- coupe 189,471
- Bel Air, MD
-
- autoshopper.com
2001 mercury cougar review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. A sleek predator on a winding road, it bounds and pounces cat-quick, with cat-like reflexes. There's something feline about its new edge look, too, and just like a real cat, not everyone will like it. Bold and decisive, yet playfully quirky, cougar's styling is stubbornly out of step with current fashion. And that's a good thing. speaking of fashion, mercury added two sporty new models in february: 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. lineupfor 2001, cougar is offered in base 16,700) and s trim. Ford calls this engine the zetec. The optional duratec dohc v6 displaces 2. 5 liters, and rates 170 horsepower and 165 pound-feet of torque. The v6 comes with a heavy-duty alternator, upgraded suspension and brushed exhaust tips. Both the cougar zn and c2 have a refreshed interior and sports styling. Cougar zn will start at $20,595; the cougar c2 starts at $19,715 (including $475 in destination and delivery charges). Both include the sport and convenience options and come equipped with cloth seats; leather seats are also available. walkaroundalthough only two years old, cougar has already received a significant facelift, inside and out. 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. The headlamps are different, too, though subtly so; they're a little smoother than before. with its catlike headlamps and sweeping lines, the cougar looks like nothing else on the road. It features smooth, sculpted surfaces defined by clean folds and sharp intersections. Parts of this car look as though they were sculpted with a sharp knife, while other parts, its perky rear, for instance, are abundantly, voluptuously rounded. Side markers act as turn signals to alert the driver next door. 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. 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. interiorcougar's new edge school of design is carried over inside. The new-for-2001 instrument panel is stark and racy. Round gauges feature dark markings on satin aluminum faces, and the speedometer overlaps the tachometer in the current fashion. Switchgear looks high-tech and is highly functional. Sturdy bullet air vents effectively aim the airflow exactly where it's wanted. 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. Getting in back is easy than it looks, and the rear buckets are surprisingly comfortable. Scooped out seat bottoms allow good headroom, while space under the front seats provides manageable legroom. Still, this is no sedan. No one will want to ride for a long trip back there. the base sound system has been upgraded for 2001 to an am/fm/single-cd unit. Nowhere was this more noticeable than at the entrance to turn 2, a relatively slow technical spot in terms of chassis dynamics. The turn-in point for this right-hand corner is at the top of a hill and is immediately preceded by a quick left. I crested the hill topped out in third gear. 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 this situation. but the cougar felt rock solid at the turn-in point, allowing me to open up the v6, plunge down the hill and take the following set of high-speed curves flat out. By comparison, a previous-generation mitsubishi eclipse gs felt uncertain, which reduced exit speed from the corner. A saturn sc2 felt downright crude, though it handled fairly well. Through the high-speed turns, the cougar was the rock of gibraltar. A rigid chassis, stiff anti-roll bars, and high-rate springs are calculated to enhance handling. Specially designed motor mounts are intended to reduce noise. 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 racetrack exercise was followed by a lengthy blast through the mountains north of atlanta, where the cougar clung to the road like a cat to a tree. The cougar felt at home in the mountains and seemed aptly named there. This engine weighs less than the v6, which improves the balance of the car. still, it seems a shame to order a cougar without the brilliant duratec v6. Smooth and sophisticated while cruising, it emits a satisfying growl when riled. While it doesn't give the cougar the punch of an acura integra gs-r or honda prelude sh, it could keep up with those two sport coupes on north georgia's mountainous roads. Low-speed and standing-start acceleration is good, but passing power is excellent. Top speed is estimated at 137 mph, but we haven't tried that. the smooth-shifting five-speed manual gearbox is suited well to the v6, with ratios that complement the torque of the engine. We highly recommend it. Power Locks✔ Power Windows✔ Tachometer✔ Bucket Seats✔ AM/FM✔ Leather Seats✔ Air Conditioning✔ CD Changer✔ Aluminum Wheels
Bel Air, MDBel Air, MD at autoshopper.com