1981 Mercury Cougar vs. 1981 Volvo 343
To start off, both 1981 Mercury Cougar and 1981 Volvo 343 were released in the same year (1981). Therefore the support and the availability on parts for both vehicles should be relatively similar. At 3,797 cc (6 cylinders), 1981 Mercury Cougar is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1981 Volvo 343 (117 HP @ 6000 RPM) has 3 more horse power than 1981 Mercury Cougar. (114 HP @ 4000 RPM) In normal driving conditions, 1981 Volvo 343 should accelerate faster than 1981 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, 1981 Mercury Cougar (237 Nm @ 2600 RPM) has 77 more torque (in Nm) than 1981 Volvo 343. (160 Nm @ 3000 RPM). This means 1981 Mercury Cougar will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1981 Volvo 343.
Compare all specifications:
| 1981 Mercury Cougar | 1981 Volvo 343 | |
| Make | Mercury | Volvo |
| Model | Cougar | 343 |
| Year Released | 1981 | 1981 |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 3797 cc | 1986 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 6 cylinders | 4 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | in-line |
| Horse Power | 114 HP | 117 HP |
| Engine RPM | 4000 RPM | 6000 RPM |
| Torque | 237 Nm | 160 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 2600 RPM | 3000 RPM |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Vehicle Length | 4960 mm | 4210 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1810 mm | 1670 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1370 mm | 1400 mm |
