1974 Mercury Cougar vs. 2005 Toyota MR2
To start off, 2005 Toyota MR2 is newer by 31 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1974 Mercury Cougar. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1974 Mercury Cougar would be higher. At 5,752 cc (8 cylinders), 1974 Mercury Cougar is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 2005 Toyota MR2 (190 HP @ 3400 RPM) has 29 more horse power than 1974 Mercury Cougar. (161 HP @ 4000 RPM) In normal driving conditions, 2005 Toyota MR2 should accelerate faster than 1974 Mercury Cougar. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1974 Mercury Cougar weights approximately 583 kg more than 2005 Toyota MR2.
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 212 more torque (in Nm) than 2005 Toyota MR2. (170 Nm @ 4400 RPM). This means 1974 Mercury Cougar will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 2005 Toyota MR2.
Compare all specifications:
| 1974 Mercury Cougar | 2005 Toyota MR2 | |
| Make | Mercury | Toyota |
| Model | Cougar | MR2 |
| Year Released | 1974 | 2005 |
| Body Type | Coupe | Convertible |
| Engine Position | Front | Middle |
| Engine Size | 5752 cc | 1794 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 8 cylinders | 4 cylinders |
| Engine Type | V | in-line |
| Valves per Cylinder | 2 valves | 4 valves |
| Horse Power | 161 HP | 190 HP |
| Engine RPM | 4000 RPM | 3400 RPM |
| Torque | 382 Nm | 170 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 2000 RPM | 4400 RPM |
| Engine Compression Ratio | 8.6:1 | 10.0:1 |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Transmission Type | Manual | Manual |
| Number of Seats | 4 seats | 2 seats |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 2 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1575 kg | 992 kg |
| Wheelbase Size | 2860 mm | 2440 mm |
