Mercury 2002 Cougar Owner's Manual page 126

Driving
When starting a vehicle with a manual transaxle:
1. Hold down the brake pedal and
clutch pedal.
2. Put the gearshift lever in neutral.
3. Start the vehicle.
4. Put the gearshift lever in 1 (First) or R (Reverse).
5. Release the clutch slowly while pressing gradually down on the
accelerator pedal.
Do not drive with your foot resting on the clutch pedal and do not use
the clutch pedal to hold your vehicle at a standstill while waiting on a
hill. These actions will seriously reduce clutch life.
Recommended shift speeds
Upshift according to the following charts for best fuel economy:
2.0L engine 5–speed transaxle shift speed schedules
Recommended
upshifts:
Shift from:
First to second
Second to third
Third to fourth
Fourth to fifth
*The vehicle can be shifted at lower speeds to improve fuel economy.
126
During acceleration:
km/h
22
40
53
77
mph km/h
14
25
33
48
During cruise*:
mph
19 12
32 20
46 29
64 40