1978 Buick Century vs. 1979 Mercury Grand Marquis
To start off, 1979 Mercury Grand Marquis is newer by 1 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1978 Buick Century. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1978 Buick Century would be higher. At 4,186 cc (8 cylinders), 1979 Mercury Grand Marquis is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1979 Mercury Grand Marquis (118 HP @ 3800 RPM) has 14 more horse power than 1978 Buick Century. (104 HP @ 4000 RPM) In normal driving conditions, 1979 Mercury Grand Marquis should accelerate faster than 1978 Buick Century. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1979 Mercury Grand Marquis weights approximately 250 kg more than 1978 Buick Century. 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, 1979 Mercury Grand Marquis (262 Nm @ 2200 RPM) has 45 more torque (in Nm) than 1978 Buick Century. (217 Nm @ 2000 RPM). This means 1979 Mercury Grand Marquis will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1978 Buick Century.
Compare all specifications:
| 1978 Buick Century | 1979 Mercury Grand Marquis | |
| Make | Buick | Mercury |
| Model | Century | Grand Marquis |
| Year Released | 1978 | 1979 |
| Body Type | Coupe | Sedan |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 3213 cc | 4186 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 6 cylinders | 8 cylinders |
| Engine Type | V | V |
| Horse Power | 104 HP | 118 HP |
| Engine RPM | 4000 RPM | 3800 RPM |
| Torque | 217 Nm | 262 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 2000 RPM | 2200 RPM |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Seats | 5 seats | 5 seats |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 4 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1430 kg | 1680 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 4990 mm | 5400 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1790 mm | 1980 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1410 mm | 1390 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2760 mm | 2910 mm |
