Edmunds’ Specialist Assessment
Unique styling, well-tuned suspension system, big cargo neighborhood. Speed from four-cylinder product cannot match racy looks, heavy steering, jeopardized outward exposure.
Car review
And don’t count on Cougar users are cross-shopping for any fantastic Marquis; this kitty kat aims at another type of audience.
Showcasing Ford’s temporary brand-new sides concept theme, Cougar’s see brings together smooth, curved major forms with creased straightedge information. Many interesting elements of the Cougar’s looks are the cat’s-eye headlamps with smoked lenses, large triangular taillights, cut doorways and bonnet, and also the character line that works across the reduced portion of the greenhouse.
Underneath this attractive facial skin is components which can be so much more familiar. The Cougar is built for a passing fancy European-engineered system that produced the outdated Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique. Additionally, it shares around 70 percent of their portion with those two lifeless entry-level but fun-to-drive sedans.
As such, the Cougar try endowed with an outstanding suspension, natural maneuvering personality and effective brakes. This means plenty of fun on curvy streets. The single thing slowing the Cougar all the way down try the hefty direction sense and motors that don’t quite carry out up to par together with the automobile’s exciting looks. Ford provides possibly a 125-horsepower four-cylinder system or a 2.5-liter V6 that produces 170 horsepowerpared to your motors based in the Acura RSX additionally the Volkswagen GTI, the Cougar is a bit shy on energy. Traction regulation can be found throughout the V6 recreation, but the audience isn’t convinced you’ll need they.
Mercury was actually initially about to promote a high-performance version called the Cougar S a year ago, detailed with the outdated Ford SVT shape’s stunning motor, but Detroit escort girls that vehicles has-been shelved. As an alternative, two special editions — the XR and C2 — can be found as soon as you select the Cougar V6 recreation. The XR try sheathed in special reddish or black colored paint and adventures on 17-inch machined aluminum rims complete with black-painted harbors and red-colored heart hats. In addition it have a rear spoiler and unconvincing artificial bonnet scoop. The C2 becomes unique French Blue paint, with French Blue instrumentation and a French Blue spoiler. The machined aluminum wheels need French Blue heart hats. The reason why don’t they call-it the Cougar FB? As you also can get it colored in white, silver or black, too.
For every Cougar interior spaces, you’ll find a conventional control design with an extremely unconventional look. Opening the seat was a breeze, by way of a forward passenger chair that slips onward once the backrest is folded following returns to their preset place once riders include secured in back once again. A corner seating become solid and put the driver high in the car; taller people may find that their minds include squashed into the headliner. Fold those chair all the way down, and you are gifted with an enormous products room.
A CD athlete is regular, making awareness in a vehicle advertised to adults, and a handy six-CD in-dash changer are optional. The instrument cluster displays satin aluminum-faced gauges and artwork, and several parts are finished with satin aluminum paint. Like every single other youth-oriented automobile offered since the Audi TT came to promote a couple of years back. Part airbags are standard on V6 athletics items, but unavailable on regular Cougars. If you prefer stomach, you have gotta bring a V6 motor.
Despite the family member shortage of oomph, the Cougar still has a lot to promote. Its inexpensive, useful, fun to drive and nice to examine. But without a lot more power and a meal plan, it cannot aspire to take on automobiles such as the Acura RSX and Toyota Celica.