1980 Mercury Cougar vs. 1983 Toyota Starlet
To start off, 1983 Toyota Starlet is newer by 3 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1980 Mercury Cougar. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1980 Mercury Cougar would be higher. At 4,184 cc (8 cylinders), 1980 Mercury Cougar is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1980 Mercury Cougar (116 HP @ 3400 RPM) has 69 more horse power than 1983 Toyota Starlet. (47 HP @ 5800 RPM). In normal driving conditions, 1980 Mercury Cougar should accelerate faster than 1983 Toyota Starlet. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1980 Mercury Cougar weights approximately 660 kg more than 1983 Toyota Starlet. 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, 1980 Mercury Cougar (264 Nm @ 2200 RPM) has 199 more torque (in Nm) than 1983 Toyota Starlet. (65 Nm @ 3800 RPM). This means 1980 Mercury Cougar will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1983 Toyota Starlet.
Compare all specifications:
| 1980 Mercury Cougar | 1983 Toyota Starlet | |
| Make | Mercury | Toyota |
| Model | Cougar | Starlet |
| Year Released | 1980 | 1983 |
| Body Type | Coupe | Hatchback |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 4184 cc | 993 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 8 cylinders | 4 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | in-line |
| Horse Power | 116 HP | 47 HP |
| Engine RPM | 3400 RPM | 5800 RPM |
| Torque | 264 Nm | 65 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 2200 RPM | 3800 RPM |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 3 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1410 kg | 750 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 4960 mm | 3690 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1810 mm | 1530 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1370 mm | 1390 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2690 mm | 2310 mm |
