Mercury Cougar (1986-1988)

6th Generation (1983-1988) Mercury Cougar

Proof that a car can be strong on performance without looking musclebound.

Indeed, the 1986 Mercury Cougar is a strong performer, a fact that might not be apparent from its stunning appearance. The Mercury Cougar’s striking shape, however, actually enhances the car’s performance. That’s because the Cougar was aerodynamically designed to use the wind to achieve practical, functional benefits. The shape of the Cougar helps improve the car’s handling by helping it to hug the road at highway speeds.

The aerodynamic design of the 1986 Cougar also helps limit wind resistance, enabling the car to achieve a given highway speed using less road-load horsepower. This also contributes to Cougar’s fuel economy.* Because airflow is directed over and around the Cougar, its shape helps eliminate wind noise created by exterior factors, thus delivering a pleasant interior. And the aerodynamic design of Cougar also assists in cooling the engine and brakes.

The shape of the 1986 Cougar means that in addition to looking beautiful, it also drives beautifully. This philosophy of functional good looks is a cornerstone of the entire Mercury car line, the all-new Sable, the Topaz, Lynx, Capri, Marquis and Grand Marquis. Mercury cars, in fact, are among the best-built American automobiles. ** Of course, the 1986 Cougar’s performance doesn’t come entirely from its attractive shape. Mercury Cougar delivers plenty of performance as a result of its technologically advanced mechanical components, too.

The standard Cougar and the luxurious Cougar LS, for instance, come with an electronically fuel-injected 3.8-liter V-6 engine as standard equipment. For those who desire more displacement and horsepower, the standard Cougar and Cougar LS may be ordered with an optional 5.0-liter V-8 engine that supplies more impressive performance.

For the ultimate expression of Mercury Cougar’s performance, there is the Cougar XR-7.

The 1986 Mercury Cougar XR-7 is powered by a 2.3-liter turbocharged overhead-cam four-cylinder engine. This potent turbocharged engine is highly efficient in that fuel economy* is barely affected under moderate throttle conditions. And its blow through design virtually eliminates the turbo lag associated with other turbo engines and provides almost immediate response to gas pedal movement. Step on the peddle and the boost kicks in almost on demand, so acceleration is sure and swift. Hill climbing, passing on the highway and other full-throttle driving situations are handled confidently.

All 1986 Mercury Cougars also make use of the latest microprocessor technology with a fourth-generation Electronic Engine Control system that enhances their efficient operation. 1986 Mercury Cougar. The shape you want to be in.

*See EPA statement below.
**Based on an average of owner-reported problems in the prior six months in a 1985 survey of ’81 -’84 models designed and built in the U.S.

When it comes to handling the challenges of the open road, the Mercury Cougar XR-7 accepts the invitation with eagerness. XR-7 is designed to respond to driver commands with nimble agility, crisp handling and a smooth ride, Its suspension, steering and braking systems are purposely and painstakingly crafted to allow the driver to confront roads with sheer confidence.

The XR-7 uses a modified MacPherson-type front suspension with gas-pressurized struts and shock absorbers. On the rear suspension, the XR-7 employs an advanced quad-shock system that actually uses four shock absorbers instead of the usual two. One pair of shock absorbers is mounted vertically between the outer ends of the rear axle and the car’s rear frame. These shocks soften and smooth out up-and-down travel caused by potholes, bumps and cracks and expansion strips on road surfaces. The second pair of shock absorbers is mounted horizontally between the ends of the rear axle and the frame to dampen fore-and-aft movement and to keep the rear axle in the proper location during hard cornering maneuvers.

In both the front and the rear, the XR-7’s nitrogen-pressurized struts and shocks are specially designed. Pressurized nitrogen gas permanently sealed within helps them respond consistently better to jarring road inconsistencies than conventional suspension systems. This helps keep all four wheels in contact with the road while sending back precise signals to which the driver can react.

As an integral part of the Cougar XR-7’s special handling package, stabilizer bars are installed in both the front and the rear to help counter the strong g-forces generated during sustained cornering and to help maintain stability.

Additionally, the XR-7 is standard equipped with a Traction-Lok rear axle to provide power to the rear wheels to help you keep moving freely in sticky snow or mud. The 1986 Cougar XR-7 also provides the driver with power-assisted rack-and pinion steering with a 15:1 non-variable ratio for quick response and precise driver control.

Power-assisted front disc brakes and rear drum brakes endow the XR-7 with sure stopping power. And for maintaining sure contact with the road, on either wet or dry surfaces, the XR-7 has P225/60VR15 Goodyear Eagle performance tires mounted on 15×7-inch lightweight cast aluminum wheels. The tires have evolved from Goodyear’s Formula One racing tire development program, Working together, these sophisticated chassis components help XR-7 deliver the kind of precise handling that makes driving a pleasurable art.

Inside the CougarXR-7, the environment is designed to advance the art of driving with ease and efficiency

If the optimum driving condition is to be achieved, the relationship between a driver and a finely tuned high performance machine like the Mercury Cougar XR-7 is critical. That9s why the interior of the XR-7 is specifically designed with the driver in mind.

The Cougar XR-7’s ergonomically designed interior begins with articulated sport seats for both driver and front seat passenger. These seats, shown here with optional Smoke and Raven leather seating surfaces, allow the driver to adjust to his or her most comfortable driving position.

Each has a fully reclining seatback and a four-way adjustable head restraint. Seat bolsters can be moved inward or outward for added hip and thigh support, and the seat cushions themselves extend to accommodate an almost infinite variety of driving styles and physiques.

The XR-7’s seats even have an air chamber in the lower lumbar area that may be inflated to driver preference by a power-actuated pump. This lower lumbar support can significantly add to driver comfort over long distances, helping to keep the driver’s attention focused on the road and contributing to the driving pleasure of the XR-7.

The sport seats in XR-7 were designed to do a lot more than just cushion up-and-down movements. They also help hold the driver firmly in place during tight turns and through extended cornering maneuvers. And for even more ease of operation, the front sport seats in XR-7 can be ordered with the optional six-way dual power feature.

The relationship between driver and the XR-7 is so correct that even the location and construction of its five-speed manual gearbox have been designed to allow maximum ease and comfort working through the gears. This precise and critical relationship between driver and XR-7 carries through to the instrumentation and operating controls.

In XR-7, and all Cougar models, steering wheels are designed to permit comprehensive interpretation of vital instrumentation with just a quick, clear glance. The view through the optional leather-wrapped A-frame steering wheel in a Smoke and Raven leather XR-7 interior at left is testimony to that.

XR-7’s standard instrumentation uses analog designs to convey messages to the driver swiftly and accurately.

The stalk-mounted controls for the JL turn signals, flash-to-pass feature, headlamp dimmer and windshield washer/wiper add further proof to the XR-7’s ergonomic efficiency. They can be operated without having to fully remove your left hand from the steering wheel.

And the controls for most creature comforts, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and entertainment, are positioned off to the right of the driver where they can still be easily seen and operated, but where they won’t cause confusion with the essential instrumentation. A full console between the driver and front seat passenger holds the control is for the power windows, dual remote-control rearview mirrors and the optional dual six-way power seats.

Even the placement of optional equipment in the Cougar XR-7 comes about as the result of painstaking attention to detail. The optional speed control, for instance, is located right on the spokes of the steering wheel, at your fingertips. The 1986 Mercury Cougar XR-7. A beautiful and efficient blend of aesthetics and ergonomics

Mercury Cougar LS

In the Mercury Cougar LS, advanced design and sophisticated technology are intended to better the driving condition. Style, comfort and performance are rapidly becoming the hallmark of the Mercury Cougar. A look at the luxurious Cougar LS for 1986 furnishes some of the reasons why. The Cougar LS, shown below in Black, is a beautifully crafted car. It combines the contemporary good looks and practical benefits of aerodynamic design with traditional styling cues, like its formal roofline and electroluminescent coach lamps. Dual power bright outside mirrors, bright rocker panel molding, bright side glass molding accents and styled-steel wheels with P215/70R14 all-season steel-belted radial tires further distinguish the Cougar LS’s striking appearance. The tires are new for 1986, and their wider tread works in conjunction with the Cougar Nitra-cushion suspension to deliver a smooth, comfortable ride with capable handling.

Cougar’s standard powerplant, a 3.8-liter V-6 with SelectShift three-speed automatic transmission, adds to your driving comfort by providing sure acceleration and a smooth power band. The automatic transmission includes a centrifugal torque converter to help reduce gear slippage and enhance Cougar’s fuel economy. *

A 5.0-liter V-8 engine can be ordered as an option and, new for 1986, now is equipped with sequential multiport electronic fuel injection. This advanced system injects a metered amount of gasoline through the intake ports into each cylinder at the exact moment it’s needed, thereby increasing both the operating and the fuel efficiency of the engine. * A four-speed automatic overdrive transmission, standard with the V-8 and optional with the V-6, can further enhance Cougar’s fuel economy. * Advanced styling, advanced technology. Proof that beauty and brains aren9t mutually exclusive with the 1986 Cougar.

The interior space of the 1986 Cougar LS is so comfortable, so luxurious, it’s hard to remember it was designed for functional as well as pleasurable virtues.

Fully reclining foam-cushioned JL front twin lounge seats hold driver and front passenger comfortably yet firmly. The seats include four-way adjustable head restraints and are covered in a rich cloth upholstery. Tinted glass completely surrounds the inside of the Cougar LS.

Cougar’s rear seat provides accommodation for three persons, with integral headrests and a center fold-down armrest. The center rear seat has been improved for 1986 with revised padding for even greater comfort. Courtesy lights in the quarter panels add an elegant and convenient touch.

In both front and rear compartments, thick, rich 24-ounce color-keyed carpeting lines the floors. Even the luggage compartment gets first-class treatment. Rugged six-ounce carpet covers the floor and decklid liner to protect personal possessions. Other luxury touches in the Cougar

LS include power windows, conveniently located on the center consolette along with the controls for the dual power rearview mirrors. And the Cougar LS can be custom tailored with a variety of options to add to its already impressive list of pleasures.

A power lock group includes power door locks, power decklid release and a remote fuel-filler door release. Or, add to the audio delights of the Cougar with four door-mounted speakers, a graphic equalizer with Premium Sound System and a 25-watt power amplifier to create your own ambience. Indulge yourself. With the personal luxury of a 1986 Cougar.

The Cougar commitment to both convenience and appearance results in its strong driver-centered philosophy.

Driver-centered means placing all instrumentation and controls within easy sight and easy reach of the driver. The optional electronic instrument cluster, shown at left in a Cougar LS Sand Beige interior, is a good example.

The instrument panel comes equipped with lighted electronic displays. Instead of the conventional gauges and dials, this instrument panel uses small screens with digital readouts to keep the driver constantly updated about under-the-hood and over-the-road matters.

The digital speedometer is centered over the top of the Cougar’s A-frame steering wheel so it rests in the driver’s natural path of vision. The precise road speed in either miles per hour or kilometers per hour is displayed in large, very legible numbers. This electronic instrument panel can be converted from English to metric units with a press of a button.

To the left of the speedometer is a tachometer, fuel gauge and temperature gauge. On the speedometer’s right is an invaluable navigational aid, a trip computer that can register any of five functions: instant fuel economy, average fuel economy, distance to empty, distance to destination or average speed. All of the numerical displays are lighted in white on a green background for excellent visibility.

This optional electronic instrument cluster available on the Cougar also includes another helpful feature, a graphic display alert module. This feature alerts the driver when a lamp is out, fuel is low, oil is low, a door is ajar or any of several other warnings that can help contribute to safe driving. Comfort and convenience in an appealing package. The 1986 Cougar

Advanced design, sophisticated technology and stimulating performance all add up to make Cougar as exciting as it is efficient

From the start, Cougar was JL designed to provide the comfort and ride expected in a fine personal luxury car. A car’s shape influences many aspects of its performance on the road.

With the Cougar, this means its slick outer skin allows greater efficiency from its engine and transmission combination than would have been possible with a less aerodynamically efficient shape. Cougar’s aerodynamic design also helps improve handling by decreasing the lift acting on the car.

Cougar’s front is sloped to direct the airflow up over the hood and the steeply angled windshield. A molded valence panel below the front bumper channels air away from the underbody to further reduce lift at highway speeds. Working together, these elements increase tire contact with the road surface resulting in improved traction.

Cougar’s aerodynamic shape also helps make its interior quieter by reducing the effects of exterior factors that can cause wind noise. The car’s aircraft inspired doors, which recess into the roof line, help decrease turbulence.

Additionally, Cougar’s aerodynamic shape helps cool the engine more efficiently by guiding air through the radiator and engine compartment. But aerodynamic design isn’t the only area in which the 1986 Cougar excels.

Cougar provides the driver with the engineering and design to take an active role in operating safety. Should the driver have to take evasive maneuvers in an emergency, Mercury Cougars are engineered to do their part. All 1986 Cougars feature standard power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering for maneuvering in difficult situations. A front stabilizer bar also is standard to help counteract the lateral forces that can be generated if sudden turns should be necessary.

Mercury Cougars are equipped with standard electronic fuel injection and fourth-generation Electronic Engine Controls. Both Cougar and Cougar LS are equipped with a standard 3.8-liter V-6 engine. A potent 5.0-liter V-8 is optional for those who want a larger displacement engine and more horsepower. A turbocharged 2.3-liter overhead-cam inline four-cylinder powerplant is standard on the XR-7. The 2.3-liter turbo engine was designed specifically for the enthusiast who appreciates technical refinement.

The turbocharger on XR-7’s powerplant uses exhaust gas to drive a compressor that can provide up to 10 psi of boost under high-load conditions. The turbocharger is positioned upstream from the fuel injectors and throttle plate. The fuel injectors introduce fuel downstream of the compressor, resulting in reduced fuel delivery time. The “blow-through” design provides almost immediate response to gas pedal movement.

The 3.8-liter engine, standard on Cougar and Cougar LS, is equipped with a three-speed SelectShift automatic transmission with centrifugal torque converter. The optional 5.0-liter V-8 engine comes with a four-speed automatic overdrive transmission. This transmission has an overdrive fourth gear that reduces engine speeds by one third, thus improving highway fuel economy.*

For 1986 this V-8 engine features an advanced sequential multi-port electronic fuel-injection system. This sophisticated system injects a metered amount of gasoline through the intake ports into each cylinder at the exact moment it’s needed in a sequence identical to the cylinder valve opening. This gives the engine greater operating precision and fuel efficiency. *

The “brain” of the 1986 Cougar’s its fourth-generation Electronic Engine Control microprocessor system

On the road, EEC-IV senses when the engine is operating rich or lean, then orders the fuel-injection system to adjust the air/fuel mixture to improve combustion efficiency. This gives Cougar good starting, drive ability and performance. The system even compensates for the fuel being used. And it features an electronic diary that continuously gathers information about how the engine is operating for quicker and easier diagnosis at service intervals.

The 1986 Mercury Cougar is engineered to meet or exceed all applicable federal standards regarding vehicle safety. For example, the front and hood area of the Cougar are designed to crush progressively upon impact. This absorbs some of the energy and can result in reducing the force that otherwise would be transmitted to the occupants. The use of seat belts is now required by law in several states and is strongly encouraged. Front seats feature integral lap and shoulder belts with automatic retractors and tension relievers. They are easy and comfortable to use. Lap belts are provided for the three rear-seat positions.

Occupant protection is not limited to adults, however. Several recent studies have shown that the proper use of child protection restraint systems can help prevent injuries and help save young lives. Almost every state now requires the use of protective child restraints. Ford Motor Company’s Tot-Guard Safety Seat and Infant Carrier meet or exceed all applicable federal standards. Both are easy to install and use the seat belts already in Cougar. Regular use of both child restraints and seat belts is urged, whether driving around the block or across the country. Cougar’s design also helps provide protection during side and rear impacts, as well as rollovers. The roof structure is designed to support more than one and a half times the total vehicle weight, and doors are equipped with inner guard beams which are designed to withstand a push test using twice the vehicle’s weight. And unlike many of today’s cars which are equipped with 2 V2-mph impact bumpers, Cougar still offers the protection of 5-mph impact bumpers to help reduce damage to the vehicle from low-speed impacts. These 5-mph impact bumpers help protect the lamps, cooling system and exhaust components from costly repairs.

The inside of Cougar has been designed to help minimize injuries during a crash. Edges and protrusions have been contoured protectively, and the instrument panel, hood, armrests, door panels and sun visors are made of energy-absorbing materials to help cushion impact.

Customer satisfaction also is a top priority of Mercury cars, and it shows

One of the key ways Mercury cars deliver customer satisfaction is through product quality. Mercury automobiles are among the best-built American cars, according to an average of owner-reported problems in the prior six months in a 1985 survey of ’81-’84 models designed and built in the U.S. Customer satisfaction with Mercury cars also is attributable to the personalized attention given by the sales and service staffs at Mercury dealerships and to the firm commitment made to quality. To demonstrate the sincerity of this commitment to quality, a new program called the Lincoln-Mercury Quality Commitment Program was implemented.

The goal of the Lincoln-Mercury Quality Commitment Program is to achieve industry leadership in customer satisfaction. We want our customers to be the happiest, most pleased in the entire industry. An integral part of the Lincoln Mercury Quality Commitment is the extensive limited warranty that is given with every Mercury car. Ask your Lincoln-Mercury dealer for a copy of the warranty and take time to read it. Mercury. The shape you want to be in.