"When you're at an austrian's house and you see ashes landing on things, you tend to pay attention... who knows what Peter's up to in his spare time" My Lord, Bill, you crack me up!
They took it from the earlier T-Bird and Aerostar. When this came out it was 5 years old and looking dated. Ford also regressed in ergonomics. They went with the "tiny little buttons EVERYWHERE" motiff.
I love the hearty GOOD MORNING followed by “ those birds are out to get me” , “ just look at those evil goats on top of that car” “killer rabbits” , etc. It is part of your brand Bill never stop. You are the best of UA-cam in my book. Also, I enjoy your historical insights for each car you feature, very educational.
My Grandma bought a 85' Bostonian cougar V6 with the fake spare tire hanging off the back and a padded top, my dad would tease his mom call it her pimp mobile. Everywhere we went someone would always comment how pretty it was. She kept it pristine, was crazy reliable and comfortable. It got hit by a semi that ended it but saved her life just cuts from glass.
@@davidkruse4030 Yea it’s definitely not the best looking but it can be made decent. And honestly gas mileage for me isn’t terrible. I have one I started driving on and it’s kinda fun to drive it’s really forgiving and just soo easy that you can just really mess around with it a little.
@@davidkruse4030its like you think other people care what you think of the cars they like. Nobody gives a shit about you dude your opinion isn't that special. 😂
I loved these when they came out! It looked like a “substantial” coupe in a sea of cheap looking garbage back then. With the V8 they actually could skate pretty well too 👍
Loved the monotone XR7's of the early 90's. Next door neighbors bought TWO at the same time back then, red and black "his" and "hers", I used to drool over the red one as a kid.
They were a good attempt by Ford to elevate the engineering standards of the mainstream American car. A far more substantial car than the much more successful, but cheaply built Taurus / Sable twins, and their Continental cousin. Unfortunately, someone decided that the T-bird should have a sloped rear window and lousy headroom, and the Cougar a nearly vertical notchback roofline that destroyed the otherwise graceful proportions. Maybe they should have let the artists do one good design for both?
Definitely was an era of clean design, less is more in some. I remember the smell the 80s Ford interiors something going to the dealership as a kid. You always hit the nail on the head when u describe the cars that u r reviewing.. Have a great Thanksgiving..
It paid off. The same suspension/chassis technology is still used today in the Mustang, Expedition and Explorer. In 02 they were selling explorers with independent rear suspension.
@@alb12345672 Not to mention that the title is misleading. 2 Billion Dollars was spent to develop the Cougar AND Thunderbird. In fact, considering Ford is the name on the side of the building (as Lee Iacocca was quoted as saying, IIRC) a more accurate title would have been "...the Thunderbird and this Cougar ". Ford supposedly spent nearly as much money to develop the Taurus/Sable, but those cars were developed under a tighter rein.
@@P4OE The lincoln LS is kinda of a successor too. Look under a brand new 2022 Explorer, it is a RWD Unibody SUV. The rear suspension looks exactly like the car in the video. Even the spring is seperate from the shock. There are some refinements, but it certainly in that heritage. They could have easily made a coupe version, and it would be a modern Tbird. Front suspension is more like the Taurus, it is Mcpherson. The older Tbird had a UCA, something you find on a luxury car. The Trucks are set up with the same arrangement.
Another thing about those cars, they had a dual frontal 5 star rating WITHOUT airbags. That was almost unheard of in 1989. There was a lot of crash technology engineered that they used in later years. The test is not that different from today, except they use a smaller dummy, and every car has airbags. Not every car gets 5 stars, even with airbags!
Funny story about the IRS. When I had my supercoupe, I was talking to someone at a car show and mentioned it had IRS. The guy gets an attitude and asks "do you even know what IRS is?" I replied that I did and that my car did in fact have it. He kept trying to tell me I didn't know what I was talking about. I finally told him if he was so sure of himself that he should crawl under the rear of the car and look. So he does and was like "it does have IRS." I felt like saying "no shit sherlock!" Another interesting note, the cars had passive rear steering. A friend of mine had an 89 5 speed xr7 identical to the car at 14:25 and had it in Germany when it was new. He got it up to 157 on the autobahn once. He said he'd take this one cloverleaf exit every day and tried to see at what speed the car would start to break loose. One day he said he felt the rear start to give way but then it tucked in. He thought he broke something. He took the car home and inspected everything and couldn't find anything wrong. He later discovered in some documentation that the rear will turn like rear steering if enough g forces are applied. It's not active like say an integra from the 80s where you can see the wheels turn with the steering wheel, but they will turn if enough g force is applied.
I would have then said "No it's not". The old Fiero with tied off rods in the rear (front tie rods, to a ridgid mount) also had a bit of rear steer when pushed. It felt weird on the hwy. to throw the steering wheel side to side, you sure could feel it. They got rid of it for the last model, had it handling decent...and killed it. Bravo GM
I'd been offered my late father in law's 91 xr7 several times. It's been sitting in their back yard for years with flat tires and badly faded paint so I never really gave it much thought. I recently looked closer while figuring out what a bunch of keys went to and besides the paint it's immaculate with 86k miles. I'd say it's worth a set of tires and brake rotors to have a sweet cruiser
I have a 91 that belonged to my mother.. it just flipped to 80k.. I've had it for six years.. runs like a sewing machine! I drive it once a week.. about 18 miles one way to the "big city" just to keep the battery charged.. Its been so reliable..
I suspect Ford grossed about $30B from that platform. They sold about 1.5 Million units around a 19K-20K average price. You also have to realize that Ford may have used the car to do research and develop for the entire company.
"...when you're in an Austrian's house and there's ashes on your car you pay attention...who knows what Peter's up to in his spare time..." Absolute GOLD, Bill!
FYI that's not an 89 head unit. That looks more like 94 and up. 89 still had an analog volume control. The dash compartment on top was 89-90 only. Rumor has it, that's where the airbag was going to go. They dropped it for 91. The led is definitely aftermarket.
I had an 83 Cougar LS black, with vinyl roof, the wire wheel covers, red velour interior and the 3.8. Great looking car, roomy, very elegant. I preferred the roofline over the Tbird's. Really nice car. Well built, plush. The cars and SUVs of today look all the same. You need wheelbase to sculpture a beautiful car.
It'd be nice to get your hands on a later V8 powered Cougar or Thunderbird because those loaded V8 powered versions are pretty sweet.. My neighbor had a white loaded 92' V8 XR7 with the Mustang style wheels on it with every option and leather and it was stunning. It seems like it had some very expensive special order white paint too if I remember correctly.
The only thing they did was saddle it with fake dual exhaust on the v8's. The Lincoln mark 7 got the true dual like the mustang, but these went 2-1-2 dropping about 25 hp & tq.
This coup back in the day was one of my favorites, especially the XR-7. That year I was 19 yrs old and didn't have a clue as to what I was going to do with my life except be free, which I was. If only life could be that simple again. Being older and responsible sucks... 🧐
I owned the’93 XR7 . I loved it. But then my baby girl was born. Wasn’t free anymore. Bought it off the showroom floor. Sadly I had to sell it.😢 But at least I got a beautiful daughter 😊
A few things to add as a 14 year prior owner of a last model year Cougar, a 1997 with a 4.6L (the fwd world car doesn't count as a proper cougar). It was totaled at 175k miles or we would still be driving it. The 1993 refresh changed the interior to match the upcoming sn95 Mustang with the dual cockpit design. The car also got refreshed grill/headlights, a bulge in the hood (to fit the 4.6L) and revised taillights to match the Crown Vic refresh. In my opinion this drastically improved the looks of the car and moved it from gaudy forgettable 1990 to close to a timeless design. Adults can fit in the rear sit because the formal headline of the Cougar has more headroom then a lot of four door sedans. I hit my head off the roof of the same gen T-bird and in the Regal/Gran Prix but fit comfortably in the Cougar. The v8 and supercharged v6 cars used the same 8.8 IRS was used in the SN95 Cobra. These cars have undersized front brake rotors which will warp after a panic stop. The rear disks are really nice though and the car stops straight and true every time. MN12 is not loved by the collector market and thus there is minimal aftermarket support. Parts are starting to become hard to come by with only one manufacturer making certain parts like suspension bushings or coil springs for example. Likely in the very near future it will become difficult to keep these cars on the road as a daily driver. Awesome handling comfortable highway cruisers. Although the 4.6L is too heavy of a motor for a car originally designed in the late 80's with a v6. Very noticeably under-steers unless your right foot is used for correcting that design flaw. Going along with that sometimes the 4.6L was a PITA to work on in this chassis because it is shoehorned in. The Achilles heel: rust. The rockers, quarter panels, and rear shock mounts rot out on every single T-bird/Cougar/Mark VIII. I had to replace all three with new metal in ours. The rockers I was able to get aftermarket, but the shock mounts and quarter panels I had to fabricate. If I could reliably get parts I would build the ultimate MN12: a 1996-7 with a small block ford (or a turbo 4.2) and manual trans.
Great review. I also knew all the car makes and models back in the 80's. Now that I am 60 it's more difficult to tell apart the new models. They all look alike. Thanks Bill.
I really appreciate these kinds of reviews. They show us what life was like at the time. Not everybody had. Ferrari or a Porsche. Most of us had cars like this one. Now we can get into collecting cars we remember, for not a lot of money. Pretty cool business model.
My dad tried to buy a 1993 T-Bird in Purple (!). I was in college, living nearby, and went to the car lot one afternoon with him to show him what a better color Cayman Green was. Glad I did, as dad gave me the car three years later 🙂 Nice car, I loved how the Independent Rear Suspension improved the ride and handling over the Foxbody 'bird. It lasted a good long time in less than ideal car ownership circumstances (parking it outside in the desert). It was the first car I sold to someone else in running condition!
In San Antonio back in the day, this was the nice car you drove while still seeming low key, being a more blue collar place than the flashier Texas cities like Dallas.
What a beautiful example! My parents had the identical car brand new back in the Fall of 89, a 90 LS model. Ours had the dark blue cloth interior. This car has a later Ford version radio, it's not the original unit but whatever. I remember sitting in the back of our car and loved watching the digital cluster do it's thing. These cars also had a speed alarm. Once it was set, it would allow 5 MPH increments of limit. Once you exceeded the set speed, the speedometer would flash and give you a three beep alarm until you slowed back down to your preset speed. Yes, the XR7's had the same slider cubby on top of the dash pad and no, that red light on top of the center console in front of the shifter isn't factory. Yes, starting in 89, speed sensitive steering was standard on these cars. It will sharpen up and require more effort as speed increases.
Another great review, Bill! You and I are the same age, and ‘89 was also the year I graduated. My dad bought one of these new that year. Tan metallic with burgundy interior. Later in college I had the car. I really enjoyed driving it, and it handled quite well in its day. I recall fondly some late night runs back from Peoria to Normal across interstate 74 when we would put the digital dash in kilometers to see how fast we could get it up to, since mph stopped at 85. Loved the digital dash. Great times…good car.
@@universalexports6119 He sounds like he's 100 because he has a natural wit and intelligence beyond his young years. He has passed 50 and hams up the "grumpy old guy" stuff..... For your benefit.
My Father bought one new after owning a '86 Grand Marquis. The transmission died in it shortly after he bought it new so he traded for a red Cougar as soon as he saw the new body style. He always seemed to like it as he kept it for about eight years. I thought it didn't ride as nice as my '84 T-Bird. He finally went back to owning Cadillac's though and was much happier. Thanks for the memory Bill
Interesting how gm found a loophole with the passive restraints due to the fact that they made the seatbelts reside in the door. The theory behind that was when you kept the seatbelts buckled and opened the door the door could act like a passive restraint when you closed it. So it was like a manual/automatic passive restraint in a way.
@@codyluka8355 but at least it saved them from having to spend the extra money on airbags. Could you imagine what would've happened to poor little GMs profits if they gave that little of an extra shit to put somthing like "air bags" in their cars? They probably would've filed for bankruptcy 1 whole year earlier than they did.
@@BigWheel. Yeah! I haven't a clue as to what GM was thinking when they thought of this. Airbags weren't mandated as standard equipment in cars and mini vans until the 1992 model year. They were optional on some models like the Olds Delta 88 and 98, some Buicks and Caddys. Ford and Chrysler started in about 1990. But seatbelts on the doors?? What were they thinking! OMG.
@@codyluka8355 this was the transition era to mandatory airbags where models that weren't yet equipped with them they had to have some kind of active restraint system that forced you into wearing your seatbelt.
I always kinda liked the MN12 Cougar roofline, though the MN12 I had was a Thunderbird (96, V8). It was a '94 XR7 in that weird color-shifting pearl purplish-red they had in the middle '90's, that reminded me of the MN12 as an option when I was shopping for my first new-ish car in 1998. On account of my having been an idiot in my 20's I did have to have my T-bird's transmission rebuilt twice in the ~190k miles I put on it. When it was time to move onto something newer in 2010 I still liked the large coupe form factor enough that I moved on to the first of two late-model Challenger R/T's that I've had.
Recently I've been daily driving a 1997 Thunderbird LX with the 4.6 V8. I had a 1996 XR7 Cougar with the 4.6 when I graduated high school in 1997. I remember talking to some Ford techs back in the day and they told me that the MN12 was never supposed to have a V8. And if you ever changed the oil in one of these with a V8 you'd agree! Very tight fit to get the oil filter out. It was only designed to be a 6 banger. Either NA or supercharged. Thanks for the video Bill. That Mercury is a beautiful time capsule!
My first car was a 1995 Cougar XR7 with the 4.6 L V8. OMG did I love that damn car! I went everywhere in that car, and I loved the way it looked, drove, and how comfortable it was. I've actually been looking to try to buy another one off of Craigslist as a second car because how much I love it. They're totally unappreciated and undervalued, because they truly are awesome.
I'm on an overnight getaway with my wife, in the hotel room bathroom oggling an old cougar. My wife just asked from the other room if I'm still watching that old guy's car videos!😆 (We do what we have to to survive...thx, Bill.)
Bill thanks for bringing another Unicorn to us that we enjoy. I’m a tad older the you, 55 and greatly remember these cars. Happy Thanksgiving. Keep doing what you do we love it!!!!
A very interesting video. I'm from the UK so we never had this car but I love the clean, unfussy looks but that's just my particular taste. The closest I think we ever had that was anything like this was probably the 1989 Nissan Maxima or maybe the Honda Legend Coupe. I would love to see a review of those or maybe a 1982 Buick Regal which my parents hired when they went on vacation to California that year - they bought back Buick and Cadillac brochures which I treasure to this day. I have subscribed and liked and I'm looking forward to more content :)
Dear Bill- Thank you so much for everything over so many years- You're a superb auto historian, and a super entertainer. How's the goat/woodpecker situation these days? Happy Holidays.
My dad had the opportunity to buy one of these new back in 1993 at Stu Evans Lincoln Mercury in Sterling Heights, Michigan. I believe the dealer quoted him $16,000 out the door fully loaded.
In 2000 (I was 19) I had a 1991 Thunderbird LX 5.0L HO and I LOVED IT! Dual stainless exhaust. Maroon inside and out. I got it with 87K on the clock, had the JBL cassette and CD with subwoofer, keyless entry, analogue full gauge cluster, leather and suede seats, power everything! I drove it everyday right up until January 2007, by then the salt ate her pretty bad with rusted out rockers and 238,000K. I never had one major problem with it.
I live in Northern Canada....I was lucky she made it as long as she did. Even with oil guarding the salt took her from me....and I washed her every 2 weeks BY HAND at a car wash where I did it myself. I'll tell you...when I was angry...she lit up the tires. When I was in a rush...she lit up the tires! I had her up to 135MPH and she was JUST hitting the RedLine! That car was AMAZING!! The memories I have of driving and using her back seat.....many many great times with her!
I love these. My first car was a maroon 91 cougar LS that my parents bought in 1997.they later had a dark blue 89 cougar la with a fake convertible top and gold accents. I.later traded in the 91 cougar for a 93 supercoupe Thunderbird.
My step dad had this car we loved it and the weird compartment on the passenger side was for road maps and reading glasses or sun glasses so they would not get scratches on them
Dad gave me a 1995 Cougar which improved on this look on account they added rounder bumpers and attractive interior during the 1994 refresh. Then the 1996 refresh came with the gaudy looking big body cladding wrapping around the center of the car.
My first brand new car ever my was fully loaded. 17.900 sticker price got it for 15.000 with discounts in 1989 left over models had leather too .this one doesn’t have the original radio from 89 my 1997 third had this radio that’s how I know ,love this car when it came out .
In 1991, I bought a used mint condition '89 Cougar. It was currant red with a moonroof. The car rode like a dream to me back then. Put a really good pioneer stereo in it and upgraded the speakers. That car was gorgeous.
Very oddly equipped: these cars were usually loaded with everything. But I see it’s missing power door locks, cruise/tilt, power drivers seat, automatic headlamps, and Ford’s coded security keypad
I didn't even notice the lack of power locks. I thought they were standard on the 89 tbird/cougar. I had a "base model" 91 LS with the analog non tach 85mph cluster that was new for 91 and even it had power locks, cruise and tilt.
The Ex bought a 97 T-Bird LX brand new. Damn near every option including moon roof. Took it to Colorado once and drove all over the Rockies. Car ran like a champ and handeled great. I bought a 97 Xr-7 about 10 years ago for a stash car for work. It's sat outside for 10 years and since it's in Iowa and Nebraska the road salt is killing it. It's only got 111K and the interior is in great shape, and the 4.6 is running good, uses no oil and plenty of power. I wish the full size 2-door RWD cars had never gone away. I miss them.
The very first “Brand New Car” that I ever bought was a 1997 Cougar with the 4.6. My job required me to travel across the Midwest on a regular basis and it was the perfect Highway Cruiser! I even had it on some very windy roads in Colorado - it cornered incredibly well for a big coupe. Years later my Mom used it for her work vehicle and it was reliable! No issues - 156,000 miles! The poor cat drowned in 2010 due to a flash flood when my brother got caught in a Microburst. I would have no problem buying another 97 Cougar for my kids to use if I could find one not beat to hell!
Holy sweet junipers... you solved the mystery of how the cougar cat became the go to term for older women... 70s ads of an older woman in a mercury with a giant cougar... great work
Owned a couple of 4.6 '95 Thunderbirds - one was fast and the other was not rusty for whatever reason I couldn't find out) overall very good car despite looking boring) what's curious it had actual venting wheels - just like C4 vettes did, different pattern on each side, probably most interesting design cue)
Thanks for the video. I was hoping you would review this gen of Cougar or Thunderbird. Loved the 89 T-Bird Super Coupe when it came out. Owned a 93 T-Bird Sport Coupe with the 5.0L for several years. It was one of the best cars I ever owned.
Nice find Bill.. Love the videos. Brings back memories I brought my daughter home in the same car except mine was burgundy. Never gave me problems or left me stranded roomy smooth ride and handled the streets of New York City with no problems. You’re right the car did come factory with white walls. Would love to have this car to show off at a cars and coffee get together.
I had an '89 XR7 (the supercharged V6). I loved it. Only downside was I blew the PS pump. "Factory Time" to replace, about 9 hours. Working alone in my garage, 17 hours. Everything came out, pulleys, belts, intercooler, intake to supercharger; then, all had to go back in.
This car brings back so many memories. I was 7 in '89. My mother bought this brand-new. Hers was bright red, with a half-cloth roof top, with Opera side lights and a luggage spoiler rack on the trunk. It sounds tacky now, but it was sharp back in the day. She got compliments every where we went. The first week she got the car. We went to Kmart real at night. Walking away from the car, a lady in the parking lot, was running towards my mother to tell her she left the lights on. My mother told her they will turn off by themselves. The lady was so confused. My mother showed her, the lady was so fascinated by that. My mother owned that car for 14 years a had 319,000 miles it. Gave it away because she had bought a new car. One of her best reliable cars she ever owned.
My Grandmother bought a new Couger in 1983 and I loved that car. Wish I could find one. Silver with red interior. Loaded with everything but leather. Even spoke to you!
The 1989 to 1993 cougar xr7 still are my favorite after 25 years and love since the 1989 cougar xr7 TV commercial with the famous song nothing move you like a Mercury
Ford's problem with these and the Thunderbirds from this time period through into the 1990s was they sold too many to rental fleets. For me and others they became more associated as rental cars reducing their "I want this" value. I got a lot of these as basic, stripped down model rentals when my vehicle was in for service. I loved the look of these Cougars and the Thunderbirds from that time period though. I'd love to have a early to mid 1990s well optioned Thunderbird right now. The look of that black Cougar XR7 foreshadows the look of the Marauder in my opinion.
Makes me miss my 1987 Murcury Cougar XR7 5.0 with all the goodies. Was so sweet and moved onto an 1985 RX7 GSL SE with all the extras. Both great 80's cars and yet very different.
I bought a 91 XR7 new. I absolutely loved it. Leather interior, the seats had the air side bolsters to hold you in the seats. moon roof, lots of room. Top end speed was pretty impressive. And it didn't get to bad gas mileage cruising on the highway. This is one I should of kept. Thanks Bill👋
I was 25 in ‘89. Never had this Cougar, but bought a 88’ Sable new in that year with my ex wife. Design was ahead of it’s time. Aerodynamic and sleek. Always enjoy your car reviews! Keep them coming. Happy thanksgiving
“Look at this terrifying thing (cat).” Cute calico trots into the woods after thinking “I wish that guy would pet me but he keeps giving me the stink eye”
Please finish the Lincoln/Continental Mark series. By my count, you’ve done the III, IV, V & VIII. A VI & VII should be easy enough to find. For a Mark II, I’d contact Lincoln Land in Clearwater.
I commented on waiting for the 9mm spit that which was absent for some reason in the 85 thunderbird review...Bill, thanks because that alongside the Canadian comments are the best, make my day every time Sir...
Thanks for doing this Bill! This takes me back to my high-school years too. This was a highly developed and engineered car for Ford at the time. Unfortunately, they went cheap on the interior. Thanks for the memories!
Oh how I look forward to Bill's videos. I currently own a 1993 Cougar XR7 with the super charged 3.8 69k two owner miles black on black a real head Turner.
Been stroking my ego watching LS400 documentaries, since I just bought one…and I come across Curious Cars for my first time. Great work and sense of humor 😆 I graduated ‘97…you have a new subscriber 🙏
Another car from my younger years! I had a white with blue interior ‘95 XR7 with a 4.6 V8 and did a bunch of Mustang bolt ons to it. It was quiet and comfortable and was under-the-radar fast for what it was. I always loved the way the dash an console wrapped around the driver (more so in the later facelift) and mine had the analog gauges so I didn’t have any of the gremlins that some of the digital ones did. It was a great car and the values of really clean ones like this are really going up lately.
My dad had one of these in that beautiful burgundy metallic color along with burgundy cloth interior such a beautiful car sadly he finally scrapped it in 2008 with 274k on the dash and it was in pretty good shape too at the time.
Great review Bill! The only thing I would not like about this car would be those seatbelts. Horrible! I never owned a vehicle with those motorized belts, thank goodness, but that would be the only deterrent. Only other thing I would change on this would be take off those mud flaps, yet they are period correct, they just look goofy these days.
My mother had a 90’s Cougar it was this glossy Rose colored pink with white leather interior. Looked like someone painted it in Pepto Bismol maybe a tad bit darker. She didn’t know that the neighbors thought it was hideous. Oh well she wouldn’t have cared. All in all it was a nice ride.
I don’t have a lot of business experience, but I remember well when my buddy bought one new. I was pretty impressed, it was a very quiet and comfortable car, even with all the rough roads in the city.
Had a 91 with the 3.8L as is this 1. A co-worker at the time sold it to me for a few hundred dollars. Time to sell the 88 Camaro as our daughter was on the way. Sat in the back seat of the Cougar and was sold. Egg developed on 1 of the tires. Got a used 1 and good to go. Ib time, hit a dear and broke up the front end. Poor deer. Anyway, thermostat was going out. Putting oil and grease in it's mechanics only alleviated the horrible squealing sound that pierced your ears. I was actually kind of sad to send it away as it's tranny went out at work. I really liked the car and it is definitely 1 that I would recommend if at a good price. Appreciate this. Take care all!
Bill, you need a regular sponsor. Even just one for auto glass cleaner. "This stuff is so good not even Dalton can screw it up!" No? How about a whiskey brand. Get those $$$. I will watch this for the wildlife n weather report.
"When you're at an austrian's house and you see ashes landing on things, you tend to pay attention... who knows what Peter's up to in his spare time" My Lord, Bill, you crack me up!
I definitely did nazi that comment coming...
cracked me up too. Only Bill could come up with that, and get away with it
I choked on my coffee with THAT one! Lol!
Birds,Goats, AND... Yeah they were pretty much hand inn glove with the Nazis
LOL! I'd rattle off a couple of old "offensive" Volkswagen jokes, but you all know them anyway.
I love how the dash is meant to be ultra-futuristic but now it's incredibly retro 😎
Wym? Most modern non-luxury and “premium” cars still don’t have full digital gauges 😂
The incandescent bulbs are what dates it for me. Toss in some Leds and it would look pretty sweet
They took it from the earlier T-Bird and Aerostar. When this came out it was 5 years old and looking dated. Ford also regressed in ergonomics. They went with the "tiny little buttons EVERYWHERE" motiff.
Like every other 20 year old car. Meh.
@@steveh2040 Leds hurt my eyes, I much perfer the dimmer softer lighting of incandescent.
“Let’s get back into this cougar”
Yeah, I could get into a Cougar right about now
Brilliant
"She's still kicking high!!" ~ Al Bundy
A divorced cougar will give you a ride you will soon not forget, believe you me
Gotta find me one first....
I wish Mercury would’ve never went away. They added more to the Ford platform in a lot of ways.
Love my grand marquis. Like a crown vic, but with town car interior.
Agree with you on that
Would’ve never gone
I love the hearty GOOD MORNING followed by “ those birds are out to get me” , “ just look at those evil goats on top of that car” “killer rabbits” , etc. It is part of your brand Bill never stop. You are the best of UA-cam in my book. Also, I enjoy your historical insights for each car you feature, very educational.
I agree. Solid original content with a flair. What a rare find these days.
"That bunched up seat looks more like a diaper than a Spanish bordello..." - quote wins the Internet Award today.
My Grandma bought a 85' Bostonian cougar V6 with the fake spare tire hanging off the back and a padded top, my dad would tease his mom call it her pimp mobile. Everywhere we went someone would always comment how pretty it was. She kept it pristine, was crazy reliable and comfortable. It got hit by a semi that ended it but saved her life just cuts from glass.
I still find this Cougar model very elegant. I would happily drive one today.
That car is ugly. It drives like garbage. It’s slow and get awful gas mileage. Enjoy
@@davidkruse4030 Yea it’s definitely not the best looking but it can be made decent. And honestly gas mileage for me isn’t terrible. I
have one I started driving on and it’s kinda fun to drive it’s really forgiving and just soo easy that you can just really mess around with it a little.
@@davidkruse4030 Stick to getting excited over fwd garbage and shut your mouth. 👍
@@davidkruse4030its like you think other people care what you think of the cars they like. Nobody gives a shit about you dude your opinion isn't that special. 😂
I don't find it ugly at all, although it's not as beautiful as the 89 Thunderbirds
Love it when he gets pissed about the automatic shoulder belts right after he explained their function.
I loved these when they came out! It looked like a “substantial” coupe in a sea of cheap looking garbage back then. With the V8 they actually could skate pretty well too 👍
Loved the monotone XR7's of the early 90's. Next door neighbors bought TWO at the same time back then, red and black "his" and "hers", I used to drool over the red one as a kid.
@@Stressless2023 i doubt ford lost money on them,saw a lot of them
@@gsprings43 agreed
They were a good attempt by Ford to elevate the engineering standards of the mainstream American car. A far more substantial car than the much more successful, but cheaply built Taurus / Sable twins, and their Continental cousin. Unfortunately, someone decided that the T-bird should have a sloped rear window and lousy headroom, and the Cougar a nearly vertical notchback roofline that destroyed the otherwise graceful proportions. Maybe they should have let the artists do one good design for both?
This car really takes me back to the good old days. It’s such a clean example. I always enjoy your videos Bill.
Definitely was an era of clean design, less is more in some. I remember the smell the 80s Ford interiors something going to the dealership as a kid. You always hit the nail on the head when u describe the cars that u r reviewing.. Have a great Thanksgiving..
$2B is a ton of money. Imagine combining the development budget of the Mercedes w140 AND the Lexus LS and getting this as a result 😂
It paid off. The same suspension/chassis technology is still used today in the Mustang, Expedition and Explorer. In 02 they were selling explorers with independent rear suspension.
@@alb12345672
Not to mention that the title is misleading. 2 Billion Dollars was spent to develop the Cougar AND Thunderbird. In fact, considering Ford is the name on the side of the building (as Lee Iacocca was quoted as saying, IIRC) a more accurate title would have been "...the Thunderbird and this Cougar ".
Ford supposedly spent nearly as much money to develop the Taurus/Sable, but those cars were developed under a tighter rein.
Don’t forget the Lincoln Mark , same platform .
@@P4OE The lincoln LS is kinda of a successor too. Look under a brand new 2022 Explorer, it is a RWD Unibody SUV. The rear suspension looks exactly like the car in the video. Even the spring is seperate from the shock. There are some refinements, but it certainly in that heritage. They could have easily made a coupe version, and it would be a modern Tbird. Front suspension is more like the Taurus, it is Mcpherson. The older Tbird had a UCA, something you find on a luxury car. The Trucks are set up with the same arrangement.
Another thing about those cars, they had a dual frontal 5 star rating WITHOUT airbags. That was almost unheard of in 1989. There was a lot of crash technology engineered that they used in later years.
The test is not that different from today, except they use a smaller dummy, and every car has airbags. Not every car gets 5 stars, even with airbags!
It's nice to see these regular cars in such good shape! Thank you Bill.
P.S. the cat will get you.
Funny story about the IRS. When I had my supercoupe, I was talking to someone at a car show and mentioned it had IRS. The guy gets an attitude and asks "do you even know what IRS is?" I replied that I did and that my car did in fact have it. He kept trying to tell me I didn't know what I was talking about. I finally told him if he was so sure of himself that he should crawl under the rear of the car and look. So he does and was like "it does have IRS." I felt like saying "no shit sherlock!"
Another interesting note, the cars had passive rear steering. A friend of mine had an 89 5 speed xr7 identical to the car at 14:25 and had it in Germany when it was new. He got it up to 157 on the autobahn once. He said he'd take this one cloverleaf exit every day and tried to see at what speed the car would start to break loose. One day he said he felt the rear start to give way but then it tucked in. He thought he broke something. He took the car home and inspected everything and couldn't find anything wrong. He later discovered in some documentation that the rear will turn like rear steering if enough g forces are applied. It's not active like say an integra from the 80s where you can see the wheels turn with the steering wheel, but they will turn if enough g force is applied.
I would have then said "No it's not". The old Fiero with tied off rods in the rear (front tie rods, to a ridgid mount) also had a bit of rear steer when pushed. It felt weird on the hwy. to throw the steering wheel side to side, you sure could feel it. They got rid of it for the last model, had it handling decent...and killed it. Bravo GM
i'm a huge fan of old digital dashboards, they give such a cool vibe
Same here
I was born in 1989. I really appreciate the vehicles from 1970's to mid 1990's. Keep up the good work Bill.
I'd been offered my late father in law's 91 xr7 several times. It's been sitting in their back yard for years with flat tires and badly faded paint so I never really gave it much thought. I recently looked closer while figuring out what a bunch of keys went to and besides the paint it's immaculate with 86k miles. I'd say it's worth a set of tires and brake rotors to have a sweet cruiser
I have a 91 that belonged to my mother.. it just flipped to 80k.. I've had it for six years.. runs like a sewing machine! I drive it once a week.. about 18 miles one way to the "big city" just to keep the battery charged.. Its been so reliable..
The 91 XR7s are pretty rare as well. Super coupe suspension and interior with a 5.0
My dad's friend has super coupe we've both always wanted. I haven't seen it in about 15 years but then it only had 9k and was immaculate
I'd do it lve had a 95 CougerXR7 for 20 years JUST turned 72,800 miles...it up for winter.
Go for it! Like the ads for the 1989 Mercury Cougar says "Nothing moves you like a Mercury!"
I suspect Ford grossed about $30B from that platform. They sold about 1.5 Million units around a 19K-20K average price.
You also have to realize that Ford may have used the car to do research and develop for the entire company.
First the cobra then the explorer got the IRS
Halo car I've owned one it handles just as good as a Lexus Mercedes or bmw. which ones any of them I've owned multiple
"...when you're in an Austrian's house and there's ashes on your car you pay attention...who knows what Peter's up to in his spare time..." Absolute GOLD, Bill!
FYI that's not an 89 head unit. That looks more like 94 and up. 89 still had an analog volume control.
The dash compartment on top was 89-90 only. Rumor has it, that's where the airbag was going to go. They dropped it for 91.
The led is definitely aftermarket.
I had an 83 Cougar LS black, with vinyl roof, the wire wheel covers, red velour interior and the 3.8. Great looking car, roomy, very elegant. I preferred the roofline over the Tbird's.
Really nice car. Well built, plush. The cars and SUVs of today look all the same. You need wheelbase to sculpture a beautiful car.
It'd be nice to get your hands on a later V8 powered Cougar or Thunderbird because those loaded V8 powered versions are pretty sweet..
My neighbor had a white loaded 92' V8 XR7 with the Mustang style wheels on it with every option and leather and it was stunning.
It seems like it had some very expensive special order white paint too if I remember correctly.
A buddy in high school had one too but black metallic and all blacked out wheels and windows.
I got a 94 lx . 4.6 v8 it's like having a muscle car with abs, a/c and decent mpg.
Yeah good luck finding a good rwd v8 car from the 60s/70s
Probably an XR7 model, there was a really cool white that was only available on the XR7
The only thing they did was saddle it with fake dual exhaust on the v8's. The Lincoln mark 7 got the true dual like the mustang, but these went 2-1-2 dropping about 25 hp & tq.
White pearl was a pretty sweet paint on these cars.
Again, just like that red TBird, I’d make this my daily driver right now. Loved these cars!
This coup back in the day was one of my favorites, especially the XR-7. That year I was 19 yrs old and didn't have a clue as to what I was going to do with my life except be free, which I was. If only life could be that simple again. Being older and responsible sucks... 🧐
Agree
I owned the’93 XR7 . I loved it. But then my baby girl was born. Wasn’t free anymore. Bought it off the showroom floor. Sadly I had to sell it.😢 But at least I got a beautiful daughter 😊
@@kevindarrell3500 I get it, I have one too and she's also beautiful...
A few things to add as a 14 year prior owner of a last model year Cougar, a 1997 with a 4.6L (the fwd world car doesn't count as a proper cougar). It was totaled at 175k miles or we would still be driving it.
The 1993 refresh changed the interior to match the upcoming sn95 Mustang with the dual cockpit design. The car also got refreshed grill/headlights, a bulge in the hood (to fit the 4.6L) and revised taillights to match the Crown Vic refresh. In my opinion this drastically improved the looks of the car and moved it from gaudy forgettable 1990 to close to a timeless design.
Adults can fit in the rear sit because the formal headline of the Cougar has more headroom then a lot of four door sedans. I hit my head off the roof of the same gen T-bird and in the Regal/Gran Prix but fit comfortably in the Cougar.
The v8 and supercharged v6 cars used the same 8.8 IRS was used in the SN95 Cobra.
These cars have undersized front brake rotors which will warp after a panic stop. The rear disks are really nice though and the car stops straight and true every time.
MN12 is not loved by the collector market and thus there is minimal aftermarket support. Parts are starting to become hard to come by with only one manufacturer making certain parts like suspension bushings or coil springs for example. Likely in the very near future it will become difficult to keep these cars on the road as a daily driver.
Awesome handling comfortable highway cruisers. Although the 4.6L is too heavy of a motor for a car originally designed in the late 80's with a v6. Very noticeably under-steers unless your right foot is used for correcting that design flaw.
Going along with that sometimes the 4.6L was a PITA to work on in this chassis because it is shoehorned in.
The Achilles heel: rust. The rockers, quarter panels, and rear shock mounts rot out on every single T-bird/Cougar/Mark VIII. I had to replace all three with new metal in ours. The rockers I was able to get aftermarket, but the shock mounts and quarter panels I had to fabricate.
If I could reliably get parts I would build the ultimate MN12: a 1996-7 with a small block ford (or a turbo 4.2) and manual trans.
Great review. I also knew all the car makes and models back in the 80's. Now that I am 60 it's more difficult to tell apart the new models. They all look alike. Thanks Bill.
I really appreciate these kinds of reviews. They show us what life was like at the time. Not everybody had. Ferrari or a Porsche. Most of us had cars like this one. Now we can get into collecting cars we remember, for not a lot of money. Pretty cool business model.
My dad tried to buy a 1993 T-Bird in Purple (!). I was in college, living nearby, and went to the car lot one afternoon with him to show him what a better color Cayman Green was. Glad I did, as dad gave me the car three years later 🙂 Nice car, I loved how the Independent Rear Suspension improved the ride and handling over the Foxbody 'bird. It lasted a good long time in less than ideal car ownership circumstances (parking it outside in the desert). It was the first car I sold to someone else in running condition!
In San Antonio back in the day, this was the nice car you drove while still seeming low key, being a more blue collar place than the flashier Texas cities like Dallas.
What a beautiful example! My parents had the identical car brand new back in the Fall of 89, a 90 LS model. Ours had the dark blue cloth interior. This car has a later Ford version radio, it's not the original unit but whatever. I remember sitting in the back of our car and loved watching the digital cluster do it's thing. These cars also had a speed alarm. Once it was set, it would allow 5 MPH increments of limit. Once you exceeded the set speed, the speedometer would flash and give you a three beep alarm until you slowed back down to your preset speed. Yes, the XR7's had the same slider cubby on top of the dash pad and no, that red light on top of the center console in front of the shifter isn't factory. Yes, starting in 89, speed sensitive steering was standard on these cars. It will sharpen up and require more effort as speed increases.
Another great review, Bill! You and I are the same age, and ‘89 was also the year I graduated. My dad bought one of these new that year. Tan metallic with burgundy interior. Later in college I had the car. I really enjoyed driving it, and it handled quite well in its day. I recall fondly some late night runs back from Peoria to Normal across interstate 74 when we would put the digital dash in kilometers to see how fast we could get it up to, since mph stopped at 85. Loved the digital dash. Great times…good car.
WHATTTT this guy graduated highschool in 89??? He sounds like he's 100... Lay off the pall malls
@@universalexports6119 He sounds like he's 100 because he has a natural wit and intelligence beyond his young years. He has passed 50 and hams up the "grumpy old guy" stuff..... For your benefit.
My Father bought one new after owning a '86 Grand Marquis. The transmission died in it shortly after he bought it new so he traded for a red Cougar as soon as he saw the new body style. He always seemed to like it as he kept it for about eight years. I thought it didn't ride as nice as my '84 T-Bird. He finally went back to owning Cadillac's though and was much happier. Thanks for the memory Bill
I love your reviews you cranky old bastard 😉
Interesting how gm found a loophole with the passive restraints due to the fact that they made the seatbelts reside in the door. The theory behind that was when you kept the seatbelts buckled and opened the door the door could act like a passive restraint when you closed it. So it was like a manual/automatic passive restraint in a way.
Yeah until the door flew open in a crash...
GM's idea with mounting the seat belts to the doors was a big mistake and definitely not well thought out.
@@codyluka8355 but at least it saved them from having to spend the extra money on airbags.
Could you imagine what would've happened to poor little GMs profits if they gave that little of an extra shit to put somthing like "air bags" in their cars? They probably would've filed for bankruptcy 1 whole year earlier than they did.
@@BigWheel. Yeah! I haven't a clue as to what GM was thinking when they thought of this. Airbags weren't mandated as standard equipment in cars and mini vans until the 1992 model year. They were optional on some models like the Olds Delta 88 and 98, some Buicks and Caddys. Ford and Chrysler started in about 1990. But seatbelts on the doors?? What were they thinking! OMG.
@@codyluka8355 this was the transition era to mandatory airbags where models that weren't yet equipped with them they had to have some kind of active restraint system that forced you into wearing your seatbelt.
The 1990 Cougar has the distinction of being the last rear wheel drive Mercury that was available with a manual transmission in the XR7 package.
I always kinda liked the MN12 Cougar roofline, though the MN12 I had was a Thunderbird (96, V8). It was a '94 XR7 in that weird color-shifting pearl purplish-red they had in the middle '90's, that reminded me of the MN12 as an option when I was shopping for my first new-ish car in 1998. On account of my having been an idiot in my 20's I did have to have my T-bird's transmission rebuilt twice in the ~190k miles I put on it. When it was time to move onto something newer in 2010 I still liked the large coupe form factor enough that I moved on to the first of two late-model Challenger R/T's that I've had.
A 40 something Kate Jackson was the spokes lady? Now we know where the term cougar originated.
Recently I've been daily driving a 1997 Thunderbird LX with the 4.6 V8. I had a 1996 XR7 Cougar with the 4.6 when I graduated high school in 1997. I remember talking to some Ford techs back in the day and they told me that the MN12 was never supposed to have a V8. And if you ever changed the oil in one of these with a V8 you'd agree! Very tight fit to get the oil filter out. It was only designed to be a 6 banger. Either NA or supercharged. Thanks for the video Bill. That Mercury is a beautiful time capsule!
Bill looking at cougars in highschool with a holocaust reference slipped in. Perfection
My first car was a 1995 Cougar XR7 with the 4.6 L V8. OMG did I love that damn car! I went everywhere in that car, and I loved the way it looked, drove, and how comfortable it was. I've actually been looking to try to buy another one off of Craigslist as a second car because how much I love it. They're totally unappreciated and undervalued, because they truly are awesome.
I'm on an overnight getaway with my wife, in the hotel room bathroom oggling an old cougar. My wife just asked from the other room if I'm still watching that old guy's car videos!😆 (We do what we have to to survive...thx, Bill.)
Bill thanks for bringing another Unicorn to us that we enjoy. I’m a tad older the you, 55 and greatly remember these cars. Happy Thanksgiving. Keep doing what you do we love it!!!!
A very interesting video. I'm from the UK so we never had this car but I love the clean, unfussy looks but that's just my particular taste. The closest I think we ever had that was anything like this was probably the 1989 Nissan Maxima or maybe the Honda Legend Coupe. I would love to see a review of those or maybe a 1982 Buick Regal which my parents hired when they went on vacation to California that year - they bought back Buick and Cadillac brochures which I treasure to this day.
I have subscribed and liked and I'm looking forward to more content :)
Dear Bill- Thank you so much for everything over so many years- You're a superb auto historian, and a super entertainer. How's the goat/woodpecker situation these days? Happy Holidays.
My dad had the opportunity to buy one of these new back in 1993 at Stu Evans Lincoln Mercury in Sterling Heights, Michigan. I believe the dealer quoted him $16,000 out the door fully loaded.
Bill: I was well aware of Cougars and what they were up to.
Me: And he still is....😂😂😂😂😂😂
In 2000 (I was 19) I had a 1991 Thunderbird LX 5.0L HO and I LOVED IT! Dual stainless exhaust. Maroon inside and out. I got it with 87K on the clock, had the JBL cassette and CD with subwoofer, keyless entry, analogue full gauge cluster, leather and suede seats, power everything! I drove it everyday right up until January 2007, by then the salt ate her pretty bad with rusted out rockers and 238,000K. I never had one major problem with it.
It rotting out like that, I’d say that was a major problem
@@andrewcolsen Mine went that way too. It is a big problem with the salt. Not even sure washing would help it. My 95 had foam in the rockers.
I live in Northern Canada....I was lucky she made it as long as she did. Even with oil guarding the salt took her from me....and I washed her every 2 weeks BY HAND at a car wash where I did it myself. I'll tell you...when I was angry...she lit up the tires. When I was in a rush...she lit up the tires! I had her up to 135MPH and she was JUST hitting the RedLine! That car was AMAZING!! The memories I have of driving and using her back seat.....many many great times with her!
I love these. My first car was a maroon 91 cougar LS that my parents bought in 1997.they later had a dark blue 89 cougar la with a fake convertible top and gold accents. I.later traded in the 91 cougar for a 93 supercoupe Thunderbird.
Awesome. I had a beige 1989 LS 3.8. Lots of memories in that car
My grandma had two or three of these cars she loved it a lot I remember riding it with her when we went out. The childhood memories
My step dad had this car we loved it and the weird compartment on the passenger side was for road maps and reading glasses or sun glasses so they would not get scratches on them
Dad gave me a 1995 Cougar which improved on this look on account they added rounder bumpers and attractive interior during the 1994 refresh. Then the 1996 refresh came with the gaudy looking big body cladding wrapping around the center of the car.
Wow...! Look at that dash...! I do miss personal luxury coupes...!
You know damn well off camera----Bill is petting those cats and talking to them, even offering treats, which he keeps in the trunk duffel bag!
I had one. Great automobile. At 180,000 miles, you could not hear it idle, and everything still worked.
It should have paid off
My first brand new car ever my was fully loaded. 17.900 sticker price got it for 15.000 with discounts in 1989 left over models had leather too .this one doesn’t have the original radio from 89 my 1997 third had this radio that’s how I know ,love this car when it came out .
In 1991, I bought a used mint condition '89 Cougar. It was currant red with a moonroof. The car rode like a dream to me back then. Put a really good pioneer stereo in it and upgraded the speakers. That car was gorgeous.
Good Evening Bill and all
Very oddly equipped: these cars were usually loaded with everything. But I see it’s missing power door locks, cruise/tilt, power drivers seat, automatic headlamps, and Ford’s coded security keypad
I didn't even notice the lack of power locks. I thought they were standard on the 89 tbird/cougar. I had a "base model" 91 LS with the analog non tach 85mph cluster that was new for 91 and even it had power locks, cruise and tilt.
The Ex bought a 97 T-Bird LX brand new. Damn near every option including moon roof. Took it to Colorado once and drove all over the Rockies. Car ran like a champ and handeled great. I bought a 97 Xr-7 about 10 years ago for a stash car for work. It's sat outside for 10 years and since it's in Iowa and Nebraska the road salt is killing it. It's only got 111K and the interior is in great shape, and the 4.6 is running good, uses no oil and plenty of power.
I wish the full size 2-door RWD cars had never gone away. I miss them.
The very first “Brand New Car” that I ever bought was a 1997 Cougar with the 4.6. My job required me to travel across the Midwest on a regular basis and it was the perfect Highway Cruiser!
I even had it on some very windy roads in Colorado - it cornered incredibly well for a big coupe.
Years later my Mom used it for her work vehicle and it was reliable! No issues - 156,000 miles! The poor cat drowned in 2010 due to a flash flood when my brother got caught in a Microburst.
I would have no problem buying another 97 Cougar for my kids to use if I could find one not beat to hell!
Holy sweet junipers... you solved the mystery of how the cougar cat became the go to term for older women... 70s ads of an older woman in a mercury with a giant cougar... great work
Owned a couple of 4.6 '95 Thunderbirds - one was fast and the other was not rusty for whatever reason I couldn't find out) overall very good car despite looking boring) what's curious it had actual venting wheels - just like C4 vettes did, different pattern on each side, probably most interesting design cue)
Thanks for the video. I was hoping you would review this gen of Cougar or Thunderbird. Loved the 89 T-Bird Super Coupe when it came out. Owned a 93 T-Bird Sport Coupe with the 5.0L for several years. It was one of the best cars I ever owned.
I loved these. I currently own a 1989 Thunderbird Super Coupe.
Nice find Bill.. Love the videos. Brings back memories I brought my daughter home in the same car except mine was burgundy. Never gave me problems or left me stranded roomy smooth ride and handled the streets of New York City with no problems. You’re right the car did come factory with white walls. Would love to have this car to show off at a cars and coffee get together.
I had an '89 XR7 (the supercharged V6). I loved it. Only downside was I blew the PS pump. "Factory Time" to replace, about 9 hours. Working alone in my garage, 17 hours. Everything came out, pulleys, belts, intercooler, intake to supercharger; then, all had to go back in.
The Lincoln MK VII was my favorite of all of the 1980s Ford products. Rare as hen's teeth today.
That's one of the cooler looking 'retro' lighted dashboards around.
This car brings back so many memories. I was 7 in '89. My mother bought this brand-new. Hers was bright red, with a half-cloth roof top, with Opera side lights and a luggage spoiler rack on the trunk. It sounds tacky now, but it was sharp back in the day. She got compliments every where we went. The first week she got the car. We went to Kmart real at night. Walking away from the car, a lady in the parking lot, was running towards my mother to tell her she left the lights on. My mother told her they will turn off by themselves. The lady was so confused. My mother showed her, the lady was so fascinated by that. My mother owned that car for 14 years a had 319,000 miles it. Gave it away because she had bought a new car. One of her best reliable cars she ever owned.
Headgasket never blew?
@@alb12345672 no, the only thing that needed repair that i knew of was the transmission around the 240k miles range. And the alternator
My Grandmother bought a new Couger in 1983 and I loved that car. Wish I could find one.
Silver with red interior. Loaded with everything but leather. Even spoke to you!
The 1989 to 1993 cougar xr7 still are my favorite after 25 years and love since the 1989 cougar xr7 TV commercial with the famous song nothing move you like a Mercury
Bill you are an absolute rockstar ,love your mentality, i thought i was the only one who had all these thoughts
Ford's problem with these and the Thunderbirds from this time period through into the 1990s was they sold too many to rental fleets. For me and others they became more associated as rental cars reducing their "I want this" value. I got a lot of these as basic, stripped down model rentals when my vehicle was in for service. I loved the look of these Cougars and the Thunderbirds from that time period though. I'd love to have a early to mid 1990s well optioned Thunderbird right now. The look of that black Cougar XR7 foreshadows the look of the Marauder in my opinion.
@MysticStarHF
Agreed...this also applied to even the Lincoln Town Car. They were in rental fleets everywhere
Makes me miss my 1987 Murcury Cougar XR7 5.0 with all the goodies. Was so sweet and moved onto an 1985 RX7 GSL SE with all the extras. Both great 80's cars and yet very different.
I bought a 91 XR7 new. I absolutely loved it. Leather interior, the seats had the air side bolsters to hold you in the seats. moon roof, lots of room. Top end speed was pretty impressive. And it didn't get to bad gas mileage cruising on the highway. This is one I should of kept. Thanks Bill👋
my xr-7 was jacked digital dash heater awesome factory stereo with built in bass and sub woofer system swapped out the factory speakers
I was 25 in ‘89. Never had this Cougar, but bought a 88’ Sable new in that year with my ex wife. Design was ahead of it’s time. Aerodynamic and sleek. Always enjoy your car reviews! Keep them coming. Happy thanksgiving
“Look at this terrifying thing (cat).”
Cute calico trots into the woods after thinking “I wish that guy would pet me but he keeps giving me the stink eye”
I thought you’d find Dalton sleeping in the trunk
Please finish the Lincoln/Continental Mark series. By my count, you’ve done the III, IV, V & VIII. A VI & VII should be easy enough to find. For a Mark II, I’d contact Lincoln Land in Clearwater.
I commented on waiting for the 9mm spit that which was absent for some reason in the 85 thunderbird review...Bill, thanks because that alongside the Canadian comments are the best, make my day every time Sir...
These made great looking race cars. During this cars' production run there were XR-7s in the IMSA GTO class. They were long, low, and beautiful.
Thanks for doing this Bill! This takes me back to my high-school years too. This was a highly developed and engineered car for Ford at the time. Unfortunately, they went cheap on the interior. Thanks for the memories!
Only Farrah could induce me to buy a post 1973 Cougar. Kate Jackson reminds me of that word Bill is afraid to use.
LoL....
That made me laugh out loud. Thanks.
@@my1vice LOL
Oh how I look forward to Bill's videos. I currently own a 1993 Cougar XR7 with the super charged 3.8 69k two owner miles black on black a real head Turner.
I was dying when he said the cat may have eaten a toddler.
Been stroking my ego watching LS400 documentaries, since I just bought one…and I come across Curious Cars for my first time. Great work and sense of humor 😆 I graduated ‘97…you have a new subscriber 🙏
Im sure this is an unpopular opinion, but I actually loved the throaty low rev sound of the Essex 3.8L
It just blows my mind that Bill comes up w/ these cars that are kept perfect but kind of a mundane average car.
Oh sweet! More 80s/90s Fords. You’re on a roll Papa!
Another car from my younger years! I had a white with blue interior ‘95 XR7 with a 4.6 V8 and did a bunch of Mustang bolt ons to it. It was quiet and comfortable and was under-the-radar fast for what it was. I always loved the way the dash an console wrapped around the driver (more so in the later facelift) and mine had the analog gauges so I didn’t have any of the gremlins that some of the digital ones did. It was a great car and the values of really clean ones like this are really going up lately.
My dad had one of these in that beautiful burgundy metallic color along with burgundy cloth interior such a beautiful car sadly he finally scrapped it in 2008 with 274k on the dash and it was in pretty good shape too at the time.
Great review Bill! The only thing I would not like about this car would be those seatbelts. Horrible! I never owned a vehicle with those motorized belts, thank goodness, but that would be the only deterrent. Only other thing I would change on this would be take off those mud flaps, yet they are period correct, they just look goofy these days.
My mother had a 90’s Cougar it was this glossy Rose colored pink with white leather interior. Looked like someone painted it in Pepto Bismol maybe a tad bit darker. She didn’t know that the neighbors thought it was hideous. Oh well she wouldn’t have cared. All in all it was a nice ride.
I don’t have a lot of business experience, but I remember well when my buddy bought one new. I was pretty impressed, it was a very quiet and comfortable car, even with all the rough roads in the city.
Had a 91 with the 3.8L as is this 1. A co-worker at the time sold it to me for a few hundred dollars. Time to sell the 88 Camaro as our daughter was on the way. Sat in the back seat of the Cougar and was sold. Egg developed on 1 of the tires. Got a used 1 and good to go. Ib time, hit a dear and broke up the front end. Poor deer. Anyway, thermostat was going out. Putting oil and grease in it's mechanics only alleviated the horrible squealing sound that pierced your ears. I was actually kind of sad to send it away as it's tranny went out at work. I really liked the car and it is definitely 1 that I would recommend if at a good price. Appreciate this. Take care all!
Bill, you need a regular sponsor. Even just one for auto glass cleaner. "This stuff is so good not even Dalton can screw it up!" No? How about a whiskey brand. Get those $$$.
I will watch this for the wildlife n weather report.
Marlboro Lights would be a good sponsor
@@paulie-Gualtieri. Or a ventilated jockey short for those hot as balls Florida summers.
Oh Bill you got my heart beating. My first Ford was 1989 Thunderbird. Love to get this one.
Great video Bill! Back then this cougar I thought was stoggy...now very cool. You have a fabulous way of making boring stuff exciting.
Great review on the beautiful Cat. I also thought they were neat cars when they came out. Always liked the digital dash. Thanks for sharing.