1981 Lincoln Continental vs. 1970 Mercury Cougar
To start off, 1981 Lincoln Continental is newer by 11 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1970 Mercury Cougar. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1970 Mercury Cougar would be higher. At 5,769 cc (8 cylinders), 1970 Mercury Cougar is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1970 Mercury Cougar (167 HP @ 4000 RPM) has 38 more horse power than 1981 Lincoln Continental. (129 HP @ 3600 RPM) In normal driving conditions, 1970 Mercury Cougar should accelerate faster than 1981 Lincoln Continental. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1981 Lincoln Continental weights approximately 205 kg more than 1970 Mercury Cougar.
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, 1970 Mercury Cougar (363 Nm @ 2400 RPM) has 50 more torque (in Nm) than 1981 Lincoln Continental. (313 Nm @ 2000 RPM). This means 1970 Mercury Cougar will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1981 Lincoln Continental.
Compare all specifications:
| 1981 Lincoln Continental | 1970 Mercury Cougar | |
| Make | Lincoln | Mercury |
| Model | Continental | Cougar |
| Year Released | 1981 | 1970 |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 4942 cc | 5769 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 8 cylinders | 8 cylinders |
| Engine Type | V | in-line |
| Valves per Cylinder | 2 valves | 2 valves |
| Horse Power | 129 HP | 167 HP |
| Engine RPM | 3600 RPM | 4000 RPM |
| Torque | 313 Nm | 363 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 2000 RPM | 2400 RPM |
| Engine Bore Size | 101.7 mm | 101.7 mm |
| Engine Stroke Size | 76.2 mm | 88.8 mm |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Vehicle Weight | 1855 kg | 1650 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 5570 mm | 5840 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1990 mm | 2000 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1430 mm | 1340 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2990 mm | 2860 mm |
