Michigan State Police hit the test track with latest cop cars
Click the Dodge Charger cop car for a high-res gallery
Every September since the 1950s, the Michigan State Police have conducted vehicle performance testing on the latest cop cars. Prior to the early 1970s when the first oil embargo occurred, they would go out for bids every year and then test just the low bid vehicle. In those days, testing was limited to acceleration, top speed and braking distance. According to Lt. David Halliday of the Michigan State Police, as carmakers were struggling at that time and scrambling to sell their bigger vehicles, they all started submitting bids around the same price with only a $45 spread covering all the contenders one year. Around that time they decided to start testing all of the available vehicles and they also made their test results available to all interested police agencies. For the past three decades, a chunk of that annual testing has been conducted at the Chrysler Proving Ground in Chelsea, MI.
Gallery: Michigan State Police car testing
click on any image to enlarge
All of the manufacturers that officially offer what are termed as "special service" vehicles bring out their wares to be evaluated for this annual get together. Special service vehicles are what Jake and Elwood would have called cop cars with cop motors, cop suspensions, and cop brakes. These vehicles are made available for fleet sales for police and fire departments, taxis and other uses. They'll typically have heavy duty cooling systems, possibly transmission coolers, different brake linings for better heat resistance and stripped down interiors.
Since the 1970s, the testing regimen has certainly been expanded. In addition to the top speed, acceleration and braking tests that are run at Chelsea, they take the vehicles across the state to Grattan Raceway near Grand Rapids for a series of vehicle dynamics tests. Because many of the vehicles are equipped with flex-fuel engines, there are two examples of each of those vehicles tested, one with gas and the other with E85. After all of the testing is completed, the Michigan State Police publish their test results and make them available online for any police agency to access.
The most recent addition to the police car ranks are the Dodge Charger and Magnum. As the only rear wheel drive sedan alternative to the ancient Crown Victoria, these have proven quite popular with police forces since their introduction in 2006. According to a Chrysler representative, they have sold over 11,000. Various agencies also purchase other Chrysler vehicles like the Durango and assorted Jeeps, but these aren't officially offered so they weren't on test.
General Motors offers a wider variety of vehicles with special service packages including the Impala
sedan, the Express full-size van, and the Tahoe and Suburban SUVs. The Chevy vehicles are flex-fuel capable and currently the SUVs are the only ones equipped with rear-wheel drive.
Ford has the widest variety of vehicles available including the ancient Crown Victoria and the Econline van. They also offer the Escape, Explorer, Expedition and F-150 pickup with police packages. While the Crown Vic special service vehicle seems like it's been around since the time of Henry Ford, it still accounts for about 50,000 annual sales out a total of about 60 - 65,000 total.
Part of the reason the Vic still dominates in spite of the arrival of the Charger is legacy equipment. If you've ever looked inside a modern police car, you'll find the front is packed with equipment including radios, computers, gun racks and more. All of the mounting hardware for this equipment is specifically built to fit into a specific vehicle and when vehicles are replaced, much of this equipment is just moved from the old car to the new car. Switching cars means buying more auxiliary equipment, as well. There is also the issue of training service personnel and stocking new parts. The Crown Vic also has an advantage in trunk space compared to the Charger. For State police and rural forces that may spend an entire shift patrolling a significant distance from their post, the ability to carry all of the necessary equipment, including emergency equipment, is critical. The Ford's 20.6 cu.ft. trunk trumps the Charger's 16.2 cu.ft.
The Crown Vic on the left, Charger on the right. The spare tire tray in the Vic slides out for easier access.
When asked about the future of the Crown Vic, a Ford representative said that there are no current plans to redesign the current car. The current model remains very popular among police forces and cab companies and maintains some advantages in size compared to the newcomers. They will be making incremental improvements to powertrains to improve performance and fuel efficiency. Diesels are out of the question, although some variation of the Twin-Force engine is a distinct possibility. Twin-Force is Ford's branding for smaller displacement engines with turbocharging and direct-injection that will debut next year in the Lincoln MKS. A rear-wheel drive variant of the twin-turbo GDI V-6 is expected in the next Mustang in 2010, and this engine could make its way to the police interceptor.
Performance wise, all of the four-wheeled vehicles were pretty even, with acceleration times of 0-60 mph from about 8.2 to 8.8 seconds. The one exception were the 5.7L Hemi-powered Dodges, which ran the same test in 6.35 seconds. Braking performance was also pretty similar in the range of 135 - 145 feet for the cars and 156 feet for the SUVs. Although pretty much all of the police forces are running their vehicles on gasoline today, they may eventually transition to ethanol as it becomes more available. Diesel is also a future option that some forces are looking at and Chrysler is willing to consider it if enough demand exists. For more on that check out the AutoblogGreen report on alternative fuels for cop cars.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
DUH! 12:09PM (9/17/2007)
I think the Chevy Express vans are also RWD
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Strongbadinator 12:11PM (9/17/2007)
Sorry guys, I don't believe that the SUVs could hit 60mph in a mere 8 seconds. Those lardass'd vehicles can barely get out of their own way, not to mention their horrid handling and braking abilities.
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Seminole 12:23PM (9/17/2007)
You know that these vehicles are stripped down (saves weight) and given performance upgrades right?
Plus when Motor Trend tested the Suburban it went 0-60mph in 8.1 seconds. The Tahoe did it in 8.7.
Eric M 12:33PM (9/17/2007)
No it's true. Autoblog lied about the entire testing. There aren't even police in Michigan.
/sarcasm.
AB just reported what they were told. Most of these SUV's are pumping out over 300 horsepower, with low gearing and "cop motors, cop suspensions, and cop brakes" 8 seconds, or there abouts isn't unreasonable.
What IS unreasonable, is why every time SUV's come up, we have to listen to trolls like you, wax idiotic. Most of the SUV's are flex fuel, and they are cop vehicles, meaning cops actually NEED them and they can run more "friendly" types of fuel. It's not like soccer moms descended on Michigan and measured which one consumed the most gas, clubbed the most baby seals, and rolled over the most Priuses.
ckm 1:20PM (9/17/2007)
A friend of mine is a cop, he drives an SUV. Last time he gave me a ride, the whole thing was pretty much full of boxes of evidence for a case he was working on. The other SUV on the force is used for K9 duty. With the hatch in the back and the 'trunk' space for the dog, they still have room to haul a suspect back to the station without having to call another unit.
Oh, and they also patrol park land, so about 30% of their time is spend driving around dirt roads. Some are pretty well maintained, others are slowly turning back to nature and become muddy streams in the rain.
OTOH, around 20% of their time is also spend on intrestates at high speed (90+ mph) and the new generation of 'softroaders' are great at doing double duty. Or perhaps you would prefer them to have 3 different vehicles appropriate for each environment?
911 Operator: "Yes sir, we'll be out as soon as we can get back to the garage and switch to the situation appropriate vehicles."
Yup, that's what I want to hear....
Chris Adams 1:02PM (10/12/2007)
Strongbadinator - I know it's not exactly relevant to the kind of SUVs that US Police agencies procure, but the Mercedes ML SUV *will* get to 60MPH in 8 seconds **with a diesel engine!!** And all the while deliver close to 30MPG on the highway. Technology does thrill and amaze nowadays....
Shoaib 4:12PM (9/17/2007)
@Chris Adams
Having a Mercedes SUV isn't out of the realm of possibility, for example the Ontario Provincial Police have quite a few, and have been running them since at least 1999 when I had the displeasure of being pulled over by one.
Guenther 7:11PM (9/17/2007)
Yes- the MSP evaluation is a big fat lye. No wait, it's probably the most scientific and believable comparison test that's published on a regular basis.
There really aren't any go-fast parts on these either. Some picking and choosing the best brake parts out of the parts bin, but that's about it. With all the HD parts, these things weigh more than civilian spec cars even before they're up-fitted.
66coronet 8:10PM (9/17/2007)
Dodge needs to make a new car for Police/taxi use. Get the list of things they hate about the charger and enlarge the vehicle to match what they need. Then call it polara. Bigger trunk, bigger back door opening, Back seat head room, enough back seat leg room for rollcage and separation barrier and a dash that will support the computer system. Plus use the MB3.0Lcrd 215hp 376lb-ft.
In the UK the 300C 3.5L is the same price as the MB3.0Lcrd.
I suppose the hybrid hemi durango would be an interesting choice for law enforcement. But very spendy.
UAW 12:32PM (9/17/2007)
One has to be really in love with 1980s to buy Crown Vics. Charger makes a better police car from every angle.
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Strongbadinator 12:58PM (9/17/2007)
I think the Charger looks too aggressive and angry for a force that is supposed to 'serve and protect'. For a bounty hunter, sure. But cops aren't bounty hunters.
J. Schnable 1:11PM (9/17/2007)
"Charger makes a better police car from every angle."
Except for those angles looking out the back of the car (from the driver's seat). One of the initial criticisms of the Charger police vehicle was the reduced visibility out the rear window, and into blind spots. While I didn't read the full 2007 report, I doubt that those concerns have changed much (in addition to the other points made above).
Looks aside, I've got to think that the overall driving dynamics between the Crown Vic and the Charger would be *very* different. The Vic is derived from a style of car designed to float above the road for a smooth ride, the Charger designed from a performance oriented standpoint.
0-60 times and braking distances aren't going to tell you that sort of info, and ultimately it may come to department preference.
Back to the looks thing - the Vic may be old, but I still don't like seeing them in my rearview mirror, and these days, they're easier to spot.
Kowell 1:13PM (9/17/2007)
Most cops over here that tested the Dodge didn't like that you don't have as much space for equipments on the front console. The small computer that links to the station was cramped between the 2 seats without place to move it. The trunk space was also an issue since the full size spare takes up a lot of space. Rear doors angle was also problematic since it's easier to hit people's head when pushing them in the car. They all wanted to keep the HEMI though.. :)
cowboy bob 1:22PM (9/17/2007)
Strongbabinator- I also agree that E-85, and ethanol do not give the green advantage alleged. The BTU output of ethanol is about 19% less than pure gasoline. Anyone with the slightest amount of scientific intelligence knows that the amount of work done is proportional to the energy available. The less energy, the less work it will do. To do the same work with a fuel that produces less energy, will require more fuel. Expect a drop in fuel economy and in some cases, performance as well, when using any fuel that has less BTU output than straight gasoline in simularly equiped vehicles. As to your other claim that police are to "serve and protect", I think that would be nice if true. In many instances the police do something else. Yea, there are lots of good cops, but there are lots of not-so-good ones too. The ego trippers, ethnic quota-ers, and bad apples are way to plentiful, believe me.
Ryan C. 1:57PM (9/17/2007)
WRONG. If you've ever pulled a shift in a Crown Vic, and then tried doing the same in a Charger, you'd know instantly why the Crown Vics are still around. There is absolutely NO ROOM in the Charger. Not only do you have to fit your radio equipment, radar equipment, GPS, laptop, emergency device controller, flashlight(s), note-board, spare batteries, and policy books up front, but you also have to fit a human being wearing a 15+ lb ballistic vest and even more equipment. Some officers cannot even comfortably fit in the Chargers. With the cage in place against the B-Pillar, there is not enough leg-room with the seat that forward. Don't even get me started on the trunk. Until an automaker specifically engineers a vehicle for police duty that is as robust and useful as the Crown Vic, departments will keep purchasing "1980s" vehicles.
J 12:28PM (9/17/2007)
" In those days, testing was limited to acceleration, top speed and braking distance."
handling? what the hell is that?
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kevjohn 5:17PM (9/17/2007)
Maybe not in your neck of the woods.
Todd 1:06PM (9/17/2007)
The crown vic rules. They just need to develop it further. Make it handle. Give it some more power. Give it a decent transmission.
I actually think the crown vic looks the best out of all the cars.
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RC 1:15PM (9/17/2007)
The charger may look better, but the Crown Vic has been PROVEN RELIABLE when it needs to be.
Not something the charger can brag about, its too early to tell.
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Andrew 1:26PM (9/17/2007)
i checked out the motorcycle review done and BMW cleaned house with Harley Davidson in every category, basically. I wonder if any police departments will switch.
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