2001 Mercury Cougar Review

Mercury's Cougar is like a sleek predator on a winding road, it bounds and pounces cat-quick, with cat-like reflexes. It is a vehicle which truly fits its name.  Bold and decisive, yet playfully quirky, Cougar's styling is stubbornly out of step with current fashion. Mercury added two sporty new models in 2001; the Cougar Zn and Cougar C2. Available in bright zinc yellow, French blue and other vibrant colors, they sport special styling cues and refreshed interiors.

2001 Lineup

For 2001, Cougar is offered in base and S trim. Base-level Cougars offer a choice of two engines. Either way, the price of admission includes air conditioning, 15-inch aluminum wheels, power windows, power door locks, a power height-adjustable driver's seat and AM/FM/CD stereo.

Cougar S is powered by a 196-horsepower, 168-pound-feet version of the Duratec V6; it rides on an even stiffer suspension, and adds traction control and four-wheel-disc brakes with ABS, plus a higher level of luxury and interior appointments. Externally, the Cougar S can be distinguished by its fog lights, 17-inch wheels, and free-standing decklid spoiler (re-styled for 2001).

In fact, Cougar buyers can use a variety of equipment packages and options groups upgrade a base V6 to something closer to S specification. In February 2001, Mercury added two new models, the 2001 Cougar Zn and Cougar C2. Both the Cougar Zn and C2 have a refreshed interior and sports styling. Both include the Sport and Convenience options and come equipped with cloth seats; leather seats are also available.

Driving a Cougar

Cougar offers surprisingly good handling, and solid stability at speed.  But fairly hard braking is required to slow the car, and it's easy to brake too late and shoot past the turn-in point, or even spin the car in certain situations.  The Cougar is rock solid at the turn-in point.  Through the high-speed turns, the Cougar performs.  Cougar's platform is based on the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique, but it rides on a wider track (the distance between the right and left tires) and uses a much firmer suspension to please enthusiast drivers. A rigid chassis, stiff anti-roll bars, and high-rate springs are calculated to enhance handling. Weight distribution is 50/50.The front suspension uses MacPherson struts with coil springs and lower A-arms. The rear is a Quadralink system with strut-type coil spring/dampers and passive rear steering.  The Cougar feels right at home on mountains roads.  The Cougar's carries precise steering and well-tuned suspension.  Even the base Cougar is a highly capable car that encourages spirited driving. Ford's four-cylinder Zetec engine provides good response at highway speeds.

Powertain Options

The standard engine is a 2.0-liter double overhead-cam 16-valve inline four-cylinder rated 125 horsepower and 130 pound-feet of torque. Ford calls this engine the Zetec. Technically, the base V6 lists as a separate model, priced at $17,200.  The smooth-shifting five-speed manual gearbox is suited well to the V6, with ratios that complement the torque of the engine.

Inside a Mercury Cougar

Cougar's New Edge school of design is carried over inside. Also new for 2001 are lightweight and aggressive-looking aluminum pedals for Sport Group V6s and S-models.  Front bucket seats are firm and supportive. Although other adjustments are manual on base models, the driver's-side height adjustment is powered; that's a thoughtful touch.  The Cougar's four-passenger capacity consists of front bucket seats and a rear seat shaped for two. The 50/50-split rear seat folds down to yield additional cargo space. Owners can access seatback releases from the rear of the vehicle. Standard equipment includes air conditioning, cloth upholstery, a tilt steering wheel, heated power mirrors, power windows and locks, a CD player and remote keyless entry.

Cougar Design

Front and rear bumpers are new for 2001, and the new front bumper brings a horizontal-lined air opening along with integrated fog lamps for S models. It features smooth, sculpted surfaces defined by clean folds and sharp intersections. Cougar offers artful exterior details as well: Small triangles show the location for the jacking points. Distinctive Cougar styling nearly conceals the fact that this is a two-door hatchback and not a coupe with a separate trunk. Though the Cougar is not generally perceived as a midsize model, it has a relatively long wheelbase for a car of its type: 106.4 inches. Measuring 185 inches long overall, the coupe is 69.6 inches wide and stands 52.2 inches tall.  Cougar looks ready for high speeds and winding roads. Part of the reason for this is its relatively long wheelbase, with European-style short overhangs.  Cougar Zn is an eye-catching vehicle with new features and distinctive styling, including unique zinc (Zn) yellow clearcoat paint. With its zinc yellow hood scoop and spoiler, the Cougar Zn also will offer for the first time standard 17-inch machined aluminum wheels with ebony accents and center caps. Adding to its unique look, the Cougar Zn is dressed with the Cougar logo in the back-glass blackout.   Cougar C2 adds its own unique styling features and a one-of-a-kind French blue paint. In addition, a French blue instrument panel and color-keyed spoiler, as well as machined aluminum wheels with French blue center caps, are also offered.   The Cougar Zn offers midnight black diamond-patterned sport cloth bucket seats while the Cougar C2 offers French blue. Also available on each model are midnight black leather seats as well as dark graphite floor mats. Both the dark graphite floor mats and the midnight black leather seats include either the zinc yellow or French blue Cougar logo badging. AM/FM stereo with an in-dash 6-disc compact disc changer/player is now standard on all base 2001 Cougar Zn and C2 models. For more research, read another 2001 Mercury Cougar overview.

When introduced for 1999, the Cougar was the first car to display Ford's 'new-edge' styling (later used on the Ford Focus), which emphasizes sharp creases and crisp lines instead of the usual curves and rounded shapes. Not only does the Cougar look youthful and athletic, but it also performs on that level with its firm ride and commendable grip on the pavement. Face-lifted for 2001, the Cougar is based on the same design used by the now-departed Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique. Having a hatchback instead of a trunk gives the Cougar more cargo-carrying versatility than some other coupes on the market. A snug rear seat is part of the price paid for sport coupes of this nature. Antilock brakes and side-impact airbags are optional.  Either a four-cylinder or V-6 engine may be installed.  The Mercury Cougar gets and EPA estimated 20 - 23 mpg in the city and 29 - 34 on the highway.