Faults:

Drop links replaced at 90000.

Alternator replaced at 96000.

General Comments:

Personally I can't fault this car. It eats the motorway miles and is very comfortable. The boot is huge and can easily accommodate 4 person's luggage.

This is the third one I have owned now, and love the way they drive.

The auto was very nice to drive, although the CD4E gearbox was not the best in the world, and can be a little jumpy between gears. They can be prone to problems around 100,000 miles.

The manual VX ones are the one to go for; everything you could ask for in a car, plenty of power on tap when needed, leather, cruise control, heated seats, air con. What more could you ask for?

As for the looks, they still look stunning, even in a car park full of newer cars.

One thing you have to remember, the Cougar is not really a sports car, it's a sports tourer. Do don't expect blistering performance from it, although you can do a few mods with ST200 inlets and throttle body etc to unleash some more power, and greatly improve throttle response.

The only down side is the rising cost of fuel these days, but never fear as the big cat can still return a good 35-38 MPG on a run, and if you drive sensibly round town, you can average 22-24 MPG, which is not bad for a big V6.

All in all, a lot of car for your money. Look for a low mileage one and check wishbones, drop-links for play, and the rear subframe for any rust. Other than that, you can't go wrong.

Faults:

Clutch replaced at approx 90,000 miles - £450.

Timing belt replaced at approx 100,000 miles - £220.

Wishbones are on their way - £400ish.

General Comments:

The car still looks very modern and goes fairly well, however does drink fuel when driven briskly.

The best MPG I've achieved is 46MPG on a long motorway run, which is good for a 2.0 engine in a heavy car.

At the moment, the main point to watch out for when buying is that the front wishbones have been replaced, as the rubbers can't be replaced; it has to be the whole unit, which costs around £250, plus a few hours labour costs for fitting.

I've serviced mine with new oil / filter every 8000 miles, and the engine is still running sweet as a nut.

The boot is enormous for a coupe, and the rear bucket seats can fit a couple of adults easily.

Used prices for Cougar's are rock bottom now, and are a great buy - especially considering you get climate control, CD player, ABS, electric windows + loads more kit as standard.

Faults:

Nothing, no problems.

General Comments:

Great car, huge fun to drive, still looks stunning after 10 years, one of Fords best ever cars.

Been very reliable, low insurance for a sports car, and low service costs, being a Ford.

Faults:

Alternator replaced.

One month later the alternator and battery needed replacing.

General Comments:

The car is a good drive, but has a number of design flaws.

I have read the comments on this site with interest, but it's too late as I have now got my cougar!!! Funnily enough people in the UK do not seem to have had as many problems with their cars. Most have manual transmission and the sunroof was not fitted too many cars.

Here are a few tips I have gleaned along the way.

1. Engine life is greatly increased if the oil level is always kept at max.

2. Replace oil every 3K miles with proper Ford 5W-30 Formula E.

3. Always have half a tank of fuel at least to make sure that fuel pump is cooled by fuel.

4. Boot release can be sorted by fitting a second spring (Ford changed this on MK2 version).

5. Most battery/alternator problems can be prevented by doing the following 3 things. Uprating the wiring from the alternator to the battery, the alternator earth, and battery earth. Ford's standard is way too thin. (will be getting this done next week.) This also cures the flickering lights.

6. You can change the rims and tyres from the standard Cougar ones to get cheaper tyres.

7. If you got the loud noise on starting (called moosing), it is an easy fix done by changing one of the tubes in the air intake assembly.

8. Always make sure that the washer watertank is full to max to prevent water fluid low level light coming on.

9.Don't use a car wash if you don't want the windows to leak.

10. Make sure all running gear inside the door for the windows is well greased to prevent them sticking.

Last but not least, get friendly with a local mechanic who knows how things really work!! Join a Cougar specific forum.