2001 Mercury Cougar Reviews, Pricing & Specs

It's a lot more care than one expects. I have owned it since new and it's holding up very well despite me. The interior is stylish and made of good materials. Even after ten years, there are no squeaks or rattles. The upholstery is durable and attractive. The car's performance is decent, but more power would be good. The only trouble has been fuel pumps, which is endemic to Cougars. Gas mileage is low 20's with a manual transmission. Handling and roadholding are very good, way better than expected. This car has the sporty suspension from the Contour SVT / Mondeo ST200 so it corners well while still providing a comfy ride. The Duratec V6 is actually a pretty sophisticated piece and is relatively rev-happy. It's got chain-driven cams which is nice as the car ages. Valve timing stays more precise, and there's no expensive timing belt job to be done.Sep 25, 2010

Pros: Cargasmic engine sound when you floor it. rivals 2001 mustang but looks like and eclipse/celica Cons: 20mpg, automatic does not use the great engine this car was given very well. needs NOS... just sayin Engine sounds nice. fun to drive but it needs 91 octane and I have to fill it up once a week. lots of trunk room, comfy seats. I wish mine was stick. I would have to say this car is Awesome if you like to trick out cars. It's a great starting point. I love my car.Apr 21, 2010

i get pretty good acceleration, but i have a new motor and transmission. better high end acceleration i think though which is very great. handling and breaking is great and sweeps around corners and curves nice. have the low prof tires so rides a little bumpier that most cars with high profs. get about 21 mpg. i think its great to drive, just the right size.Jan 25, 2009

The revised styling for the 2001 zn model and 2002 model is very flashy and doesn't feel dated even though the car is seven years old. The 2.5L 6 cylinder is doggy with the automatic until the tach. hits approx. 3,800 RPMs, and then the car comes to life. The zn model received upgraded suspension which makes the car one of the best cornering vehicles I've been in. I'd compare it to the 3rd generation Tiburon GT when looking at cornering. The only needed repair has been a fuel pump at about 135,000 miles. Very reliable and starts well in cold weather down to at least -20F. Gas mileage is great for highway at about 30 however, city driving is depressing at about 23 in warm temps. and 17 in cold temperatures. This is a fun car to drive and would recomend it as a daily driver. Someone who wants to have reliablillity with mediocre better than average performance for a fairly decent priced vehicle.Dec 08, 2008

Loved the look when they first came out. Many years until I got one and it was a hard car to get hold of due to very limited numbers being sold in Australia. Packed with extras inside and out. I have had the car 2 1/2 years. I have looked at replacing, but even given its age, nothing on the market compares. The cougar is exceptionally reliable and faultless to drive. If you love a great handling car that can fly around corners and bends, the cougar will not dissapoint.Jul 29, 2008

Straight line acceleration of the MTX (manual) is decent, but not anything to brag about (the automatic transmission's acceleration is pretty bad). Performance in the twisties IS something to brag about! Even in stock trim, the MTX V6 can give cars with much more horsepower a real run for their money. In other words, the Cougar shines in the twisties. The Cougar's build quality is pretty solid. The two weak points of the Cougar are the sunroofs and the alternator. Gas mileage with the Cougar is actually pretty good. My MTX V6 Cougar can get over 35 mpg on the highway! This great gas mileage is in part due to the fact that my car has an aftermarket air intake as well as aftermarket exhaust (Trubendz dual cat-back exhaust with a Magnaflow muffler). Overall, the Cougar is a blast to drive. I look for any reason to drive it. In my opinion, the best thing about the Cougar is its looks. I love the '99-'02 Cougars!Jul 23, 2008

This car is a nice riding great handling little car, though it has a lack of power, which could be fixed by having a manual, it has a very low cost of ownership with nothing really going wrong as long as you maintain it. The Cougar is incredibly fun to drive though its power to weight ratio, without the manual and S version engine, is somewhat lacking.Apr 02, 2008

Not impressed with the car's quality. Had many problems with it, but when i look back, i didn't really take too much care of it either. Drove it like it's stolen. Considering its a 2.5 liter v6, it could have had a little more horse power, and a lot more torque. Somebody said that the brakes are weak. I think brakes are very good. Car is a little heavier, but the brakes have been doing their job for me so far. Car has good looks, and nice handling. Even though i've had quite many problems with it, i would still recommend this car to any1.Jan 15, 2008