1971 Mercury Montego vs. 1980 Mercury Cougar
To start off, 1980 Mercury Cougar is newer by 9 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1971 Mercury Montego. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1971 Mercury Montego would be higher. At 4,095 cc (6 cylinders), 1971 Mercury Montego is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1980 Mercury Cougar (97 HP @ 4000 RPM) has 1 more horse power than 1971 Mercury Montego. (96 HP @ 3600 RPM) In normal driving conditions, 1980 Mercury Cougar should accelerate faster than 1971 Mercury Montego. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1971 Mercury Montego weights approximately 365 kg more than 1980 Mercury Cougar.
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 Montego (248 Nm @ 1600 RPM) has 30 more torque (in Nm) than 1980 Mercury Cougar. (218 Nm @ 1400 RPM). This means 1971 Mercury Montego will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1980 Mercury Cougar.
Compare all specifications:
| 1971 Mercury Montego | 1980 Mercury Cougar | |
| Make | Mercury | Mercury |
| Model | Montego | Cougar |
| Year Released | 1971 | 1980 |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 4095 cc | 3271 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 6 cylinders | 6 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | in-line |
| Horse Power | 96 HP | 97 HP |
| Engine RPM | 3600 RPM | 4000 RPM |
| Torque | 248 Nm | 218 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 1600 RPM | 1400 RPM |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Seats | 6 seats | 5 seats |
| Vehicle Weight | 1695 kg | 1330 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 5300 mm | 4960 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 2010 mm | 1810 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1350 mm | 1370 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 3010 mm | 2690 mm |
