@tycoon,
I still own it, it only has about 49,000 miles on it, so other than some of the original parts starting to show their age, it is still in good condition. In the last year I've had to start replacing parts in it for the first time. Before that, the biggest expense was the routine oil changes and tire rotations.
Sporty? No. I chose it because it was a good mid-sized car that I would be safer and more comfortable while driving (and dodging semi trucks) the very long commutes and business travel I was doing on highway 17 in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was one that had all the fancy omni-directional micro seat adjustments, hydraulic air cushions and lumbar supports. Soon after, I got a promotion in the company and bought a house closer to work so I didn't put as many miles on it as anticipated.
I first looked at the Lexus but thought it very overpriced for what they were delivering so I went back to Mercury and found the Cougar to be what I was looking for. Still don't regret the purchase and won't be so eager to replace it now that I know Mercury won't be around anymore.
It was kind of a faded blue when I knew it.
