NCJ Number
172990
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 25 Issue: 2 Dated: February 1998 Pages: 30-34-71
Date Published
1998
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This article describes the methodology and the results of the Michigan State Police's patrol vehicle tests for 1998.
Abstract
For 1998, the Michigan State Police tested 15 police, special service, and fleet package vehicles. Of these, two were pure pursuit cars, six were rear-drive or front-drive four-door sedans intended as general purpose patrol vehicles, and seven were two-wheel drive (2WD) and four-wheel drive (4WD) special- purpose sport utility vehicles. Each vehicle was subjected to six performance tests: high-speed vehicle dynamics around a road- racing course standing start acceleration to 100 mph; the top speed attainable within 14 miles; braking distances from 60 mph; a 29-point ergonomics and communications installation reviews; and fuel economy ranking based on the EPA "city" estimates. The quickest sedan to accelerate to 100 mph was the Volvo S-70. Next was the Crown Vic. The Volvo S-70 was also the fastest of the four-door police sedans, followed by the Crown Vic, the Lumina, and the Subaru SUS. The Camaro has run unopposed in the pursuit class since 1994. More powerful for 1998, the four-speed auto Camaro set the fastest time of the day, rebreaking the lap time record it has set every year since 1991. The patrol vehicle with the highest ergonomics rating was the Chevy Tahoe by a wide margin over the second place Ford Expedition. Third overall was the Crown Vic, which was clearly ahead of all other sedans. The most fuel efficient of all the vehicles were the Subaru Outback and the Subaru Legacy SUS. The fastest of the sport utility vehicles was the 4.0L, 2WD Jeep Cherokee. The tests are conducted only on those vehicles that the manufacturer has certified as capable of, designed for, and intended for high-speed emergency driving and pursuit driving.