Mercury Cougar XR7

My first car was a 1952 Buick. since then I have owned a 58 ford fairlane, 61,63,64,65,68 chevys. A 1969

GT0, a number or corvetts a firebird trans Am. have had 4 cougers the XR-7 I own now was new in 94 has 268,000 trouble free miles, best auto I have ever owned. The motor should go about 500,000 before I need to open it up.

I purchased 1997 Mercury Cougar Special Edition XR7 new, Sports Package. Heavy Duty everything. I change oil/filter and air filter every 3-4000 miles, change transmission/filter... rear gear oil, flush water, replace spark plugs and wiring, every 35000 miles. I had intake manifold replaced by dealer on recall in 1999 (busted) replaced all vacuum hoses, and some emission control parts. I replaced front struts/springs. Rear shocks/front upper/lower control arms (little tough)/outer tie rods/sway bar bushings front/rear/calipers/ all rotors and disc pads/... installed new Michelin Pilots... aligned wheels. I painted the car myself... HVLP four coats Sherwin Williams base coat (color PS)/four thin coats. then. Sprayed 4 layers clear coat compounded buffed out with 3M/waxed with high gloss Turtle Wax. Removed and sprayed painted alloy wheels /allum base coat did not clear coat them... had front seat upholstered with part leather and Herculon... carpet and rear seats still good.

All other interior still in good shape. All electronics in good shape. This car has 120,000 miles on it and it looks new. I've had young people ask me what year it is and they think its 4-5 years old. I plan to have the 4 speed tranny overhauled next year... starting to feel some slippage. I always use LUCAS additive products on my transmission, motor and gasoline.

I plan to keep this car another 120 to 150,000 miles... in 2-3 years I plan to bore out the engine and overhaul it myself, that way I know it'll get done the way I want it...

The best part is...no car payments and it's easy to work on!

I love my car... find it wonderful to drive I would love to keep it a bit longer Any suggestions....

I've owned this Mercury Cougar XR7 since it was new and know it better than myself. The car has performed very well over the years with very few problems with the exceptions noted in the bad point section. The car now has over 150,000 miles on it and it still runs like a clock, has loads of power, and looks like it just came right out of the show room. The car still gets compliments and turns a lot of heads. The vehicle designers have somehow combined a sporty powerful look with an elegant and classic look. It's a car that I'll have no problem driving for another 7 or 8 years.

Love to cruise the Mercury Cougar XR7 or LS. It's a great car to have all fixed up. My favorite is the X-R7 V8. It has all the power I all ways wanted I raced it against foreign car's all fixed up they are quick but my car is was quicker and it was only stock. But the car has it's bad point's like wheel bearings, upper and lower ball joints tend to go out. Yep! it's gonna cost money to own one but I think it's worth it.

I have never really been a Ford product fan in the past, I have owned a number of cars and they were good enough for me (1987 Grand Am SE, 1995 Grand Am GT, 1989 Nissan 240SX and a few others) And I had never really had any experience with Fords previously, the GM cars I had just didn't leave me looking for anything else. That is until this summer when my Mom's 1988 GMC Safari van started giving out (at 400,000 miles!!) So I went out looking for another car to get her in the meantime. In a quaint little dealership in smalltown oklahoma here I found a 1995 T-Bird with 126,000 on the 3.8 V-6. I drove it around, liked what I saw, and since he only wanted $2,300 for it I bought it on the spot. I gave it to my mom but kind of wished I had kept it, it ran like it had half the miles on the odometer. Well after that purchase I got it into my head to go find a car for myself...I was thinking T-Bird, but a month or two later I passed by this car lot again and saw a gleaming 1997 Mercury Cougar with 61,000 one-owner miles for only $4,295. I stopped and test drove it and fell in love. Needless to say I bought the thing immediately and went to do some research on it. I had known previously that the T-Birds and Cougars are built on the same chassis with the same engines and same interiors; but was surprised to find that the cougars are a MUCH nicer car overall than the T-birds (I had figured it was the other way around) Well, it turns out that the car I bought was a 30th Anniversary XR-7 with the 4.6L OHC V-8 and every available option.

This car represents the pinnacle of the Thunderbird/Cougar tradition. 1997 was the last year of the rear-wheel drive long wheelbase V-8 powered model, The new T-Birds are V-8 powered, but no longer share their frame with cougars, who are now offered with 4 and 6 cylinder engines only. The 30th Anniversary Model is decadence on wheels Mine came with the Custom Dark Toureador Red paint with Metallic Clearcoat. Inside you will find a passenger compartment fully skinned with beautiful tan leather front and back, 8 way power seats compliment the driver and front passenger, they also feature powered lumbar airbags, and side bolsters. Electric climate control came standard, as also did the sunroof cruise, tilt, ABS, airbags on both sides and auto-dimming electric rearview mirror. The only option this car does not have is the Traction-Lok rear axle traction control system...And I don't really want traction control anyway. If you look around the car you will find 30th Anniversay Growler logos in various places, Two on the outside of the car behind the rear side windows, two embroidered into the leather seatbacks, two on the custom floormats etc. Also you will find an optional LED spoiler (for a total of four brakelamps) The only thing I wish it had were heated seats...and maybe a massage function :)

Under the hood you will find a powerplant lifted directly from a Mustang GT...the 4.6 V-8 produces 205 HP and 280 Foot-pounds of torque at around 3,000 RPM. It is completely possible to drive all over town and down the highway without ever going over 2,000 RPM, if you do however hold on to your hat because this little kitty takes off like a Saturn V rocket and the acceleration doesn't slow until it bumps into its eletronic speed limiter well north of the 100 MPH mark. All the research I have done indicates that this car does 0-60 in about 7.5 seconds, which is not bad for 3666 pounds of steel, and the quarter mile flashes past at 15.8 or so seconds. For about $500 bucks you can up the HP and Torque by about 80 and 70 respectively with a few simple bolt-ons that anyone can do. For about $2,000 you can eat a Corvette's lunch.

Going down the road in this car is a blast, it seems to be invisible to police, but it catches looks from everybody on the road. Girls will watch you go past as their boyfriends watch them watching you. I've decided not to race it very much, if at all, but the other day I got a kick out of watching a heavily modded Acura Integra try to catch up on the highway, I let him get two car lengths behind me and then showed him what V-8 power is all about. This car has everything a man could want, and the insurance isn't bad to boot, I would buy another one for twice the price without blinking an eye, buy it unless you are one of those guy who drives a beige Camry with a beige interior while wearing a beige suit. If you are that guy, then FEAR ME. hahahaha.

I am just learning to drive.

For my first car, I requested a Mercury Cougar XR7

Yesterday, my parents found one for me, and they bought it!

It is a 1995 Special Edition Cougar XR7 V-8, with only 59,000 miles.

The color is unique... It's called Rosemist.

It is irridescent, changing from a pinkish orange,

like a sunset... to a lavender.

The interior is gray leather, and the carpeted areas on the doors and seats are a lavender and gray mix.

It is in outstanding condition, and I am lucky to

have it!

All around good car, needs high octane gas to quiet the engine clatter, has enough horsepower to blow a new Mitsubishi Eclipse Spider OFF THE ROAD!!! And I'm talking stock. Enough trunk space to blast 2 twelve inch woofers with ample bass from the large deep trunk. To any one thinking of buying a new "Cougar" should be looking for a 1995 or newer 4.6 lit. V-8 monster. A tweak here and there and you have a car a very few people can beat. I assure you.

Devoted XR7'ian.

I don't mean to be so bad on the Mercury Cougar XR7 car (see bad points) - i really like it - but too much money in repairs is constantly spent. OH yea, and the light will start going on and off even after you replace the whole light console.

THE CAR'S DEFINITELY NOT WORTH IT.

Bad points? There are no bad points about my '95 Cougar XR-7. First of all, it is a great looking car from every angle. The lines are simple, smooth, and sexy. It is very well proportioned, and it looks awesome with just the parking lights on. Slip into the leather trimmed seats, and everything you need is right there. Radio, temperature controls, seat adjustments, storage bins are all placed within easy reach of the driver. The leather shifter feels just right. Fire it up, and you can feel the torque of the 4.6L V-8. Cruise around town, and she has a soft, supple ride. Push her a little, and she keeps up well. Put the pedal to the metal, and she'll jump off the line like, well, a pouncing cougar. The engine is quiet and smooth, and responds well. The Michelin X-Ones keep the rear end planted on twisty roads. This car is the perfect mix of creature comforts, and great performance. If I could change one thing, I would do away with the Electronic Speed Control. My speedo says I can do 20 MPH over my limit of 100, and I know she has it in her.