1971 Mercury Cougar vs. 1971 Plymouth Barracuda
To start off, both 1971 Mercury Cougar and 1971 Plymouth Barracuda were released in the same year (1971). Therefore the support and the availability on parts for both vehicles should be relatively similar. At 5,769 cc (8 cylinders), 1971 Mercury Cougar is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1971 Mercury Cougar (167 HP @ 4000 RPM) has 65 more horse power than 1971 Plymouth Barracuda. (102 HP @ 4400 RPM). In normal driving conditions, 1971 Mercury Cougar should accelerate faster than 1971 Plymouth Barracuda. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1971 Mercury Cougar weights approximately 245 kg more than 1971 Plymouth Barracuda. So despite on having greater horse power, its additional weight may have an impact towards its acceleration in comparison.
Both vehicles are rear wheel drive (RWD) - it offers better handling in dry conditions; in addition, if you are looking to drift, both vehicles do the job better than front wheel drive vehicles. With that said, do keep in mind that many other factors such as speed and the wear on your tires can also have significant impact on traction and control. Let's talk about torque, 1971 Mercury Cougar (363 Nm @ 2400 RPM) has 146 more torque (in Nm) than 1971 Plymouth Barracuda. (217 Nm @ 2000 RPM). This means 1971 Mercury Cougar will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1971 Plymouth Barracuda.
Compare all specifications:
| 1971 Mercury Cougar | 1971 Plymouth Barracuda | |
| Make | Mercury | Plymouth |
| Model | Cougar | Barracuda |
| Year Released | 1971 | 1971 |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 5769 cc | 3250 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 8 cylinders | 6 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | in-line |
| Horse Power | 167 HP | 102 HP |
| Engine RPM | 4000 RPM | 4400 RPM |
| Torque | 363 Nm | 217 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 2400 RPM | 2000 RPM |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Vehicle Weight | 1650 kg | 1405 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 5080 mm | 4750 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1920 mm | 1910 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1310 mm | 1310 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2860 mm | 2760 mm |
