Used 2000 Mercury Cougar Consumer Reviews
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Sporty in looks, Tame under the hood
Looks great. Harsh handling in steering wheel. Excellent breaking power. Sluggish reaction to gas pedal. Needs more "getup and go", surprising for the horsepower of the V6. Almost think I'm driving a V-Tech with the poor performance in low RPMs. Rigid body-nice for the turns. Poor stock tires, hard rubber that wears normally. Road noise excessive for the poor performance. If it was a true sports car, noise would be consistent. Replacement tires difficult to find and expensive(avg of $120 installed). Fit and finish excellent. Had difficulties with the hatchback trunk cover breaking repeatedly.
Great ride, but falls apart too quick
Like many of the reviewers for this car, I started having troubles from day one, nothing too major front headlight was out and a recall for the steering, but still frustrating. My major problem with the car is the fuel system. Troubles started in 2003. I started running out of gas even though the gauge said there was gas in the tank. Now (2007) I can't let the car go below a 1/2 tank without worrying that I may run out of gas. I just replaced the alternator. The cupholder is dangerous. Sounds silly, but wait till you make a tight right turn in one of these babies and have a lap full of scalding coffee. Great handling, fun design. All trunk no backseat. Not good for people over 5'5".
Problems, problems
The car has been in the shop for numerous rattles, one air conditioner squeak. And, it has broken down three times for the brake safety sensor failure, thus leaving me stranded. The car will not go into gear when the sensor and brake lights fail. The service department doesn't know what is wrong. The car has been in the shop, maybe, 19 times for various repairs.
Great all around
weelll i got the 2000 v6 mercury cougar, and i have to say. its very appeling to the eye, great handling and i love the exterior and interior. I've added a few things to my cougar to make it a bit to, well how can i say this, so it could look more like a true sports car. ITS look beutiful. I've added a kit, spoiler, rims, z3 fender, and a top of the line pantjob. with these improvement the mercury cougar beat the celica, eclipse,civc and probable any other mid-size sport car
Great Car
I bought my Cougar new in early 2000 and other than oil changes and very minor problems, it has performed flawlessly. It handles great (compare it to a Grand Am and you will see what I mean) and has adequate power. This was a vehicle that cost around 20K and it should not be compared to more expensive sports cars. I found that if I needed extra power, I could switch overdrive off and it made a huge difference. Just a fabulous blend of power and great gas mileage. It is highly refined and the V6 is silky smooth. Wonderful exterior lines and there aren't a lot of them on the road.
No complaint, for what it when through
I bought this car new in August 2000, fully loaded except for leather. I have driven the car very very aggressively from day one. Except for an alternator problem 1 1/2 yr ago. Had no problem. I have driven this car everyday since new, I have no back vehicle. Currently have 340,000kms on the car now, and plan to keep it until I have to dig a hole and bury it. All I can say is "take it for what it is." It a nice inexpensive sports car that looks good. If you are looking for a Sunday afternoon drive car, this is not it.
My Cougar
I bought this Cougar as a first car in 2006 and so far it has been a pretty grear car. It is an absolute blast to drive! It could use a smoother ride and a new cup holder! I have recently had some odd issues with my electrical (Gauges act weird when started and mirrors and courtesy light just stopped working.) So far nothing major has gone wrong with it though (crossed fingers!)
My Cougar
I have been looking for recalls on the powered moonroof but I don't really see any. Mine is not opening at all, when I push the button, it sounds like it is opening but it's not. I just bought this car from a car dealer a month ago. I can, however, tell I am in need of an alternator soon! Thank God my dad was a mechanic and I learned a lot from him. But overall, I really love this car. It is jet black, leather interior, awesome sounds stereo (CD Player Equipped), Sporty, I just love it. I did get it used, but as with any vehicle, no matter make, model, year, new or used, you are bound to have problems. Take it to a mechanic before you purchase it to see if it's worth the price before buying!
Decent Car
The Cougar is a fun, sporty car, so it turns tightly, rides stiffly, and the 5 speed manual shifts smoothly. But I have been unimpressed with the build quality. I changed my grille, put a new driver side mirror on, and ran subwoofer cables, so I have taken apart a lot of the car. Almost everything snaps together! You know what holds the bumper on? Plastic pins. Most everything is plastic, especially the dash. And oh, what a noisy, squeaky dash it is, too. Drives me crazy. All in all, I'd say the Cougar is a decent car, but the build quality worries me, and I am going to soon upgrade to something more reliable and better quality.
Bought a Pretty Car & that's what I got!
I bought my 2000 V6 Cougar used and drove it for 2 years with little incident, nothing but routine maintenance. In the two following years I replaced the alternator twice ($600 a pop), manifold intake gaskets about $500, rear brake caliper broke causing brake failure (I would be dead if not for engine brake) $600 for new caliper assemblies and pads. I have also "run out of gas" - completely stalled - when going up hill with 1/4 tank of gas! Had my car towed to the shop just to have it start and run just fine, the second time I topped it up with a jerry can and it was fine. Not yet replaced a fuel pump but it's not running well and I've been told that or dirt in the fuel tank, we'll see.
Fun car
I just bought my 2000 Cougar V6 with every option it could possibly have. It had some of the problems I read about in these reviews like stalling and the electrical but I brought it to a Mercury dealership 7 times till they got it right. They replaced the fuel pump, egr valve several vaccum lines. Every once in a while the engine light comes back on and it's just a vaccum line came off the egr valve. Just put it back on and the light turns off after a cycle or 2. It's been running great since I just put a Cougar banner across the windshield and an aem ram air intake. It gave the car a mean growl to it. Now I'm just waiting for my new exhaust..
Smooth & sweet
I've had this car since 2005. I'm very happy with this ride. Traded a Buick Riveria (very sweet) in to get this Cougar. She's got the looks and power. Ready for new struts now,comfort is a must!!!
Just Say NO
Cougars are really beautiful cars. BUT don't let looks fool you! Mechanically, this car is awful. The interior & exterior lights would flicker horribly. At night, I could barely see. & eventually, it got to the point where I wouldn't even drive the car at night. I would feel the car begin to sputter & shake whenever I drove uphill. I tried to help these problems but after 4 alternators, a complete rewiring, new struts & a new rear axle: I traded it in! It was so disheartening to think that I had such a hot car but I didn't feel safe in it. I hated driving it so much that in the 4 years I had the car, I only put 20,000 miles on it. I would not recommend a Cougar to anyone.