1974 Mercury Cougar vs. 1970 Pontiac Firebird
To start off, 1974 Mercury Cougar is newer by 4 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1970 Pontiac Firebird. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1970 Pontiac Firebird would be higher. At 5,792 cc (8 cylinders), 1970 Pontiac Firebird is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1974 Mercury Cougar (161 HP @ 4000 RPM) has 3 more horse power than 1970 Pontiac Firebird. (158 HP @ 4400 RPM). In normal driving conditions, 1974 Mercury Cougar should accelerate faster than 1970 Pontiac Firebird. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1970 Pontiac Firebird weights approximately 10 kg more than 1974 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, 1974 Mercury Cougar (382 Nm @ 2000 RPM) has 16 more torque (in Nm) than 1970 Pontiac Firebird. (366 Nm @ 2000 RPM). This means 1974 Mercury Cougar will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1970 Pontiac Firebird.
Compare all specifications:
| 1974 Mercury Cougar | 1970 Pontiac Firebird | |
| Make | Mercury | Pontiac |
| Model | Cougar | Firebird |
| Year Released | 1974 | 1970 |
| Body Type | Coupe | Coupe |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 5752 cc | 5792 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 8 cylinders | 8 cylinders |
| Engine Type | V | V |
| Horse Power | 161 HP | 158 HP |
| Engine RPM | 4000 RPM | 4400 RPM |
| Torque | 382 Nm | 366 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 2000 RPM | 2000 RPM |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Seats | 4 seats | 4 seats |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 2 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1575 kg | 1585 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 5010 mm | 4880 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1920 mm | 1870 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1300 mm | 1290 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2860 mm | 2750 mm |
