This 1989 Mercury Cougar LS Cost More Than $2 Billion to Develop, and it Didn't Pay Off for Ford 

"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 love how the dash is meant to be ultra-futuristic but now it's incredibly retro 😎

“Let’s get back into this cougar”

Love it when he gets pissed about the automatic shoulder belts right after he explained their function.

I still find this Cougar model very elegant. I would happily drive one today.

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 RU-vid 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.

This car really takes me back to the good old days. It’s such a clean example. I always enjoy your videos Bill.

It's nice to see these regular cars in such good shape! Thank you Bill. P.S. the cat will get you.

I wish Mercury would’ve never went away. They added more to the Ford platform in a lot of ways.

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..

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 was born in 1989. I really appreciate the vehicles from 1970's to mid 1990's. Keep up the good work Bill.

i'm a huge fan of old digital dashboards, they give such a cool vibe

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 👍

Again, just like that red TBird, I’d make this my daily driver right now. Loved these cars!

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.

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.

$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 😂

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

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.

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!!!!

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.

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... 🧐

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.

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.

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.

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.

Good Evening Bill and all

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.

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.

Bill looking at cougars in highschool with a holocaust reference slipped in. Perfection

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'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.)

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.

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.

Bill: I was well aware of Cougars and what they were up to. Me: And he still is....😂😂😂😂😂😂

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.

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!

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 :)

I had one. Great automobile. At 180,000 miles, you could not hear it idle, and everything still worked. It should have paid off

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.

A 40 something Kate Jackson was the spokes lady? Now we know where the term cougar originated.

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 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.

Great video Bill! Back then this cougar I thought was stoggy...now very cool. You have a fabulous way of making boring stuff exciting.

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.

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

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!

Awesome. I had a beige 1989 LS 3.8. Lots of memories in that car

Oh sweet! More 80s/90s Fords. You’re on a roll Papa!

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.

Bill you are an absolute rockstar ,love your mentality, i thought i was the only one who had all these thoughts

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 🙏

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.

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 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...

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 .

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.

That tabby cat is huge. Cougar has some nice pick up for a family sedan. Good luck at the races. Can’t wait for your other pristine car finds!

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.

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 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.

I had a '90 back in the day in burgandy with burgandy velour (real 80s colors and textures!) and enjoyed driving it quite a bit. Like you say, it was just a great cruiser. Thanks for another great video, Bill and happy Thanksgiving!

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

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.

Wow...! Look at that dash...! I do miss personal luxury coupes...!

I loved these. I currently own a 1989 Thunderbird Super Coupe.

I’m loving your videos Great info and details My favorite is when you take a minute 😂

Thanks Bill . I have no idea about most of these cars but love your channel

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

Always make my day, Bill! Happy Thanksgiving.

The Lincoln MK VII was my favorite of all of the 1980s Ford products. Rare as hen's teeth today.

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.

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

Great review as every Bill. Don’t cut em short! Interesting the European influence you see creeping state side with this generation of vehicle

That's one of the cooler looking 'retro' lighted dashboards around.

Another great video. Brings back fond memories of my (very similar) 1989 T-bird.

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.

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)

My pal's dad owned the cougar that prowled about in the commercials. Met it in it's old age. Belly scrapin' the ground. Wound up in Texas. We got to hold a new lion cub. They look soft and fuzzy. They are most definitely not. They are solid as stone and vibrating with growth, and they are as prickly as a cactus. You really can feel them grow in your hands. Nukuler!

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.

Bro, I miss the old days. I'm much better off now but everyone sucks now. This channel is a breath of fresh air with a scotch and stogie. Let me know if you smoke, I got a good Cuban. Being in FL you probably know a guy who knows a guy(Peter, (cough)

That car is CLEAN! Super rare too as it has no options. Only standard stuff. I’ve never seen one without a power drivers seat or rear defrost, let alone no power locks!

Hey Bill, looks like you had a near death experience, that cat in the beginning was ferocious for sure, I'm glad you survived!!! Enjoy your eat & run Thanksgiving!!! 🦃

Love your "warts and all" reviews as realistic reflections of these cars .. with depth on specs .. come on up to Canada and see what we've got .. you'd be surprised. Keep 'em coming.. and don't fret the weather .. its only going to get worse!

Thank you for this selection, Bill. I've been torn on this generation of Cougar/Thunderbird. I was conflicted by first thought it was an interesting evolution of this nameplate but it also looked to me that it cost $9 to make.

Only Farrah could induce me to buy a post 1973 Cougar. Kate Jackson reminds me of that word Bill is afraid to use.

Im sure this is an unpopular opinion, but I actually loved the throaty low rev sound of the Essex 3.8L

My 89 is still the best car i ever owned. Wished i could have had an xr7

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!

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.

I can’t wait to see this hit the lot. I am amazed at the variety of all the different cars. Still binge watching the channel to catch up and this new video comes out. I am loving the content and the comedy. This is absolutely one of the best automotive review channel. Doug Demero who???

Top class video Curious Cars. You have a huge number of followers in the UK.

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!

P.S.: 30 minutes is perfect! Thanks again!

Very cool! Bill, you metion the competition from SUV's at te time, but also minivans were also becoming hugely popular around this time.

“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”

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.