Mercury Capri Specs and Overview (1990–1995 Roadster)
Overview of the Mercury Capri roadster (1990–1995): mercury capri specs, the 100–132 hp 1.6-liter engines, gearboxes, and which version to buy.
The Mercury Capri is a compact front-wheel-drive roadster built from 1990 to 1995, offered with 1.6-liter engines producing 100 to 132 hp. It suits buyers looking at mercury capri specs for an affordable open-top two-seater that is simple in layout — one generation, one body style, and a choice of automatic or manual transmission.
Mercury Capri generations
1 generation (1990–1995)
The first and only generation of the Mercury Capri was produced from 1990 to 1995 exclusively as a roadster with front-wheel drive. The lineup counts 3 modifications, all powered by a 1597 cc engine, with output ranging from 100 hp to 132 hp. Both automatic and manual gearboxes were offered. The Mercury Capri 1.6 AT (1 generation) with 100 hp represents the volume version, while the Mercury Capri 1.6 MT (1 generation) with 132 hp tops the range — a 32 hp gap between the two ends of the same 1.6-liter engine family.
Which Mercury Capri to buy
- 1.6 MT (132 hp) (1 generation): the most powerful version of the range with 132 hp from its 1597 cc engine, paired with a manual gearbox — the pick for drivers who want the roadster to feel as quick as it looks.
- 1.6 AT (1 generation): the mass-market version with 100 hp, a 1597 cc engine and an automatic transmission — the easier-to-find, easier-to-drive choice for relaxed open-top cruising.
On the used market, every Mercury Capri is now a 1990s car, so condition matters more than trim: with a single generation, one body style and only 3 modifications, comparing candidate cars is straightforward. Questions about mercury capri reliability come down to how a specific example was maintained rather than to differences between versions, since all share the same 1.6-liter engine and front-wheel-drive layout.
With no version that is slower, thirstier and otherwise identical to another, there is no objectively dominated Mercury Capri to avoid — the choice reduces to transmission preference: the 132 hp manual for performance, the 100 hp automatic for ease of use. Both were built across the same 1990–1995 span, so neither limits your model-year options.