1974 Buick Riviera vs. 1981 Toyota Soarer
To start off, 1981 Toyota Soarer is newer by 7 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1974 Buick Riviera. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1974 Buick Riviera would be higher. At 7,468 cc (6 cylinders), 1974 Buick Riviera is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1974 Buick Riviera (250 HP @ 4000 RPM) has 116 more horse power than 1981 Toyota Soarer. (134 HP @ 5600 RPM). In normal driving conditions, 1974 Buick Riviera should accelerate faster than 1981 Toyota Soarer. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1974 Buick Riviera weights approximately 785 kg more than 1981 Toyota Soarer. 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, 1974 Buick Riviera (518 Nm @ 2800 RPM) has 307 more torque (in Nm) than 1981 Toyota Soarer. (211 Nm @ 3000 RPM). This means 1974 Buick Riviera will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1981 Toyota Soarer.
Compare all specifications:
| 1974 Buick Riviera | 1981 Toyota Soarer | |
| Make | Buick | Toyota |
| Model | Riviera | Soarer |
| Year Released | 1974 | 1981 |
| Body Type | Coupe | Coupe |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 7468 cc | 1988 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 6 cylinders | 6 cylinders |
| Engine Type | V | in-line |
| Horse Power | 250 HP | 134 HP |
| Engine RPM | 4000 RPM | 5600 RPM |
| Torque | 518 Nm | 211 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 2800 RPM | 3000 RPM |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Transmission Type | Automatic | Automatic |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 2 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 2040 kg | 1255 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 5560 mm | 4660 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 2040 mm | 1700 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1380 mm | 1370 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 3110 mm | 2670 mm |
