1987 Mercury Cougar LS 20TH ANNIVERSARY review from North America

All of the following were replaced after the vehicle exceeded 150,000 miles (10 - 12 years old) :

Starter.

Heater core and radiator.

Alternator.

Water pump.

All hoses.

Exhaust system.

I should have the accelerator cable replaced because it sticks every now and then when first getting in the car.

Minor "expected" replacements include: tires, brakes, wheel bearings, rear wheel bearing, shocks and struts, O2 sensor, plugs, rotor, distributor cap.

I still own the car, and as of 10/20/03 it has 178,000 miles with the original engine, timing chain (never adjusted), transmission, rack & pinion steering, and still runs great. I expect to easily pass 200,000 miles, and maybe 250,000 or 300,000 before replacing the engine.

Very comfortable, and one of the most quiet cars when driving on the highway (not much road or wind noise).

No lie. In the past, I have made 2 trips from Charlotte, NC to Detroit, MI (650 miles) on 1 tank (22 gallons) of gas. Driving "nice" on highway expect 28-30 MPG, if the engine is in good shape. Explained by overdrive and 2.73 rear end gear. Going 45 MPH the car is only doing 1000 rpm, and at 70 MPH it is doing around 1800 RPM.

Huge trunk compared to import cars.

Traction could be better when trying to accelerate from start on wet roads. (Maybe more expensive tires would help???) It doesn't take much gas to spin the tires which may be explained by the 270 lbs of torque at a low 2000 RPM.

No reason to even consider buying an import with the proven reliability of this car.