bcso974

I think doing something similar to the headlights and maybe changing the grille a little bit would add a few more years to the P71 side of it. Makes it more agressive in my opinion Love it

First things first, I'm a Police Officer. I have had hundreds of hours in driver's training taking impalas, chargers, and CV's full throttle in straight-aways, curves, hills, skids tracks. So let's start addressing some things. Impala - Well it runs, they handle pretty good, but they do not hold up nearly as long for the life when given the torture of police activity. During a pursuit the brake fade is unacceptable. Simply put budgets and gas $$$ were the reasons why City Councils, not police departments bought CV for the Police Department. The Impala is VERy uncomfortable in the rear when a cage is installed, well I think always but for police duties we'll say with a cage. They do have some good features, the Police package features a SURV Surveillence feature that you can hit and kill the lights, interior dash and radio/HVAC all at once. That is the only one I have found so far. Many departments in KY where I police that have gone to the Impala is now selling them and returing to the CV. Chargers - Great looking car, I would LOVE to own one, but they are not holding up. They seem to be going in for warranty issues and literally falling apart while driving down the road. Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement bought several for undercover Commercial Vehicle Enforcement and have had good luck with them on Interstates, the agencies that have bought them for non-traffic only situations are having more problems. They do not handle as well after about 10 minutes as the CV does. They will out perform the CV for the first 10 minutes though. That is with the V8 of course, the 2 other V6 models do not have the power necessary for quick acceleration. They are a little roomier in the back with a cage in place but from the driver's perspective difficult to see out of and check rear windows for blind spots. They are more of a specialty vehicle in my book, great for Traffic and Pursuit situations. Maybe even for detectives. Explorers/Tahoes/Durangos - SUV's have a place in policing, especially with K9's. My agencies has 4 K9's which we outfit a Tahoe, Durango, F-150, and Silverado. We are currently migrating them all to 4 door F-150s. The Durangos drive good, terrible for any pursuits out there same goes for any SUV or truck. SUV's and Trucks should only be used for Special teams such as Divers, ATV, SWAT, K9, etc. Command units a lot of times around here have an SUV to carry equipment in the event of a large incident. I've used all three of the Big3's SUVs in policing, I like an SUV, my choice of a vehicle, not while wearing the badge, just not meant to be used like that. 4X4 is nice and a good thing to have available but not worth it year round, especially in KY where snow is rarely a problem. CV - I love the Crown Vic, I think she is a beautiful car. They pur just perfect. Handle extremely well. Yes brake fade sets in and you must compensate for that, but it is not as bad as the Impala or Charger. Handles very well in the curves and stops when needed. They are roomy enough to get by, but trust me people saying that cop cars are to big, well that is not that case. Think of the equipment US police carry these days. European cops are on a different level then in US. We carry Shotguns, Rifles, MDT (Computers) multiple radios, plus the equipment needed for daily activity. We have homeland security criteria to meet now. It wasn't but a few years ago British "Bobbies" didn't even carry GUNS. America is a different place and comparing vehicles for uses is like trying to make the Autralian Falcon Ute the #1 car sold in the US. Different world we live in. The Crown Vic is a strudy all around reliable car. I would take my CV over the Ferrari's of Italy's police specialty unit any day. Uses of Focus's and Escpare - Our department is utilizing focus's and Escapes as a means to cope with the rising fuel prices (let's face it, they will rise again) The 2 Focuses are used by Paper Servers, people who serve supoenas, summons, etc. Our Command Staff is driving Escapes as they do not routinely transport someone to jail and need the extra room that an SUV allows for. They are less expensive and better MPG then Explorers. The Taurus may be bigger than the Impala, but I do not think it has what is needed to hold up to the CV's reputation. The Chevy Caprice was a police car that no one thought would fall. It was way to bulky and boat like when handling, Ford has to do something to make the CV stay appealing, but overall most Police forces prefer the CV, it's the City Councils that are making them buy other wise. I would like to see Ford come out with a 4 door competition to the Charger that could be used in Traffice Enforcement, something like the Intercepter Concept car. Although my pick, Austrailan Falcon from FPV...Now that would make me a happy Cop