I recently went through the OBDII device pains and this is what I found.
I first bought a cheapie VGate adapter but it would only work on my 2013 Malibu. It would not connect to a 2000 Cougar or a 1999 Suburban.
I bought a BASF adapter just to try. It connects to both the Cougar and Suburban. Haven't tried the Malibu yet but suspect it will work.
The BASF also works with OBD Auto Doctor, AutogaugeX and CarDash on my Lumia 1520. I was able to get sensor data, RPM and codes. I was also able to clear the codes. So I went ahead and bought AutoGaugeX.
Stay away from the cheap adapters as they apparently have something missing and they won't connect to older vehicles. The BASF adapter was only about $25 on Amazon and I haven't had a moments problem out of it. In fact, it was very helpful when diagnosing a lean fuel error code in the Cougar. Using OBD Auto Doctor I was able to watch the fuel pressure drop the longer the engine ran. Had a bad fuel pump, I replaced it and it runs like a champ now.