1973 Mercury Cougar vs. 1978 Opel Senator
To start off, 1978 Opel Senator is newer by 5 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1973 Mercury Cougar. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1973 Mercury Cougar would be higher. At 5,769 cc (8 cylinders), 1973 Mercury Cougar is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1978 Opel Senator (170 HP @ 5400 RPM) has 2 more horse power than 1973 Mercury Cougar. (168 HP @ 4000 RPM) In normal driving conditions, 1978 Opel Senator should accelerate faster than 1973 Mercury Cougar. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1973 Mercury Cougar weights approximately 310 kg more than 1978 Opel Senator.
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, 1973 Mercury Cougar (363 Nm @ 2400 RPM) has 115 more torque (in Nm) than 1978 Opel Senator. (248 Nm @ 4200 RPM). This means 1973 Mercury Cougar will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1978 Opel Senator.
Compare all specifications:
| 1973 Mercury Cougar | 1978 Opel Senator | |
| Make | Mercury | Opel |
| Model | Cougar | Senator |
| Year Released | 1973 | 1978 |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 5769 cc | 2969 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 8 cylinders | 6 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | in-line |
| Horse Power | 168 HP | 170 HP |
| Engine RPM | 4000 RPM | 5400 RPM |
| Torque | 363 Nm | 248 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 2400 RPM | 4200 RPM |
| Engine Bore Size | 101.6 mm | 95.1 mm |
| Engine Stroke Size | 88.8 mm | 69.8 mm |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Seats | 4 seats | 5 seats |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 5 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1650 kg | 1340 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 5080 mm | 4820 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1920 mm | 1730 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1310 mm | 1390 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2860 mm | 2740 mm |
