Fuel Infection

So here’s the deal; the Cougar is Mercury’s attempt to grab a younger demographic.  The 2001 Cougar Zn (for “zinc,” from which the bright yellow color comes) certainly looks the part, with enough sharp edges and triangles and hood scoops and spoilers to give it a drive-on role in the sequel to “The Fast and the Furious,” this past summer’s modern-hot-rodder B-movie.  The eyecatching looks are both solution to the four year-old Cougar’s wallflower status, and part of the problem.  Like many other factory scoop-and-spoiler jobs, the Cougar Zn has the looks but lacks a serious sporting edge underneath the skin.

Mercury needs an image, badly.  Don’t worry, though, parent company Ford is working on it.  The current lineup is moving quickly to phase out the number of blatant Ford clones–the Mountaineer just underwent a complete redesign which gives it some visual distinction from the Explorer, for instance.  The Grand Marquis soldiers on, pleasing the middle-age and above buyers who have always bought it.  And down at the other end of the lineup is the Cougar, to give Mercury an “in” with the younger buyer.  Mercury desperately needs to appeal to a younger demographic.  The Cougar is a nice effort, but is it the right one?

The design is three years old, but still looks up-to-date.  The overwhelmingly triangular and feline Cougar makes an interesting contrast to the “geo-mechanical” Mitsubishi Eclipse, smooth and round Acura RS-X and the similarly catlike Toyota Celica, with whom it competes.  The Cougar’s headlights and grille ride a smooth, crisp character line that undulates around the front of the car and arches over the rear wheels.  This arch leads into the slightly tapered tail, which is accentuated by the triangular taillights.  The taillights literally stand out from the smooth, aerodynamic body with a pair of large round “bubbles” on the triangular surface.  The only disharmonious elements are those that have been added for the Cougar Zn Edition; the large, fake hood scoop and multi-angled spoiler.  The Cougar looks better without both.  Seventeen-inch wheels with black accents are part of the Zn package as well.  The bright yellow paint is, of course, a matter of taste.

If there was any doubt as to if the Cougar belongs in the same club as the coupes from Mitsubishi and Toyota, it is dispelled from the driver’s seat; one of the prerequisites for this club seems to be poor rear visibility.  The Cougar’s cabin is snug and friendly for two; the rear seat should be considered decorative.  Black leather bucket seats with a bright yellow Cougar logo identify the Zn model; that yellow cougar is on the floormats as well.  Mercury has foregone the typical bland Ford dash for a multi-hued, multi-textured cockpit.  The Cougar’s put together from nice materials, and the complete lack of cheap-looking plastic is refreshing.  Look closely; the pedals have aluminum pads, a classy, sportscar touch.  Overall it’s a nice place to drive from.

Here’s the real problem; the Cougar doesn’t know how to dance.  The 2.5 liter DOHC V6 in our test car was hampered by a decidedly non-performance-oriented four-speed automatic transmission.  It’s a smooth-running motor, and 170 horsepower should be perfectly adequate for the Cougar, but downshifts take far too long in coming.  The shifter is also reluctant to hold a gear for hard acceleration.  On the freeway, the tranny settles down and lets the motor work, but there’s still a tendency to hunt for gears on long grades.  The available five-speed manual should be an improvement; it’s also available with a high-output version of the 2.5 V6 that adds twenty-six more horsepower.

With a fully independent, multilink suspension similar to that of other great-handling Fords like the Focus and Contour, the Cougar Zn should at least be a lock for a decent handler, right?  Well, not exactly.  The Cougar Zn is much like a high-performance car–say, a Celica–that has retired, quit exercising and let itself go.  The muscles are still there, but the reflexes seem to be gone.  Even with that big, grippy 17″ wheel and tire combo, it’s slow to react to steering inputs.  The ride is firm, but lacks the confident, planted feeling of the better sports cars.  Anti-lock brakes and traction control are optional.

On the plus side, it’s not expensive.  Cougars start at $17,200.  The Cougar Zn starts at a bit over $20,000, which includes an in-dash six-CD changer, and the special Zn trim.  Our test car added traction control, side airbags, and a leather interior, and stickered for $23,665.

The Cougar is a good car, so long as it’s not asked to be a serious performance car.  Buyers drawn by the boy-racer looks should take heed; those spoilers are writing checks that the Cougar Zn won’t be able to cash, compared to its competition from Honda and Toyota.  This is the soul of the old, plush, boulevard Cougar wrapped up in a new, svelte shell.  Compared to more conservative cars like the Pontiac Grand Am or Saturn coupe, however, the Mercury Cougar makes an excellent, less staid alternative.

Specifications:
All specs are for the 2001 Mercury Cougar Zn, which we tested.
Length:     185.0 in.
Width:        69.6 in.
Height:        52.2 in.
Wheelbase:    106.4 in.
Curb weight:    3200 lb. (est.)
Cargo space:    14.5 cu.ft.
Base price:    $20,595
Price as tested: $23,190
Engine:     2.5 liter 24-valve DOHC V6
Drivetrain:     four-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Horsepower:     170 @ 6250
Torque:     165 @ 4250
Fuel capacity:    15.5 gal.
Est. mileage:    20/29

6/2009 update: Cougars aren’t too thick on the ground these days, though the folks who have them are very proud of them.  I know this, because when this review originally ran, I got hate mail and high-school grade death threats from a bunch of irate Cougar owners who were incensed that I that the gall to not love the car.  Hell, I didn’t even think I panned it that badly–it was a decent car, just not awesome.  That said, if y’all are still out there, my opinion of the Cougar hasn’t changed, and the years have not been kind to its gimmicky “New Edge” styling, either.  It’s decent and it’s different, and that’s what it’s got going for it, end of story.