1979 Mercury Cougar vs. 2009 Nissan Frontier
To start off, 2009 Nissan Frontier is newer by 30 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1979 Mercury Cougar. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1979 Mercury Cougar would be higher. At 4,942 cc (8 cylinders), 1979 Mercury Cougar is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 2009 Nissan Frontier (152 HP @ 5200 RPM) has 18 more horse power than 1979 Mercury Cougar. (134 HP @ 3400 RPM) In normal driving conditions, 2009 Nissan Frontier should accelerate faster than 1979 Mercury Cougar. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1979 Mercury Cougar weights approximately 409 kg more than 2009 Nissan Frontier.
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 104 more torque (in Nm) than 2009 Nissan Frontier. (232 Nm @ 4400 RPM). This means 1979 Mercury Cougar will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 2009 Nissan Frontier.
Compare all specifications:
| 1979 Mercury Cougar | 2009 Nissan Frontier | |
| Make | Mercury | Nissan |
| Model | Cougar | Frontier |
| Year Released | 1979 | 2009 |
| Body Type | Coupe | Pickup |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 4942 cc | 2488 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 8 cylinders | 4 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | in-line |
| Horse Power | 134 HP | 152 HP |
| Engine RPM | 3400 RPM | 5200 RPM |
| Torque | 336 Nm | 232 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 1600 RPM | 4400 RPM |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 2 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1855 kg | 1446 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 5480 mm | 5230 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 2010 mm | 1860 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1340 mm | 1780 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2910 mm | 3200 mm |
