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Fusion to replace Crown Vic as patrol car?

1276 Views 16 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  Night Wolf
Saw the paper this morning at work and read this, I found it interesting. It seems like there is much love for the old skool Vic in the police world:

http://www.macon.com/198/story/735633.html

“The Crown Vic is the most durable of all the police vehicles on the road today,” Reed said.
“The Crown Victoria has been the car of choice because of durability, cost of operation and the car hasn’t changed much over time,” Davis said.

Because the car hasn’t changed, it’s easier to get parts, he said.

But in tight economic times, there are some agencies with patrol cars on the road with more than 200,000 miles, Norris said.
Reed said in his experience — selling police vehicles in 15 states — the Crown Victoria has outlasted other types of police vehicles on the road two to one.

Departments trying out the front-wheel drive V6 Chevrolet Impala have found that the cars can’t hold up to the abuse of day to day patrolling the same as the Crown Victorias.

For some rural sheriff’s offices, the cars don’t last more than 75,000 miles due to driving on rural roads, Reed said.

“They’re just worn out completely,” he said.
He said departments buying Dodge Chargers typically are drawn by the car’s speed even though Chargers cost between $1,500 and $2,000 more than a Crown Victoria. A Charger can achieve speeds of 145 mph as compared with the Crown Victoria’s 135 mph.

But when the cars cross medians, some Chargers have had back windows to pop out and the body to crack, Reed said. Norris said some departments also have found the Chargers’ breaking systems to be inadequate.

“We’ve had people who have bought Chargers and are now coming back and buying Crown Vics,” Reed said

Reed said he expects the Fusions used on patrol will likely hold up about like the Impalas, but will do fine in other capacities such as investigators’ cars.
Panther, the last of its kind.
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I'm sure if the 9C1's were still on the road the cops would be singing a different tune but either way after driving my sister bf's Crown Vic Police Interceptor that things handles leaps and bounds beyond what my Fleetwood handles like and that has a modified sporty suspension. Those things stay plated to the ground great. We were driving fast on some back roads with lots of bumps and hills in the road and no matter how fast you would go the car stay planted to the ground at all times. If I was in the FTS the car would be hopping up and down and all over the place. The Crown Vic's may not be the fastest cars in stock trim but you can mod them up quite nice to make up for the performance deficiency
I think FWD in cop cars is a pretty stupid idea.
Amy Womack said:
breaking systems...
Either someone was trying to be coy or Amy and her copy editor need to go back to school.
The Fusion is a very nice midsize sedan. Better looking than it's asian counterparts (ok, maybe not the Mazda6), bolder looking than the Malibu, with a first class interior and FINALLY build quality that's world class. If I was buying a new midsize sedan, it'd be either the Fusion or 6.
I never said anything about it being an apt police vehicle, I just said it was a great family sedan, all of which are FWD today.
Ah, ok. Yeah, the Mazda6 is pretty good, that's what my dad has. (The v6 sport package one). FWD and a cop car just don't mix, pulling the E brake to kick out your back end is a lot harder on the car than just giving it gas.
Friend runs a tranny shop and says that the newer crown vics trannies are not quite as good as the old ones, he has replaced several in one depts fleet where he rarly did nay on their older cars
It just seems that transmissions in general suck nowadays.
From my understanding, the new Vic's still use the 4R70W, which is the same auto trans they've been using since ~1995. before that was the AODE, and before that was the AOD.

I read alot of high-mileage stories on the Lincoln site often, 200+, 300+k miles etc.... then I look at mine with 119k and think how it isn't even half the miles that some folks have on their car w/ original engine and trans.
I thought Ford was going to keep the Crown Vic around for several more years as a police vehicle only, no civilian version.

As quoted "If you want a car that can pop a curb at 50mph, run well past 200k miles and then at the end of the day still be relaxed and comfortable, a CVPI is the way to do it."
9C1 Caprices were pretty effin cool. That is my comment for this thread. :D
The Fusion is a very nice midsize sedan. Better looking than it's asian counterparts (ok, maybe not the Mazda6), bolder looking than the Malibu, with a first class interior and FINALLY build quality that's world class. If I was buying a new midsize sedan, it'd be either the Fusion or 6.
NO WAY! the malibu is a great car i cant believe how the new one is nice and well designed
9C1 Caprices were pretty effin cool. That is my comment for this thread. :D
I agree. There is a reason a 1996 9C1 Caprice will fetch as much as a 2002 P71 Crown Victoria!

Here in Downers Grove, IL.. the cops use a mix of CV P71s, Tahoes, and Civic Hybrids :cookoo:


I did read on the Camaro forum that some stations have ordered 2010 Camaros for highway patrol.
Yeah, here in Chicago they have CV's, the last two gen Impala's and Tahoes. :D

They still use 9C1's as auxilleries or as cars they let certain city employees use for pretty much anything. My dad had one for about 4 years until he retired.
As quoted "If you want a car that can pop a curb at 50mph, run well past 200k miles and then at the end of the day still be relaxed and comfortable, a CVPI is the way to do it."
Sounds like the perfect platform to build a traditional luxury car on. If only they.... oh... wait...
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