Front-wheel drive or not, within every Cougar pounds the heart of a lion. Thus buyers had their choice of a high-revving four or torquey six-cylinder engine. The choice of either the four or six was largely based on transmission preference, as the inline four is only mated to the 5-speed manual gearbox. Buyers seeking an automatic had to move up to the V6. The good news is a 5-speed manual was also available with the V6, which ought to please the performance buffs among us.
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| A respectable 130-hp 2.0-L four cylinder engine powered 1999 and 2000 base models. (Photo: Ford Motor Company) |
In the years 1999 and 2000, the 2.0-liter (122 cubic inch) four-banger punched out a respectable 130 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 135 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. In 2001 the horsepower dropped to 125 at 5,500 rpm and torque dropped to 127 pound-feet at a lower, more tractable 3,000 rpm. The horsepower remained at 125 for 2002, however, the torque changed slightly to 130 pound-feet at 4,000 rpm.
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| The 1999 to 2002 Cougars were intended to handle well, and as such received a 4-wheel independent suspension. (Photo: Ford Motor Company) |
The 2.5-liter (153 cubic inch) V6 remained constant throughout the 1999 through 2002 run, delivering a sizeable gain in the thrust department with 170 horsepower at 6,250 rpm and 165 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm. Given the Cougar's reasonably svelte 1,451 kg (3,200 lb) body mass in its heaviest V6 and automatic transmission configuration, acceleration should be more than adequate, but not startling.
The 1999 to 2002 Cougars were intended to handle well, and as such received a 4-wheel independent suspension calibrated more firmly than in the Contour/Mystique line. In 1999 and 2000 the Cougar was equipped with 15-inch wheels, however by 2001 16-inch wheels were available in upgrade packages.