It looks sort of sporty like a Mazda... it was said this car was actually the replacement for the Ford Probe (which was Mazda MX-6 related), but they decided not to use the Ford Probe name and went with the Mercury Cougar name, though this car is smaller and sportier than the traditional mercury image, and was discontinued around 2002.
White is a good color, all my vehicles are white, it is among the best colors for hot climate as it reflects and rejects heat most effectively where darker colors absorb more heat.
Obviously it doesn't have a V-8, so there may be some silly rednecks that would say anything less than V-8 power is "girly" (e.g. a Mustang with a V-6 is "girly"), but I'm sure you get better gas mileage and have a car that is pleasant handling and fun to drive, so its OK, and having a few people make fun that it doesn't have a V-8 is the price you pay. Older more traditional style Cougar would have a nice big V-8.