1989 Mercury Cougar vs. 2011 Nissan Xterra
To start off, 2011 Nissan Xterra is newer by 22 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1989 Mercury Cougar. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1989 Mercury Cougar would be higher. At 4,000 cc (6 cylinders), 2011 Nissan Xterra is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 2011 Nissan Xterra (261 HP @ 5600 RPM) has 121 more horse power than 1989 Mercury Cougar. (140 HP @ 3800 RPM) In normal driving conditions, 2011 Nissan Xterra should accelerate faster than 1989 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, 2011 Nissan Xterra (381 Nm @ 4000 RPM) has 89 more torque (in Nm) than 1989 Mercury Cougar. (292 Nm @ 4000 RPM). This means 2011 Nissan Xterra will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1989 Mercury Cougar.
Compare all specifications:
| 1989 Mercury Cougar | 2011 Nissan Xterra | |
| Make | Mercury | Nissan |
| Model | Cougar | Xterra |
| Year Released | 1989 | 2011 |
| Body Type | Coupe | SUV |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 3799 cc | 4000 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 6 cylinders | 6 cylinders |
| Engine Type | V | V |
| Valves per Cylinder | 4 valves | 4 valves |
| Horse Power | 140 HP | 261 HP |
| Engine RPM | 3800 RPM | 5600 RPM |
| Torque | 292 Nm | 381 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 4000 RPM | 4000 RPM |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Transmission Type | Automatic | Automatic |
| Number of Seats | 5 seats | 5 seats |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 5 doors |
| Vehicle Length | 5050 mm | 4539 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1850 mm | 1849 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1340 mm | 1902 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2880 mm | 2700 mm |
| Fuel Consumption | 8.7 L/100km | 10.7 L/100km |
| Fuel Consumption City | 13.8 L/100km | 14.7 L/100km |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 72 L | 80 L |
