2001 Mercury Cougar Base model 2.0 from North America

Summary:

Sporty appearance, great mileage, dependable and fun

Faults:

Faulty thermostat housing at 134,000 miles.

Sway bar brackets at 134,000 miles.

Valve cover gasket at 147,000.

Passenger front wheel bearing replaced at 155,000.

Front ball joints at 160,000.

Fuel gauge stopped working at 150,000.

General Comments:

The car had 130,000 on the clock when I bought it, so I knew there would be issues at some point. I had done plenty of research and learned enough to avoid the troublesome 6 cylinder/automatic transmission combo.

Although the 4 cylinder 2.0 was no speed-demon, its 125 horsepower was more than sufficient in town & on the highway, and the mileage was admirable (25 MPG in town, 32 to 35 MPG highway).

It was the aesthetics of this car which initially drew me to it; such a unique design! Even now, I miss just "looking" at it. It managed to look sporty without looking cartoon-like.

The stiff suspension was a bit jarring at times, but the car cornered phenomenally. Curvy roads = instant smiles.

The 2.0 proved to be a rock-solid engine; despite the high miles on the car, it never once ended up on the side of the road. No major issues at all, really. Still had the original clutch when I traded it in.

If you find a low-mile Cougar with the 2.0 and a manual transmission, buy it! You will absolutely love driving this car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th April, 2014

12th Apr 2014, 22:47

These cars (and the Contours that they sprang from) have an excellent ride/handling balance. The debit side of the equation is the frequency of repair (which you have seemed to have escaped).

2001 Mercury Cougar from North America

Summary:

Love it! I'm keeping it forever!

Faults:

Cd player stops working for months at a time.

Brakes wear quickly.

A LOT of blind spots.

General Comments:

Very reliable.

Great on gas if you put a decent amount in.

Handles great.

Accelerates very quickly.

Perfect starter car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st May, 2011

2001 Mercury Cougar 2.5L DOHC from North America

Summary:

As long as you didn't pay too much for the car, it's a decent buy

Faults:

This is the second Mercury Cougar I've owned. I owned a '99 Cougar that I bought in 2008 with 75k on it. I only owned the car for 7 months, because after a few months, I started getting extremely poor gas mileage. I brought it to the dealer, suspecting I had a gas leak, and was told nothing was wrong with the car.

The first week I bought the car, the alternator and battery had to be replaced.

I own an '01 Cougar now, and I'm having the same problem with the gas. Whenever I fill the car up, my meter will go down 5 miles for every miles I go, until it reached below half full. Then it's normal.

General Comments:

The leather in the car is pretty decent. If you get the car with cloth, the seats wear pretty quickly.

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

Review Date: 29th December, 2010

2nd Apr 2011, 08:14

I own a 2001 Mercury Grand Marquise, and have had it for about 6 years. Up until last year, I was getting decent mileage. On a trip around 26 - 27 mpg. Around town 19-20. Now that has dropped by about 6 mpg. Can't figure it out.

2001 Mercury Cougar 2.5 V6 from North America

Summary:

Durable

Faults:

Car has 320,000 Southern California miles on it and is still going strong. Original engine and transmission. I have religiously changed the engine oil and transmission fluid per manufacturer specs, and the car has taken care of me.

The transmission has just started slipping a bit, but with 320,000 miles, what can you expect?

The air conditioning no longer works, but it probably just needs a charge.

Interior when cleaned up looks great still.

General Comments:

Handles pretty well and still looks good. Soaks up the miles pretty well.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th October, 2009

2001 Mercury Cougar 2.6 liter V6 from North America

Summary:

Last Ford product we will ever buy

Faults:

Catastrophic engine failure @ 1300 miles - cause not known - replaced with crate engine under warranty - dealer not allowed to examine failed engine.

Windshield washer reservoir cracked/leaked - replaced under warranty.

Seat belt retractor failed - replaced under warranty.

Coil pack failed - replaced @ $500.

Sway bar bushing failed - replaced @ $250.

Driver side exterior door handle failed.

Transmission mainshaft seal leak.

Rubber moldings on antenna rotted/cracked.

Defroster vent/diffuser in dashboard won't stay fastened at end clips.

Graphics/lettering on dashboard faded and worn off.

Cougar emblem on steering wheel has internal pitting.

General Comments:

Liked styling and features of this car. Performance reasonable. Quality abysmal.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 12th July, 2009