1979 Buick Estate vs. 1981 Pontiac Firebird
To start off, 1981 Pontiac Firebird is newer by 2 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1979 Buick Estate. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1979 Buick Estate would be higher. Both 1979 Buick Estate and 1981 Pontiac Firebird are equipped with a 4,942 cc engine. In terms of performance, 1981 Pontiac Firebird (200 HP @ 4000 RPM) has 62 more horse power than 1979 Buick Estate. (138 HP @ 3600 RPM) In normal driving conditions, 1981 Pontiac Firebird should accelerate faster than 1979 Buick Estate. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1979 Buick Estate weights approximately 254 kg more than 1981 Pontiac Firebird.
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, 1981 Pontiac Firebird (459 Nm @ 2000 RPM) has 141 more torque (in Nm) than 1979 Buick Estate. (318 Nm @ 2000 RPM). This means 1981 Pontiac Firebird will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1979 Buick Estate.
Compare all specifications:
| 1979 Buick Estate | 1981 Pontiac Firebird | |
| Make | Buick | Pontiac |
| Model | Estate | Firebird |
| Year Released | 1979 | 1981 |
| Body Type | Station Wagon | Coupe |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 4942 cc | 4942 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 8 cylinders | 8 cylinders |
| Engine Type | V | V |
| Horse Power | 138 HP | 200 HP |
| Engine RPM | 3600 RPM | 4000 RPM |
| Torque | 318 Nm | 459 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 2000 RPM | 2000 RPM |
| Engine Bore Size | 101.6 mm | 101.6 mm |
| Engine Stroke Size | 76.2 mm | 76.2 mm |
| Engine Compression Ratio | 8.0:1 | 7.5:1 |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Transmission Type | Automatic | Automatic |
| Number of Seats | 5 seats | 4 seats |
| Number of Doors | 5 doors | 2 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1870 kg | 1616 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 5510 mm | 5040 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1990 mm | 1860 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1440 mm | 1260 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2950 mm | 2750 mm |
