1979 Mercury Cougar vs. 1978 Plymouth Volare
To start off, 1979 Mercury Cougar is newer by 1 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1978 Plymouth Volare. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1978 Plymouth Volare would be higher. At 4,942 cc (8 cylinders), 1979 Mercury Cougar is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1979 Mercury Cougar (134 HP @ 3400 RPM) has 33 more horse power than 1978 Plymouth Volare. (101 HP @ 3600 RPM). In normal driving conditions, 1979 Mercury Cougar should accelerate faster than 1978 Plymouth Volare. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1979 Mercury Cougar weights approximately 390 kg more than 1978 Plymouth Volare. 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 Cougar (336 Nm @ 1600 RPM) has 105 more torque (in Nm) than 1978 Plymouth Volare. (231 Nm @ 1600 RPM). This means 1979 Mercury Cougar will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1978 Plymouth Volare.
Compare all specifications:
| 1979 Mercury Cougar | 1978 Plymouth Volare | |
| Make | Mercury | Plymouth |
| Model | Cougar | Volare |
| Year Released | 1979 | 1978 |
| Body Type | Coupe | Coupe |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 4942 cc | 3687 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 8 cylinders | 6 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | in-line |
| Horse Power | 134 HP | 101 HP |
| Engine RPM | 3400 RPM | 3600 RPM |
| Torque | 336 Nm | 231 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 1600 RPM | 1600 RPM |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Vehicle Weight | 1855 kg | 1465 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 5480 mm | 5020 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 2010 mm | 1870 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1340 mm | 1360 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2910 mm | 2760 mm |
