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My first car (used 1999 Mercury Cougar??)

T

Techie333

Platinum Member
Well I am going to be getting my first car real soon and i need advice. I was checking out some site and found a 1999 mercury cougar for $10800 w/ 50k......now im sure this is negotiable but are mercurys in general good cars?
Aren't they a division of Ford? 🙁
Any tales of how your friend's Cougar blew up 1 year after he bought it?
 
I loved the Cougar when it came out, but I wouldn't buy one now. Their resale value is horrible. $10,800 with 50K is pretty high.

The Cougar is based off of the Contour/Mystique. I had a Contour and it was a typical Ford POS. Great car to drive, definitely - the 2.5L V6 engine is awesome for this price range - but it was built to quintessential Ford standards: zilch. Mercury had $2000 rebates on the 2001's a few months ago, which is a warning sign that these cars aren't selling.

I used to read the Cougar forums on edmunds...lots of problems. If you were raised on Japanese cars, you'd hate the Cougar. If you were raised on Tempos or Cavaliers, then maybe you wouldn't mind.
 


<< Aren't they a division of Ford? >>



Actually that car was originally going to be the 3rd gen Ford Probe. As you may or may not know I'm a big fan of Ford Probe's (though I like the older ones).
 
For 10 grand, I'd be looking at a year old ZX2 with about 15000 and the remainder of the factory warranty transfered. Mazda based powertrain and a very solid car. Very popular as well!
 
At 50,000 miles you are starting to get into general engine maintance time. From what I've heard, labor bills are not cheap on the 2.5L Duratec. It's just a pain in the but engine to work with.

I had a '95 Mystique with that engine mated to a 5 speed tranny. Fun car to drive though!
 
I wouldn't get the newer Cougars with the Duratec 4. I've driven them and they are real sluggish. The V6 models are nice, I was actually thinking about buying one with the 0% financing and all, but they don't have enough cargo room for my needs.
 
Yhea....it though so....i donno about mercurys and ford as i was brought up on the japanese cars. I like new Cougar design....considering it was made to appeal to younger audiences and I am in that range...but if it is POS engine and all, forget it.

The Ford Escort.......i donno.....it looks alright and all but I try to stay away from Fords as much as possible........unless a some more people think that escort is good....

Any other people that actually own a Cougar? How is it?
Any other ideas for good used car around 10K?
Thanks.
 
Some more questions......sorry im a newbie in cars.

Isn't the 1999 I4 Mercury Cougar Engine a Zetec I4 (mazda based SOLID powertrain? same as ford escort zx2?)

What about a 1999 Mercury Mystique w/ 30K for $9000?

EDIT: OR A 1998 mazda protege w/41K for $8500?
 
Hiya Techie,

I have a 1999 Mercury Cougar V6 Coupe, and I have fixed feelings on it.

The good points are that it looks cool, and that it's really fun to drive. It also has a really cool flip-out cupholder and a trip computer, and attracts attention while on the road. That's not always a good thing, however, as I got a few speeding tickets on the highway that I probably wouldn't have received otherwise.

The bad points are mostly mechanical. So far, there have been at least six safety recalls on this car. I've also had two major problems with it, and one of them left me with a car that I couldn't start for a couple of days. Some other little things, like a stuck lock and an automatic trunk release that wouldn't work, were easily fixed by the dealer.

I'd say that it's a decent second car, but I'd pick something more reliable as my primary set of wheels. Oh, and if you get one, try to get it in silver. Most people agree that the car looks it's sharpest in that color.
 
The Zetec four cylinder is a FORD engine (as found in the Contour, Mystique, Cougar, Escape, ZX2 and Focus). 100% Ford. Nothing Mazda about it. I dunno about the SPI that's in the normal Escort and base Focus though (and I think those two use different engines, 1.9 vs. 2.0? Dunno much about em). That one could have a Mazda heritage.

Contours, Cougars, Mystiques.. they're all a pain in the butt to work on.

Cougar website

I'd get the Cougar over the Mystique. The Contour/Mystique lineup has a crappy waterpump that goes at 60,000 miles. Plastic impeller just kinda goes away. Cougars don't have that problem. They're both based on the CDW-27 platform. Think of the Cougar as a 2 door Contour/Mystique.

The Duratec is a gem of an engine. It's used all over the place in Ford's lineup in various forms... 3.0L is used in the Taurus and Escape, bigger versions in the LS and X-Type. In SVT Contour trim it was on Ward's 10 Best list. Listen to that sucker go at 7000RPM.. music to your ears!

Good friend of mine has a 99 Cougar. It hasn't been back to the dealer except for one recall. Not because there aren't any more recalls, he just refuses to let them touch his car.
 


<< EDIT: OR A 1998 mazda protege w/41K for $8500? >>



That would be my choice of those mentioned. The Protege has received a bunch of awards!

Btw, back in the eighties a company I worked for finally settled on Mazdas as the car they bought. Yes, the cheapie 323! Good base price and supberb reliability. We put about 60,000 or so a year on them. When they were sold with 120,000 plus on them there was a waiting list!

The Protege is just that 323 evolved. Great little car!

For that matter, that is where the Escort/Zx2 came from.
 
I would look into something more reliable for a first car I mean you probably dont have 3-4k to put down on repairs so I would go the safer way ang get an imported vehicle or at least a GM vehicle.
 


<< I would look into something more reliable for a first car I mean you probably dont have 3-4k to put down on repairs so I would go the safer way ang get an imported vehicle or at least a GM vehicle. >>



And what leads you to believe the Cougar is unreliable? Everyone that I've talked to, in person or on the internet, loves their car. Very few problems, and the problems that do arise don't cost $3000-$4000 to fix.
 
I don't know what type of vehicle you are looking for specifically, but a great buy would be a '98 or '99 Olds Intrigue w/ the 3.8L engine.

They have absolutely dismal resale which for you would be a good thing. You'll get a lot of car for you $$. The 3.8L is probably one of the best 6 cylinder engines out there short of Nissan's 3.0L. The 3.8 puts out a heck of a lot power, and it'll pull 30 miles to the gallon the highway.

The Intrigue itself is a pretty nice car. Lots of room, very good saftey features, and since it's a four door it'll really help you out on insurance(I'm assuming you're younger (> 25 years old).

You can easily nab an intrigue in your price range.
 


<<

<< It was made by a company based in the US.... >>



Ignorance must be bliss... >>



Isn't the Cougar still manufactured in Michigan? Sure, most of the electronic components are produced in foreign countries, but it's still about as much of an "American car" that you can find today.
 
I wasn't referring to the Cougar, but to the comment which was meant to bash US automobiles.

I've had more of both than any ten members you can name most probably. Some of the biggest POS cars made came from Germany, France and Japan. Upkeep after a few miles is usually many times more expensive than a US equivalent.

Btw, I own 2 Mitsubishis and 2 Fords. My 1977 Ford Truck has no equal in the import world imho. Yes, I've owned French, Swedish, English and Japanese cars and motorcycles.
 
They're nice cars, but be nice on the tranny. They seem to be a down key for the platform 🙁

I'm a BIG fan of the Duratec engine line. If you want to see some of the common problems that guys have with the engine/chassis, check out Contour.org and they have a lot people that you can talk with there. The main concern is that its not to hard to oil starve these cars, but with proper maintenence, they'll run just as long as any honda.
 
For instance...a certain Honda SUV with a dohc motor...Passport I think....had a clogged oil gallery in the rocker are assembly. These holes are TEENEY! About the size of a needle! The assembly looks like it belongs on a motorcycle. The replacement cost $600! That was dealer cost without labor. I'll stick with my Fords thanks!
 


<< They're nice cars, but be nice on the tranny. They seem to be a down key for the platform 🙁
 >>



Wheel hop = blow up the diff. MTX-75 is kinda weak in that respect. A Quife or Torsen diff solves the problem, but is kinda costly to install. Know a couple folks that have had to tow their cars from the drag strip. Tell the dealer "I was just at a red light waiting for it to go green, but it wouldn't go anywhere." They don't need to know about the row of yellows before the green...



<< check out Contour.org and they have a lot people that you can talk with there. >>



Like me! I have more posts there than I do here! coldair.org is the mailing list I run for Contours...
 
10 grand for the first car?

Dude I got a 76 ford maverick for $350 as my first car. four doors and green velour OH BABY!
 
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