1978 Mercury Cougar vs. 1983 Toyota Corolla
To start off, 1983 Toyota Corolla is newer by 5 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1978 Mercury Cougar. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1978 Mercury Cougar 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 11 more horse power than 1983 Toyota Corolla. (122 HP @ 6600 RPM). In normal driving conditions, 1978 Mercury Cougar should accelerate faster than 1983 Toyota Corolla. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1978 Mercury Cougar weights approximately 885 kg more than 1983 Toyota Corolla. 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 193 more torque (in Nm) than 1983 Toyota Corolla. (143 Nm @ 5200 RPM). This means 1978 Mercury Cougar will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1983 Toyota Corolla.
Compare all specifications:
| 1978 Mercury Cougar | 1983 Toyota Corolla | |
| Make | Mercury | Toyota |
| Model | Cougar | Corolla |
| Year Released | 1978 | 1983 |
| Body Type | Coupe | Coupe |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 4941 cc | 1587 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 8 cylinders | 4 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | in-line |
| Horse Power | 133 HP | 122 HP |
| Engine RPM | 3400 RPM | 6600 RPM |
| Torque | 336 Nm | 143 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 1600 RPM | 5200 RPM |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 3 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1855 kg | 970 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 5480 mm | 4190 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 2010 mm | 1630 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1340 mm | 1340 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2910 mm | 2410 mm |
