1975 Mercury Cougar XR-7 review from North America
"A stylish mid size car that can easily be turned into a sleeper"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Replaced entire hydraulic brake system, rotors and drums, exhaust system, radiator.
No other repairs other than normal maintenance.
General comments?
Car was purchased with the intention of swapping out the original 351 engine and replacing it with a 429 from my previous car.
The car had vinyl seats which were uncomfortable in extreme weather. Very nicely styled, comfortable easy to drive car. Plenty of room for 2 adults in the front, but back seat was lacking any real leg room. The interior was easy to keep clean and did not show its age, the seats and door panels did not crack.
Windshield wipers had a chronic chatter that would return after a few months after replacing the wiper arms and blades.
Original 351 engine was a poor performer and delivered terrible gas mileage. The swapped in 429 solved the performance problems, but gas mileage never rose above 15 mpg.
Other repairs to the car were normal considering the age and mileage of the vehicle.
The heaviest possible springs were installed and the handling and ride of the car improved greatly. It would corner and brake very well for a car of its weight.
Trunk was large, but location of fuel filler pipe seriously limited the size of large items that could be placed in it.
Comfort, ride and noise levels were not up to that of larger luxury cars, but was acceptable.
Styling was classic, it had the same lines as the Lincoln MK IV and opera windows. Badly pitted trim around headlights and tail lights made the car look rough, but its light green paint and darker green 1/2 vinyl top made it a real head turner.
It was a real head turner and could give any of the "performance" cars a good run with its bigger engine. Handled exceptionally well, but was very prone to fish tail on slippery roads. Once 'modified' the car was as much of a performance car as it looked.
It was a true "sleeper". Would like to build another one some day.
Recommended reviews
| I really like the body style |
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| 1978 - Cougar XR-7 351 Windsor It is the bomb, glad to be restoring it |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1975 |
| First year of ownership | 1983 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1986 |
| Engine and transmission | 351cu in 2bbl Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 90000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 135000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Thunderbird |
| Date of Entry | 14th February, 2004 |