MN12 COUGAR - Was the last Cat the best of them all?

The Mercury Cougar being the sister car of the Thunderbird switched over to the MN12 Platform for it Seventh Generation. Mercury had rolled out over 100,000 Cougars per year for 5 consecutive years prior to the MN12 and Ford had spent $2 billion dollars developing this new Platform. The Question is would this investment in a new Platform pay off for Mercury?
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Thanks for watching and a HUGE thank you to my subscribers. It's nice when someone appreciates your work!

[@Spudlord_]

I bought a worn out 89 Cougar last year just to learn more about fixing older cars, and now I can't imagine not having it.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That’s pretty awesome. Very glad to see taking on task.

[@jpack85]

My parents had one of these in a Champaign color. It fit their new stage of life as they became empty nester parents in their early 50s.

[@strippingears9052]

This mercury was designed for the people who still wanted a cutless supreme, and didn’t like what GM did with it,formal roofline and v8 power. Always outstanding and informative videos, thanks Tony …

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for the kind words and for watching! It is appreciated

[@thumperjdm]

My girlfriend's parents had a V8 Thunderbird of this era, while I had a Fox-body Mustang 5.0 LX. I always loved the looks of the Thunderbird/Cougar, and should've bought one of those with the V8.

[@jeffshadow2407]

Finally! I have been waiting for a Gen7 Cougar video from you. In 2023 I bought a '97 30th Anniversary edition at a Copart in Texas. The winning bid was $1,500 and the 64,634-mile car was a donation. It was originally sold in Bellflower, California. I had photographed one in the Cerritos Ford storage lot behind my Oldsmobile dealership in 1997. I visited the Ford store and was quoted $420 a month for a $20,000 car. I already had a GM zone 1995 Cutlass Supreme coupe for a $248 monthly payment. I repainted my Cougar six months ago and it is now in showroom condition. Sometimes you might wait twenty-six years for delivery of one of your favorite cars!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video and sometimes good things to come to those who wait. Congrats on your score at Copart!

[@petertornabeni602]

The MN 12 platform was fantastic, easily my favorite car I’ve ever owned was at 1990 Thunderbird. The car was so smooth and handled so well there was nothing else on the market that came close to that car. Thank you for doing this Tony I appreciate it.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for watching and sharing your experience!

[@stevespatola763]

I love the three Mercury Cougars I have owned. A 67 in 67. Got drafted, goodbye car. In 03 I got a 68 XR7 that’s a triple black beauty and I sold a 67 XR7 DGS three years ago, another beauty. Those first Cats were the best of the Pony Car era.

[@frankdeboer1347]

I still want one.

[@jasperdilincoln2341]

After my mother's '87 Cadillac Sedan DeVille was totalled. She and my oldest aunt went car shopping. My Aunt told my mother she was too young to be driving a Cadillac or Buick and to try something younger...lol so she ended up getting a Brand New '89 Cougar LS. With a half cloth roof,side opera lights and truck luggage rack. Bright Red. My mother got alot of compliments in that car when she first got it. A lady ran my mother down as we was going into Kmart, to let her know she left her lights on. My Mom told the lady the lights will turn off themselves. The the lady didn't believe her and my Mom showed her and she was shocked. The green Digital dashboard reminded me of Knight Riders car as a kid...lol everyone loved the car except my Grandmother. She would have to fight with the automatic seat belt which almost wrapped around her neck as she was getting out the car. She said jokingly "she always knew there was a day my mother was trying to kill her, she didn't know how. But didnt realized it was going to be by a seat belt 😂". My Middle Aunt drove the Cougar a few times and thought it was sharp. But didn't like Fords so she bought a New 1990 Chevy Beretta same color as my mothers. The Cougar stayed with my parents for 13 years. Bought it when i was in first grade and I drove it some whiles in high school. When we got rid of the Cougar she had 319,000 miles. The mechanics told my mom that was some of the best years Ford made some reliable engines.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Sounds like the car had a good life! Thanks for sharing your story and i can imagine that dash would remind you of Kitt as an 11 year old.

[@jlcii]

This was my first car; I had a 1995 in 2010. I loved that car, it was absolutely fun driving with the 4.6 v8. Super comfortable interior too.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your experience with the car.

[@Randy_S]

My parents had a 92 or 93 model, mom fell in love with it because of the special paint job where the red would turn purple depending on how the light hit it. I was already driving and had a car by then, so the only time I really got to drive it was when I flew home from school and needed to borrow a car. That car drove so smoothly I didn't even realize I was doing 80 on the the interstate when the speed limit was still 55, my car would shake and struggle if I got anywhere over 60. Very nice ride, but I'd prefer a Super Coupe if I could have one now.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Cougar

[@N0TxSURE]

My dad gifting me his 91 LS as a graduation present. Blue w blue interior. I miss that car

[@gm12551]

My dad’s best friend and his wife had a 92 LS from 95ish-99. It was maroon inside and out. I always liked it and the ride.

[@dannyg6592]

I had two MN12 Cougar company cars. A 1990 XR7 supercharged 3.8 (a very fast car that encouraged bad behavior) and a 1991 XR7 5.0 V-8 (a more relaxed and more refined, but still agile Cougar). Both excellent motorcars. My pal had a new '89 LS and loved it, definitely the most sedate of the 3. They all handled and rode extremely well. Thanks for the memories.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your experience with these cars! It is appreciated!

[@johnjuarez8005]

Great video and history of the Cougar.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching!

[@williampalmer8052]

Ford really had no idea what to do with that Cougar, did they? I think the straight-up back glass was a bit outdated and awkward looking by the 90s, especially in contrast to the MN12's sleeker lines, but that's just my opinion. In the end I think it was just an inevitable casualty of the big 2 door coupe's demise in general at the time. When you could get a 4 door Taurus SHO if you wanted a sporty family car, or a TBird if you were set on getting a coupe, the Cougar didn't have a place left to fill.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I agree. It was the end of the 2 door coupes dominance in the marketplace. Sadly as the SUV was to take over and styling became a lost art.

[@CharlesWiningham]

I had a ‘93 and ‘97 Thunderbird. Both were V8s and were great road cars. Rode great and handled better than anything I had driven before. The 5.0 in the ‘93 had a great growl . The 4.6 was smoother.

[@Ronn-p3r]

I was there Tony...listened to it while I was at work..now at home watching the show. Right On Tony Awesome stuff always

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching and the kind words! I appreciate it!

[@Ronn-p3r]

​​@@TonysFordsandMustangsI remember those brochure pictures!! 7:01 Did a project on new cars in school in 91'..beat the entire class.first n only time..Gr.8

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@ I get 90% of my slides from the brochures and I remember looking through a ton of them back in the day.

[@OLDS98]

Thank you for another excellent video. What was sad is the sales kept dropping every year because the market was changing. This generation was a nice car. I liked them with digital gauges and the lacy spoke aluminum wheels and cloth interiors and dual power seats. The thing I observed is you saw it getting closer and closer to Thunderbird in terms of features and the appearance in the interior. I noticed they had to change the packages, the appearance of the interior, and they kept working things out until they got it right. The special editions looked nice inside and out. The only thing I did not like were the headlight design after they switched from the quad ( four headlights) to the two with the turn signals mixed together. That was too Thunderbird looking in appearance. I thought it was odd there was no automatic climate control. It gives a different perspective when you learn something new. Thank you again.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for the comment and your appreciation of the Cougar! I’m not a fan of the front fascia for the last couple of years but I guess they needed to mix things up a bit.

[@jimlubinski4731]

Really enjoyed this presentation. I loved the MN-12 platform. The styling was far superior to the previous aero versions of the Cougar and Thunderbird. These cars (at least in the V-8 versions) are very durable. I bought a 1994 Thunderbird with the 4.6 liter V-8 new and still have it with over 500k miles. I now also have a 1995 Cougar XR-7 with the same engine. These are comfortable, solid and reasonably quick. I always enjoy your videos. Something new to discover every time you release one.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for the kind words, for watching, and sharing your experience with the MN12 platform! 500K is an impressive number on your T-bird Jim!

[@knots12345678]

My sister had one of this generation Cougar. It had a half canvas style roof and was well appointed. She never let me drive it, but I remember riding in it. It was a very smooth and quiet riding car and I don’t remember her having any issues. She traded it in after she got married and had a child for a Villager mini van. I would buy a new last generation Cougar in 2002, which was quite different than the prior generation. Nice to see Kate upgraded from her Pinto. Coincidentally, Farah also promoted the Cougar much earlier on. I preferred her generation Cougars and commercials !

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks you for your Comment and i have videos on all the generation Cougars in this playlist. Yes Farrah is included. kzbin.info/aero/PLz2M3b_orpr02q5e91MoejUIVxNvAlDj6

[@terrencesimpson9113]

I had a 1995 Thunderbird LX V8 in the late 1990’s. I added a chip, underdrive pulleys, ported throttle body, and custom air intake. It was decent off the line, but pulled pretty well from 70 mph up. It would have been awesome with the 250 horsepower 4.6 that I had in my 2004 and 2012 Crown Vic police interceptors.

[@josemontes9105]

Love the content Mr Tony. My uncle had a cougar like this. I sent him this video and I'm sure he's gonna subscribe.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching and for the recommending the channel! It is appreciated!

[@desertmodern7638]

I liked these at the time, although not as much as the Thunderbird. Both cars shared a newly-expansive 113-inch wheelbase and four-wheel independent suspension that made them seem notably modern for an American car in this segment.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I would agree they were a big step forward for Ford Motor company

[@Brisoup1]

These 3.2 6 cyl engines were infamous for blowing head gaskets during this time. My dad had a 1988 Cougar that blew it's head gaskets twice before he got rid of it.

[@leonardgilbreath9004]

Tony it also came with a 5 speed gear box with the 4.6 V8 my neighbor had one never really cared for the cougars although the 69 with the BOSS 302 wasn't bad.

[@williampalmer8052]

Maybe you're thinking of the supercharged XR7? They, like the TBird SC, could be gotten with an M5R2 Mazda 5 speed.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Everything I've read on the V8 said auto only.

[@jeffholloway7974]

The 69 was absolutely my favorite Cougar. It especially looked good as a convertable.

[@pdennis93]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs you're right Tony. The only manual in the US was the 89-90 XR7. In Mexico I believe the 3.8SC V6 lasted until 1993.

[@pdennis93]

I know someone who had an 89 XR7 5 speed he ordered new. Black on maroon cloth. Even had a rare folding rear seat which was mainly only available with leather. He had it in Germany from 89-96 where he was in the air force. He said it did 157 on the autobahn. I had a 91 3.8 LS as my first car and later a 93 thunderbird SC from 2000-2005. That's how I met him, through the Supercoupe club of america.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Cougar. It is appreciated

[@johnmick9457]

I bought a 1990 Cougar LS great car. Lots of memories of long road trips and vacation time spent behind the wheel. The 3.8 V6 was really reliable. Sadly, it was totaled when I was rear ended by a Mimi van.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching and sharing your experience with your Cougar! Sorry to hear that it got totaled.

[@jeffholloway7974]

I'm glad you had good luck with your 3.8. I have heard horror stories about the Ford 3.8, whereas the GM 3.8 was considered one of the best 6's ever made.

[@owlnswan4016]

It's pretty interesting how these kept more of their previous generation's body look vs the '89 Thunderbird did in comparison with the 1983-88.

[@Wooley689]

A friend and his wife bought one of these brand-new style cougars, it was a very nice car, well after she kept complaining about a thump when driving. They asked me to have a look because I worked on cars. I found that the driver side motor mount was bad allowing the engine to move and set back down, this was her thump the dealer said they found nothing wrong. My buddy and I replaced that, but also found while under the car checking things over that the right side fender had been replaced. This was a brand new car and had these issues.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That sounds like it came from a shady dealer to me.

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

I built the Revell 1/25 Scale model kit of the 92 Cougar XR7 a year or 2 ago.. came out pretty decently I think..

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That’s awesome!

[@LincolnRay]

I remember this wheelbase increased 8-inches - from the ‘83-‘88 model’s 105” wheelbase to 113” for the ‘89 model.. it was a long overdue increase - to help rear seat passenger leg/foot room. And interestingly, that 113” wheelbase was only 1” shorter than the Panther-platformed Grand Marquis wheelbase.

[@nikolastojanov8749]

I have been looking a cool American big engine car in Eastern Europe for a long time. All of those are very rare here, and I just found Thunderbird like this. Its basic 3.8 V6 engine with LX package, which is still huge for Europe. Trying to buy it in thr next few days. Wish me luck

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Best of Luck to you sir!

[@MacGregor.]

Had three. 97 xr7 special edition was the fav. Swan song car.

[@SuperBigd1980]

My dad had a 96 Cougar. I took that car to Prom since it was new back then. It drove nice, but it was only a 3.8. He was T-Boned in 99 ish, and they totaled it out.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Not a bad prom ride.

[@jimlafreeda43]

Another great video! How about Charlie's Angels Kate Jackson looking super dolled up? .... I guess I think more Farrah Fawcett or Jaclyn Smith as cougarish fitting for Mercury Cougar 😂. I just loved the early 90s version especially in the XR7 de chromed. Hated the nose changes in the later 90s. Great in the dry weather but very light in the rear end in the rain and snow just like my Mom's 88 Cougar LS 5.0.

[@jeffholloway7974]

Kate Jackson was the smart angel since she didn't show much cleavage. I'm glad she survived after all that time driving a Pinto.

[@trainglen22]

The MN12 were my favorite of the Cougars.

[@joeseeking3572]

Still think one of these as an early XR7 is a nice looking car. The formal roofline probably worked as well as or better than the T-bird stylistically.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I appreciate the opinion, it's all a matter of taste. I'm a fan of both. Thanks for watching!

[@adamsmith9636]

In 1985 I bought a 1983 Cougar Red metallic with white interior never saw another one like it again . I loved the car comfy but not much power with its v6 . I wish I had that car now

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I remember the Red interiors with white seat is that the combo you are talking about? They were pretty rare and only found on read or white cars. Thanks for wathcing!

[@adamsmith9636]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Yes the dash and carpet were red and the seats, door cards and headliner where white . It was a beautiful combo and was told buy the Mercury dealership it was ordered by the original owner who later ordered a convertible 86 to replace this one. I really enjoy your videos and live in Dayton . Back then I was a huge FORD fan.

[@teebird94]

As the owner of multiple MN12 Thunderbirds..a hearty ALMOST..the 67-70 still the best..lol.

[@WthIsThisRightHere]

I think one of these beauties modded to put out like 400 HP would be a unique, stylish and comfy cruiser and a bit of a sleeper.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That would be impressive

[@sombra6153]

A buddy bought an XR7 supercharged. It was was a pretty decent ride. I drove a company owed company-owned T-Bird Super Coupe for a while. Great performer. Was this the best one? I’m sort of partial to the 71 models with 351 Cleveland’s but the MN12 with the supercharger could hold its own and handled better than the Mustangs.

[@manthony225]

Nice video! I always thought this generation Cougar looked too much like a GM product with that formal roof. Maybe thats why it didn't sell that great? Styling didn't stand out.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for watching and for the kind words. The days of the person luxury car were coming to end. People didn't want them anymore. regardless of the styling.

[@frankcoffey]

I had a 1988 Cougar. It was my first new car and the most beautiful car at the time. When the MN12 came out I was crushed, it looked bad and you couldn’t even get the roof strips painted the color of the car. It looked like a huge Acura wedge…thing. Hated it. My ‘88 lasted over 100,000 miles with few problems and that was good for that time period.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank for watching. A lot of the foxbody lovers do not like the styling of these cars but to each their own.

[@tombradfiled9342]

The 89 Cougar was in no doubt an improvement overall to the Fox body it replaced, the biggest problem with the 89 was it's proportions were completely off, as the new car widened the length appeared the same which made it look kind of awkward. The rear side glass was entirely too big and the door should have been a couple of inches longer. That updated front end in the last two years just made it look even worse. The Tbird of the time just looked like a two door Taurus to me, a Thunderbird should never emulate a family sedan.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I understand the criticism of the Cougar's styling. It's all about personal preference. The Luxury Sports Coupe was on the way out and i don't think any design could have saved it unfortunately.

[@jeffholloway7974]

The MN12 chassis was a well thought out car. It is a shame that Ford paired that chassis was mostly 3.8 litre engines that were way underpowed, even for the era.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

The V8 was an option

[@michaelwhite2823]

Sorry Mr. Tony. IMO the last Cougar was 1979 as well as the last Thunderbird. Still watching episode because I like the channel and always learn something . Wow Kate Jackson in the commercials is a real step down from Farrah

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

To each their own and Kate Jackson was the only Angel that didn't have a better paying gig I guess. :)

[@my1vice]

Make mine an XR-7 with a manual transmission.

[@Scott_From_Maine]

Nice cars for the interiors and performance, but man, was the outside styling BLAND!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

It’s personal preference I guess. Thanks for watching and for your comment

[@colinschmitz8297]

It's such a shame these weren't more popular. They were very nice. The replacement of personal luxury coupe being replaced by sedans and SUVs to me has always seemed like a shift in perspective of vehicles becoming More of an appliance.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I have to agree and I find it disappointing. There's not much to look at on the roadways anymore.

[@HunterGonzo-pg4vf]

I owned a 94 and while I loved the interior design the transmission was garbage had to be replaced twice as well as replacing the head gasket twice.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Sounds like you got a lemon. Sorry about your luck

[@kippaseo8027]

Unfortunately like most American cars of the time it didn't matter if your Thunderbird/cougar was 6 months old or 6 years old the cheap plastic interiors tended to decay much quicker developing squeaks and rattles Much more than it's Japanese rivals.

[@davidgold5961]

10:49 the unfortunate change for the 1996 model year to the front end makes it look like it’s sucking on a lemon. I know it has a better interior, but I much prefer the 1995 front end.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I have to agree

[@georgewilson1184]

I wanted the last 97 Cougar it was on the floor of the 1997 Chicago Auto Show at the world renowned McCormick place Exhibition hall on the lake front I just could not pull it off financially it had every possible option Maple red & parchment leather interior moon roof dual power seats 5.0 V8 dual exhaust 4 wheel ABS this car today must be in some FoMoCo executives garage or A Ford / Lincoln ware house some where pity pity it’s a crime against the Mercury Man

[@bradkrekelberg8624]

Man, it drives me nuts they never did nail down what "XR7" means. Is it the luxury model? Is it a whole different body? Is it the sporty model? WHAT IS IT?!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

The XR7 changed over the years to mean different things and in the end they were all XR7s' so I get the confusion.

[@Butchcub75]

I forgot Kate Jackson did commercials. I had an 89 Xr7 with a 5 speed, and a 90 XR7 with an auto. Fast cars weak harmonic balancers.. I want a 91 with the 5.0 then in 93 no sporting XR7.The 8th gen Cougar is a Mystique 2 door, horrible.

[@jeffholloway7974]

The previous Cougar, which I'm pretty sure was a fox body was extremely ugly, although the T-bird sister of this generation was nice looking. This Cougar looked good, although it was getting progressively uglier, especially in the front end. If I recall correctly, this generation of the Ford 3.8 was known for blown head gaskets, while the 5.0 and later 4.6's were good engines. I think if this platform had come out a few years earlier, if would have been more successful. I have always been partial to personal luxury coupes since they were the cars to have when I came of age in the mid to late 70's. Even as someone know in my mid-60's, the coupe is still one of my favorite body styles although the Ford Mustang is the only American coupe that I am aware of. Getting back to the 3.8 liter. For its day, the supercharged variants of these cars were considered powerhouses. I doubt many of these are around being that most probably self-destructed. Speaking for me, I would rather have a couple extra cylinders to feed that mess with turbos or superchargers.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

The supercharged versions did make a lot of power for the time and there are plenty of thunderbirds still out there not so much of the Cougars but they were a limited production run till the v8 took over

[@michaeldemarco9950]

This cougar was practically dead before it even arrived. It sales numbers went down from its first year on. It was nothing compared with the two year model run of the previous generation.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

The entire segment was on its way out and I don’t think there was a design that could have saved it.

[@runoflife87]

Good car, just wrong body type for 90's. 4dr MN-12 based sedan could've been a better choice for Ford.

[@grimlockludemquist]

My 4cyl puts out 179hp

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Whatever you drive it's 90's counterpart most likely put out less then 100 so it's all relative.