1978 Mercury Cougar vs. 1977 Nissan Laurel
To start off, 1978 Mercury Cougar is newer by 1 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1977 Nissan Laurel. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1977 Nissan Laurel would be higher. At 4,941 cc (8 cylinders), 1978 Mercury Cougar is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1978 Mercury Cougar (133 HP @ 3400 RPM) has 4 more horse power than 1977 Nissan Laurel. (129 HP @ 5200 RPM). In normal driving conditions, 1978 Mercury Cougar should accelerate faster than 1977 Nissan Laurel. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1978 Mercury Cougar weights approximately 565 kg more than 1977 Nissan Laurel. 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, 1978 Mercury Cougar (336 Nm @ 1600 RPM) has 115 more torque (in Nm) than 1977 Nissan Laurel. (221 Nm @ 3600 RPM). This means 1978 Mercury Cougar will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1977 Nissan Laurel.
Compare all specifications:
| 1978 Mercury Cougar | 1977 Nissan Laurel | |
| Make | Mercury | Nissan |
| Model | Cougar | Laurel |
| Year Released | 1978 | 1977 |
| Body Type | Coupe | Sedan |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 4941 cc | 2753 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 8 cylinders | 6 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | in-line |
| Horse Power | 133 HP | 129 HP |
| Engine RPM | 3400 RPM | 5200 RPM |
| Torque | 336 Nm | 221 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 1600 RPM | 3600 RPM |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 4 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1855 kg | 1290 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 5480 mm | 4640 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 2010 mm | 1700 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1340 mm | 1410 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2910 mm | 2680 mm |
