[Dshibi]

Hi ninestar, welcome to the world of Cougars. Be careful, my simple 'interest' in Cougars ended up with me buying one and putting a lot of money into it, but also whilst spending hours of enjoyment behind the wheel! I think the same story goes for most (hopefully all) of the Cougar owners here...

1. How is the power and handling ? Acceleration ?

Ok... power is not bad, but not great at 125kw/220nm from a 2.5L V6. She's no rocket ship, but it's fast enough for me, and gives me the sense of going fast so meh. Handling is superb, as Euroford's generally are.

2. More importantly, it's reliability ?

Never had a real major problem so far, except some electrical faults and door actuators etc. These have been pricey, so thank god for manufacturers warranty. Unfortunately, parts can be expensive for these cars, and they can also be hard to come by because of their lack of popularity. i.e, $65 for a single wheel nut, $600 for a door actuator (my car has gone through two), $60 odd for a door sill, $1200 for a windscreen...

3. How hard is it to find parts for it and is it quite costly to repair/maintain ? (I heard tires are a bit pricey for it)

Umm... see above. Ford Genuine parts will suck you dry if you need them. Tyres are about as expensive as the brand you decide to put on there, but the 215/50/16's (correct me if I'm wrong guys) are expensive if replaced with the same rubber. Changing to 225 will probably be a better option. Or, just change your rims.

I have to disagree to some point with TheArrow about cheap modifications. Sure, you can buy a pod for next to nothing, and probably source some wheels for a reasonable price, throw some springs in at all the same price, but I've learnt from the bodykit, pod aircharger kit, short shifter, stereo install, rims etc that you can get absolutely rorted for money in some of these areas.

I guess it depends what modifications you're after, but mods will either be expensive, or troublesome with some places as they have no idea what on earth a Cougar is. (Mine's been confused for a Courier, and too often people think they know all about Cougar's because they did some work on a Probe... no, they are different cars). The 4x108 stud pattern will restrict your wheel choice depending what size/style you're after.

All in all... regardless of the money spent, it's all been worth it.

Good luck with your search, and research at this point in seeing if she's the right one for you. Go find one, take it for a drive and see how you like it. If you want more information, by all means, ask us!

Dan