1978 Toyota Celica vs. 1981 Toyota Corolla
To start off, 1981 Toyota Corolla is newer by 3 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1978 Toyota Celica. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1978 Toyota Celica would be higher. At 1,839 cc (4 cylinders), 1981 Toyota Corolla is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1978 Toyota Celica (86 HP @ 5600 RPM) has 29 more horse power than 1981 Toyota Corolla. (57 HP @ 4500 RPM). In normal driving conditions, 1978 Toyota Celica should accelerate faster than 1981 Toyota Corolla. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1981 Toyota Corolla weights approximately 37 kg more than 1978 Toyota Celica.
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 Toyota Celica (118 Nm @ 4000 RPM) has 12 more torque (in Nm) than 1981 Toyota Corolla. (106 Nm @ 3000 RPM). This means 1978 Toyota Celica will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1981 Toyota Corolla.
Compare all specifications:
| 1978 Toyota Celica | 1981 Toyota Corolla | |
| Make | Toyota | Toyota |
| Model | Celica | Corolla |
| Year Released | 1978 | 1981 |
| Body Type | Coupe | Sedan |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 1586 cc | 1839 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 4 cylinders | 4 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | in-line |
| Horse Power | 86 HP | 57 HP |
| Engine RPM | 5600 RPM | 4500 RPM |
| Torque | 118 Nm | 106 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 4000 RPM | 3000 RPM |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Seats | 4 seats | 5 seats |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 4 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 995 kg | 1032 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 4340 mm | 4060 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1640 mm | 1620 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1330 mm | 1400 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2510 mm | 2410 mm |
