Ford to cops: Crown Vic is out

[kevman]

its the end of an era. We will likely never see a body on frame sedan with a solid axle again. These were the cars that dominated most american roads for so many years. time to move on.

 

[boomhower]

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: fleabag
Well I guess it's about time, as much as I can understand the love for the crown vics and caprices, those cars just use up too much fuel and despite their exterior appearance, there is just no room in the backseat for ANYBODY, it seriously can't get any worse as I had to sit horizontally when in the back of a police car that one time..

IF you can't fit in the backseat im guessing you are 400 lbs then.

There was no room for my legs at the back of that car. It had probably as much legroom as the back seats of a CRX (japan). I didn't understand how they expected anyone to sit there but there was seriously absolutely NO LEG room which meant I literally couldn't sit upright and place my legs into the gap between the bench seat (which was all metal) and the front seat (which too was all metal). It was weird that the rear seats had absolutely no padding, as though they made the rear seats completely out of steel and the front seats out of steel as well.

The cars are purchased with the criminals comfort in mind. Would you like some suede lined handcuffs to go along with that?

I for one don't think that every police car needs to be a 5000lbs tank. In Europe small cars like the Ford Focus are very widespread among police forces because they are more practical for 95% of what police officers do. North America is probably the only place in the world where police still use a body on frame car

That is going to vary a lot on the particular agency. The vast majority out there are small where every car has to do pretty much everything. They don't have the luxury of having specialized vehicles, not the manpower to operate them.

Now that we have better technology to track / find people, I don't know why the police are flying at 120mph after some douchebag that probably has a half J and a parking ticket warrant. Also, police should *NEVER* greatly exceed the speed limit or traffic laws without lights+sirens. IMHO, pursuits should only be instigated against known dangerous felons. Otherwise you get this kind of thing :

That is an argument that will go on forever. Chase policies vary widely from agency to agency. I do agree that to extent with your comment on lights/sirens. There are a couple situations where it is warranted.

 

[GiggleGirl]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
The only crown vic's I see around here are unmarked cars. Most cops drive Chevy Impala's.

we have a lot of cops who drive mustangs down here

Originally posted by: Triumph

Originally posted by: iFX
It's a damn fine car, period. I've had several and have almost 500k miles between them. There isn't a more durable car sold in the US at the moment.

Very true. And the other downside of this, I'll have to learn what the headlights of a Taurus, Magnum, Charger, and Impala look like in my rear view mirror, and differentiate those quickly between a civilian version and a police version. The Crown Vic was instantly recognizable.:thumbsdown:

LOL i was just thinking this! lol

 

[Iron Woode]

I am glad my father never had to see this day happen.

He worked at the Talbotville assembly plant on the line until he retired back in 1992. The Crown Vic is a fine, tough car. He liked them and so do I. I own a 1987 Crown Vic and it has been a great car. Tough as nails and reliable even in deep snow.

It does what it was designed for best: a big comfy, highway cruiser. Body on frame is still my favourite, although my Mopar is a unit-body construction.

Good bye Crown Vic. I will miss you.

 

[fleabag]

Originally posted by: Fayd

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: Analog

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: fleabag
Well I guess it's about time, as much as I can understand the love for the crown vics and caprices, those cars just use up too much fuel and despite their exterior appearance, there is just no room in the backseat for ANYBODY, it seriously can't get any worse as I had to sit horizontally when in the back of a police car that one time..

IF you can't fit in the backseat im guessing you are 400 lbs then.

There was no room for my legs at the back of that car. It had probably as much legroom as the back seats of a CRX

The CRX is a 2-seater, with no backseat, so what you're saying makes no sense.

I like how you cutoff the part of the post where it says (japan)........

... there's quite a lot of japanese mid size and full size cars.

if you're making a generic statement about japanese cars, then you're way off base.

and you mentioned a CRX specifically, which is a 2 seater, like he said.

I said CRX (japan) for a goddamn reason! It's because the CRX in japan is not just a 2 seater....

 

[Fayd]

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Originally posted by: Fayd

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Originally posted by: Sureshot324
I for one don't think that every police car needs to be a 5000lbs tank. In Europe small cars like the Ford Focus are very widespread among police forces because they are more practical for 95% of what police officers do. North America is probably the only place in the world where police still use a body on frame car.

It's because all the cops / culture here watched too much TJ Hooker growing up.

i think it's more accurate to say that as a whole, americans drive larger vehicles than most of the rest of the world. and thus, police cars need to be larger to keep up.

Yeah, but an Interceptor Crown Vic is slower than Focus RS, MazdaSpeed3, WRX, hell even Cobalt SS and VW GTI. Just not faster than the radio 😉

they're fast enough to get the job done, and durable enough to be drivable after it. which those other cars trouble with.

cop cars are more than just performance specs. maintenance and durability are at least as important.

 

[Fayd]

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: Fayd

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: Analog

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: fleabag
Well I guess it's about time, as much as I can understand the love for the crown vics and caprices, those cars just use up too much fuel and despite their exterior appearance, there is just no room in the backseat for ANYBODY, it seriously can't get any worse as I had to sit horizontally when in the back of a police car that one time..

IF you can't fit in the backseat im guessing you are 400 lbs then.

There was no room for my legs at the back of that car. It had probably as much legroom as the back seats of a CRX

The CRX is a 2-seater, with no backseat, so what you're saying makes no sense.

I like how you cutoff the part of the post where it says (japan)........

... there's quite a lot of japanese mid size and full size cars.

if you're making a generic statement about japanese cars, then you're way off base.

and you mentioned a CRX specifically, which is a 2 seater, like he said.

I said CRX (japan) for a goddamn reason! It's because the CRX in japan is not just a 2 seater....

then state its equivalent in america, or find some other car to base your argument on.

we're not familiar with honda's offerings in japan. we only assume them to be the same as here. you're writing to a largely american audience, so tailor your post appropriately.

 

[fleabag]

Originally posted by: Fayd

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: Fayd

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: Analog

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: fleabag
Well I guess it's about time, as much as I can understand the love for the crown vics and caprices, those cars just use up too much fuel and despite their exterior appearance, there is just no room in the backseat for ANYBODY, it seriously can't get any worse as I had to sit horizontally when in the back of a police car that one time..

IF you can't fit in the backseat im guessing you are 400 lbs then.

There was no room for my legs at the back of that car. It had probably as much legroom as the back seats of a CRX

The CRX is a 2-seater, with no backseat, so what you're saying makes no sense.

I like how you cutoff the part of the post where it says (japan)........

... there's quite a lot of japanese mid size and full size cars.

if you're making a generic statement about japanese cars, then you're way off base.

and you mentioned a CRX specifically, which is a 2 seater, like he said.

I said CRX (japan) for a goddamn reason! It's because the CRX in japan is not just a 2 seater....

then state its equivalent in america, or find some other car to base your argument on.

we're not familiar with honda's offerings in japan. we only assume them to be the same as here. you're writing to a largely american audience, so tailor your post appropriately.

Yeah well in my experience, the equivalent was the Crown Vic's back seats.... If you look up pictures of the backseat in that car, you'd see that there is only a sliver of room for legs and nearly no room for feet, well unless you're five years old..

 

[Oceandevi]

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: Fayd

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: Fayd

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: Analog

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: fleabag
Well I guess it's about time, as much as I can understand the love for the crown vics and caprices, those cars just use up too much fuel and despite their exterior appearance, there is just no room in the backseat for ANYBODY, it seriously can't get any worse as I had to sit horizontally when in the back of a police car that one time..

IF you can't fit in the backseat im guessing you are 400 lbs then.

There was no room for my legs at the back of that car. It had probably as much legroom as the back seats of a CRX

The CRX is a 2-seater, with no backseat, so what you're saying makes no sense.

I like how you cutoff the part of the post where it says (japan)........

... there's quite a lot of japanese mid size and full size cars.

if you're making a generic statement about japanese cars, then you're way off base.

and you mentioned a CRX specifically, which is a 2 seater, like he said.

I said CRX (japan) for a goddamn reason! It's because the CRX in japan is not just a 2 seater....

then state its equivalent in america, or find some other car to base your argument on.

we're not familiar with honda's offerings in japan. we only assume them to be the same as here. you're writing to a largely american audience, so tailor your post appropriately.

Yeah well in my experience, the equivalent was the Crown Vic's back seats.... If you look up pictures of the backseat in that car, you'd see that there is only a sliver of room for legs and nearly no room for feet, well unless you're five years old..

shut the hell up. you must be a fatass.

Our town got some checy tahoes to replace the crownies. They look badass. And still easy to spot. yay!

 

[OverVolt]

I really think this is all about MPG.

 

[FallenHero]

For all the flames going on in this thread, I'm wondering how many of you are actually cops or have worked extensively with the police or on the Crown Vics to be commenting on the "needs" of the police.

 

[fleabag]

Originally posted by: Oceandevi

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: Fayd

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: Fayd

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: Analog

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: fleabag
Well I guess it's about time, as much as I can understand the love for the crown vics and caprices, those cars just use up too much fuel and despite their exterior appearance, there is just no room in the backseat for ANYBODY, it seriously can't get any worse as I had to sit horizontally when in the back of a police car that one time..

IF you can't fit in the backseat im guessing you are 400 lbs then.

There was no room for my legs at the back of that car. It had probably as much legroom as the back seats of a CRX

The CRX is a 2-seater, with no backseat, so what you're saying makes no sense.

I like how you cutoff the part of the post where it says (japan)........

... there's quite a lot of japanese mid size and full size cars.

if you're making a generic statement about japanese cars, then you're way off base.

and you mentioned a CRX specifically, which is a 2 seater, like he said.

I said CRX (japan) for a goddamn reason! It's because the CRX in japan is not just a 2 seater....

then state its equivalent in america, or find some other car to base your argument on.

we're not familiar with honda's offerings in japan. we only assume them to be the same as here. you're writing to a largely american audience, so tailor your post appropriately.

Yeah well in my experience, the equivalent was the Crown Vic's back seats.... If you look up pictures of the backseat in that car, you'd see that there is only a sliver of room for legs and nearly no room for feet, well unless you're five years old..

shut the hell up. you must be a fatass.

Our town got some checy tahoes to replace the crownies. They look badass. And still easy to spot. yay!

Being a fatass doesn't change the fact that my feet and legs didn't fit in the gap... oh and btw I weigh 180lbs...

 

[compuwiz1]

Originally posted by: sao123
EFF ford...I'd like to see chevy make a grand successor to the capice classic and get back this lost business.

No, EFF Chevy and GM. Ford was NOT one of the ones that had their hand out for a goverment bailout. Now they will laugh their asses off as they are not owned by the goverment and do not have the government's thumb on them all the time. :laugh:

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

My wife drove a police car for 15 years...

Well that explains a lot

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Iron Woode

He worked at the Talbotville assembly plant on the line until he retired back in 1992.

Bout time Canucks share the pain

 

[Genx87]

I thought police agencies were moving away from the crown vic due to Ford admiting a major problem with the fuel line in the cases of a rear end collision but refusing to fix it?
I have seen a lot of Chargers and Suburbans around Minneapolis.

 

[Mo0o]

Seems like it would make sense to build a squad car from the ground up rather than modify a civilian sedan for the purpose. That little blurb on a company making police-specific vehicles sounds interesting

 

[mwmorph]

There's 3 reasons police buy the crown vic:

1. Body on frame. When you chase or try to stop criminals, you will take body damage. Body on frame reduces the cost of bodywork.

2. Space. Someone mentioned the impala was "only" 6" narrower than a Crown Vic. Seriously, that's just retarded. 7" in width is the difference between the Chevy Aveo Sedan and Chevy Impala. It's the difference between sub-compact and full size. Cops need to fit their gear and the increased trunk space allows police ot carry their equipment like beanbag shotguns or whatnot.

3. Comfort. When on shifts, they have to be in their cars for 8 hours or more. A softer ride and seats makes all the difference.

4. RWD, a lot of the manuevers they learn really are best done on a RWD platform.


Things that don't matter:

Rear legroom. If you're in the backseat of a cop car, I doubt the police care all too much about how coddled you feel.


There is nothing out there to replace the Crown Vic.

 

[jlee]

Most cops I talk to (driving Impalas) wish they had CV's. I've driven both CV & Charger- while the Charger is fast and handles nicely, the rear visibility sucks - also our State Police has been having transmission problems with them.

I'll keep my Crown Vic as long as I can, thanks..

 

[Iron Woode]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Iron Woode

He worked at the Talbotville assembly plant on the line until he retired back in 1992.

Bout time Canucks share the pain

We've been sharing the pain for years.

Closing the plant will put a lot of people out of work. I believe Ford is planning a re-tooling of the plant but you never know.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
Seems like it would make sense to build a squad car from the ground up rather than modify a civilian sedan for the purpose. That little blurb on a company making police-specific vehicles sounds interesting

Problem is police cars have very little profit and to make a full line just for them would not work.

The company that is making the "dream" cop car is just that, a dream. You can buy 2 CV/Impala's for what one of those will go for. Let alone all the more costly parts on it. So they may sell a couple here and there, but it would eat up to much budget to quickly.

 

[Sureshot324]

I for one don't think that every police car needs to be a 5000lbs tank. In Europe small cars like the Ford Focus are very widespread among police forces because they are more practical for 95% of what police officers do. North America is probably the only place in the world where police still use a body on frame car

That is going to vary a lot on the particular agency. The vast majority out there are small where every car has to do pretty much everything. They don't have the luxury of having specialized vehicles, not the manpower to operate them.

Maybe rural police forces, but large city police forces should be driving mostly small cars, like they do in the rest of the world. Considering the massive amount of miles an average police cruiser drives, the fuel savings would be huge.

Performance wise, in the city a Ford Focus can easily keep up with a CV anywhere except maybe the open highway. Less weight=better performance. It may not be able to take abuse like a CV can, but these days police chases are fairly rare, and the savings in up front cost and fuel would eclipse the increased repair costs. Police certainly shouldn't be choosing their vehicles primarily on their ability to ram another car off the road.

The Police can still keep a few SUVs around for the odd time when you need more gear then can fit in a Focus. As far as comfort goes, as long as you're not a fatass (which you shouldn't be if you're a cop) most modern small cars are very comfortable. The driver's seat could even be replaced with something better. You don't need a huge car to have one comfortable seat.

Of course this would never happen because a Ford Focus police car would get laughed at here, and any politician who proposed this would make himself very unpopular.

 

[Finalnight]

I actually rarely see new cruiser crown vics. I normally see chargers, impalas, and the like now.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: Sureshot324

I for one don't think that every police car needs to be a 5000lbs tank. In Europe small cars like the Ford Focus are very widespread among police forces because they are more practical for 95% of what police officers do. North America is probably the only place in the world where police still use a body on frame car

That is going to vary a lot on the particular agency. The vast majority out there are small where every car has to do pretty much everything. They don't have the luxury of having specialized vehicles, not the manpower to operate them.

Maybe rural police forces, but large city police forces should be driving mostly small cars, like they do in the rest of the world. Considering the massive amount of miles an average police cruiser drives, the fuel savings would be huge.

Performance wise, in the city a Ford Focus can easily keep up with a CV anywhere except maybe the open highway. Less weight=better performance. It may not be able to take abuse like a CV can, but these days police chases are fairly rare, and the savings in up front cost and fuel would eclipse the increased repair costs. Police certainly shouldn't be choosing their vehicles primarily on their ability to ram another car off the road.

The Police can still keep a few SUVs around for the odd time when you need more gear then can fit in a Focus. As far as comfort goes, as long as you're not a fatass (which you shouldn't be if you're a cop) most modern small cars are very comfortable. The driver's seat could even be replaced with something better. You don't need a huge car to have one comfortable seat.

Of course this would never happen because a Ford Focus police car would get laughed at here, and any politician who proposed this would make himself very unpopular.

Ever wear a duty belt? I am not a fatass and there's no way I'd be comfortable in a small car wearing my full uniform...plus, do you think you can fit two cops w/gear, a computer, a rifle, a radio and lights/siren controls all in the front area of a small car? If you can, start marketing it.

Try fitting a full cage in a small car - and then putting a 200lb guy in the back seat.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
Seems like it would make sense to build a squad car from the ground up rather than modify a civilian sedan for the purpose. That little blurb on a company making police-specific vehicles sounds interesting

Economies of scale. Its very difficult to overcome this. The purpose built car mentioned is much more expensive and will likely be more expensive to maintain as well.

I remember reading that police were actually buying trucks and SUVs as they're tougher than a car, offer roughly the same performance and gas mileage as the Crown Vic, and are even easier to maintain. Of course a lot of this was due to the market for trucks and SUVs having been so poor that they could get very good prices from dealers.