1999 Mercury Cougar V6 from North America

Summary:

Get the stick!

Faults:

My power sunroof broke it's tracking arm and stopped moving. Luckily it was closed. Even luckier to have bought the extended warranty because it cost $1200 to replace it.

Driver's seat fabric does not stay tucked into the plastic very well.

Driver's cup holder isn't very effective for preventing tip-overs. The passenger may knock it onto your lap rather easily.

Trunk does not open without a hand waiting to lift it up as soon as you hit the remote switch.

Keys cost way too much at $80 a pop.

General Comments:

I love cruising down I-55 at 85 mph and still having power to kick it up a notch.

Cornering on Lake Shore Drive is seriously fun.

I should have bought the manual transmission.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 22nd February, 2003

1999 Mercury Cougar 4cyl 2.0 Ztech from North America

Summary:

A piece of junk

Faults:

Transmission. This car has found it's home in the shop. I have found it loves the garage. The transmission has locked several times. 2nd and 3rd gears went out, the shift mechanism went out, 1st gear went out, now it's locked up in 3rd gear again. The clutch has been replaced as well. it's been in the shop for 3 months now...

General Comments:

I would not recommend this car to anyone. and I feel sorry for the person who gets it when I trade it in!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 6th January, 2003

9th Feb 2003, 19:56

I feel sorry for you, but I have to disagree with you on the "piece of junk" statement. A majority of the people who get these cars are very satisfied with them and a majority of the machines are quality made. You have just had the misfortune of receiving a reject.

8th Jun 2003, 12:55

I have a 1999 Cougar and I love it! I haven't had one bad experience with my car. Every Make and Model of a car have their glitches. You just happened to get the transmission glitch. Maybe this car wasn't for you.

14th Jun 2003, 01:27

I have to say I also disagree with is being a "piece of junk" I also have a 99 cougar and I absolutely love it! I haven't had a single problem with it and I would absolutely recommend a cougar to anyone! It's a great car. I am very glad I purchased it!

10th Dec 2003, 13:22

I have to disagree with you also. Unfortunately there are lemons out there and it sounds as though you have had some very bad luck.

My 99 Cougar runs like a dream. Out of curiosity, have you had the transmission flushed? I did...I've had no problems what so ever.

My cougar is my baby and honestly, I'd love to have another!

11th Oct 2006, 15:55

My 2001 Mercury Cougar is a LEMON! I purchased it used in 2004 and I've spent over $6000.00 to date on it, including having the alternator replaced twice, the fuel pump, and various other mechanical problems. It is a piece of crap!

11th Apr 2008, 20:38

I have to say, I hate my Cougar. I have a '99 and it is once again in the shop. I am getting ready to put another alternator in it. I also have a bunch of other issues that I am getting ready to fix on it.

I am going to going to sell my Cougar after I get the important things fixed on it. Then, buying another car, and it sure as heck isn't going to be another Cougar.

1999 Mercury Cougar Sport V6 2.5L Duratec 24 Valve from North America

Summary:

A thrill on a tight budget

Faults:

Nothing major has gone wrong so far.

Minor things, such as the stock CD player's removable face's connectors will break apart and the Stereo will temporarily go off.

General Comments:

First thing first, everyone wants to know about the performance. This car is not the biggest monster, but it can hold its own. One hundred and seventy horsepower doesn't sound like a lot, but for a 3,000 lbs car it is plenty. This car can easily get over a hundred and if the chip didn't stop it at 109 mph then I'm sure it could reach 120 mph. The maneuverability of this car surprised me when I first got it. It can take corners better than any car in its class. It also gets good gas mileage, for a sports car. It will get 30 miles per gallon on the open road and interstate and about 20 miles per gallon in the city. I'm very sure of this car and its abilities and it would easily beat any stock Grand Am's and I would even stack it up against V8 Mustangs.

Now for the next item, the interior. The European styling is very sharp. But the cloth seats are not winning comfort points. They are rather hard and on long rides you can get a major backache. The rear bucket seats remind me of the muscle cars of old, but like those cars they are uncomfortable. To add on to that you must be shorter than 5 ft 8 to fit in the back. Now if given the choice for either leather or cloth seats, go with the leather, they are so much more comfy.

The comforts in this car are good, but could be improved. A more powerful stereo possibly with sub woofers and an amplifier. The air conditioning is good and the heat performs excellently. The driver side seat can maneuver 6 ways and can be adjusted to fit anyone.

I have some suggestions if you want to buy this excellent car.

*Look for leather

*Get a V6, not a weenie 4 cylinder

*Look for a used one with about 30,000 miles because it is about half the cost of new one.

*Get a stick if you want to race.

Finally, I think this car is a thrill and it is a thrill on a tighter budget.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th December, 2002

28th Apr 2003, 17:38

I have a Cougar too, and everything you said was true. I did get subs and an amp because the factory sound wasn't good enough. I've never tried sitting in the back seat, but my little sister says it is terrible. Yours gets a lot better gas mileage than mine. Be thankful of that.

6th Jun 2003, 19:33

I also have a '99 Cougar V6 and agree about the previous items mentioned, including the first guy's mileage is better than mine as well. I didn't adjust my computer, but mine is regulated at 128mph at 4000rpms. I did have a few issues with mine. The brakes are all always squeaky, I had to replace the steel lines for my power steering at about 70,000 miles and my rack and pinion right after. But other than that, once again I agree it is a great car to have.

26th May 2004, 21:28

I also owned a cougar. ha, but I crashed it and ended up totaling it. so I obviously don't have one anymore. I now own a blazer, but I am going to go and buy a new cougar soon. I agree with the automatic thing. Mine was auto and it sucked. I am going to get stick asap. But all around it was a great car.

In reply to 6th Jun 2003, 19:33

12th May 2011, 07:11

Ha. I myself got a Cougar and I get around 30 miles to the gallon and I also have a stick.

It's a great drifting car if I must say, but the bad part is the back stabilizers are weak and mine bent due to drifting. I fixed that myself and the part was forty bucks. I don't mind that every couple of years.

It's worth the thrill and my Cougar was getting 0-60 in about 6.5 sec. I blew her though but I'm putting in a new motor because it's well worth it.