Just browsing through the '04 Evaluation our Dept. has published, and thought some may be interested. Not gonna get into high detail. The vehicles tested were the Ford Crown Vic, Chevy Impala, and Dodge Intrepid. Chevy and Dodge are still front wheel drive V-6. Ford was tested with two available gear ratios, bit still were close to each other. Tests were conducted at the Chrysler Proving Grounds and Grattan Raceway. Testers are Michigan State Police Driving instructors and have been trained in driving and instruction by NASCAR. Enjoy.

Acceleration;
0-60: Ford, Dodge, Chevy
0-80: Ford, Dodge, Chevy
0-100: Ford, Dodge, Chevy

Top Speed Attained- Dodge, Ford, Chevy

Breaking- Chevy, Dodge, Ford

Overall Vehicle Dynamics (Lap Times)
Ford, Dodge, Chevy Dodge was very close to Ford.

Ergonomics/ Communication- Chevy, Ford, Dodge

Gas Mileage (EPA);
City- Chevy, Dodge, Ford
Highway- Chevy Dodge, Ford

Some SUV testing was also done, but there are no longer any police performance packages available on these.

 

Thinking about those cars, the performance rankings look about like what you'd expect. More power=more acceleration and better lap times, lower weight=better braking and economy. I'm not sure what's involved in the ergonomics rating, though. Best place to store a riot gun?

 

It's not fun extracting radios or control panel from your thigh in a crash!

 

Michigan highway patrol is one of the few police agencies in the country that does this type of comprehensive testing, isn't it?

 

Ther Chevy Impalla is not the car for anybody of decent build... Had one as a rental; the mirror was in the middle of the windshield, no place to rest your arms and their is no place to hold onto the bottom of the steering wheel. As it appears, they don't have good acceleration either.

Actually, get the Chevy! That way the police can't catch me.

 

Yeah, that sounds about right.

 

Ahhhh, grasshopper...you do not know the old police saying.....You can't outrun Motorola

 

The majority of our patrol cars are Impalas and have the LE chip in them. The acceleration is not what you'd find in your normal rental vehicle. Begle1 is correct on the rest of the issues. No arm rest (that stinks!), and that confounded blankety blank rear view mirror creates one heck of a blind spot. And my biggest complaint? No place to put my coffee mug.

The company is in the process of replacing a good chunk of the fleet and rumor has it they're going to the Intrepid with the law enforcement package.

 

Yeah, last I knew, MSP and LAPD were the only two agency's (police) that thoroughly test and compile data on patrol vehicles. Both have there own drive tracks, as well as MSP having access to manufacturer proving grounds, and local race tracks.

OBTW, not that it matters to anybody, but MSP is a full service agency, although the Detroit and Rockford posts are primarily highway patrol.

 

I was pretty sure the other was California, but I couldn't remember whether it was CHP or LAPD. My brother has two ex-Police Luminas, one of which has the brightest add-on dome light I've ever seen. I swapped him my truck for that car so he could go pick the other one up in Illinois and nearly blinded myself when I turned the thing on to look for a quarter in the console. I imagine it would be pretty effective in gaining confessions.

 

I think they should go back to the LS1 interceptors. Buddy of mine had a 12.5 sec. LS1 camaro and was screwing around with it on I-10 one day. Well, he passed an LS1 interceptor at 120 and still accelerating. He said the cop caught him, passed him, and made him slow down. All this from a dead stop. Now I don't know how much of that is real, but all I know is that those cars are fast as all get out.

 

Phooey on that injected stuff, .....in the ol' days it was the 76 Nova with a 350/350, questionable steering, drum brakes and power skid in until just before point of no return, then slam the throttle out. None of that apex, threshold braking, NASCAR sissy stuff...