixed, 340, not counting the gas to take it up and back.

I've had the car for not even three hundred miles, and I've already put more into the car than I paid for it.

If this is how it's going to be, then I'm getting rid of this car. The only good thing about it is the previous owner replaced the engine, so it's pretty new. So I guess I practically have a new car between the trans and engine.

The body is in fantastic shape, and the exterior is perfect. Cosmetically it's superb, but so far, mechanically, it's lacking.

As far as how it drives and handles, I love it. I love everything about the car except the cost of all the parts.