1974 Ford Cortina vs. 1970 Riley 4
To start off, 1974 Ford Cortina is newer by 4 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1970 Riley 4. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1970 Riley 4 would be higher. At 1,622 cc (4 cylinders), 1970 Riley 4 is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1970 Riley 4 (67 HP @ 5000 RPM) has 11 more horse power than 1974 Ford Cortina. (56 HP @ 5500 RPM) In normal driving conditions, 1970 Riley 4 should accelerate faster than 1974 Ford Cortina. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1970 Riley 4 weights approximately 203 kg more than 1974 Ford Cortina. 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, 1970 Riley 4 (120 Nm @ 2500 RPM) has 29 more torque (in Nm) than 1974 Ford Cortina. (91 Nm @ 3000 RPM). This means 1970 Riley 4 will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1974 Ford Cortina.
Compare all specifications:
| 1974 Ford Cortina | 1970 Riley 4 | |
| Make | Ford | Riley |
| Model | Cortina | 4 |
| Year Released | 1974 | 1970 |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 1298 cc | 1622 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 4 cylinders | 4 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | in-line |
| Horse Power | 56 HP | 67 HP |
| Engine RPM | 5500 RPM | 5000 RPM |
| Torque | 91 Nm | 120 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 3000 RPM | 2500 RPM |
| Engine Bore Size | 81 mm | 76.2 mm |
| Engine Stroke Size | 63 mm | 88.9 mm |
| Engine Compression Ratio | 9.0:1 | 8.3:1 |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 4 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 945 kg | 1148 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 4270 mm | 4540 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1710 mm | 1620 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1330 mm | 1510 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2590 mm | 2530 mm |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 55 L | 45 L |
