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April 14, 2011 By Colin Wood
The iconic Ford Crown Victoria squad car, which has remained relatively unchanged since its introduction in 1992, will stop production late this year and be replaced by Ford’s new line of Police Interceptors. The automaker says the new model, based on the Taurus, will be more fuel efficient, safer and come with more horsepower under the hood.
Although many police departments are welcoming the development of next-gen police cars, in these lean budget times some police chiefs might have to wait a little longer to purchase new vehicles. That could mean getting some extra time out of the old Crown Vics or even stocking up on them.
Police departments in South Carolina are purchasing Crown Victorias before time runs out — Mount Pleasant is getting 25, Charleston police ordered 35 and North Charleston's department plans to get 40, reported The Post and Courier. "It's a legend going down," North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey told the newspaper. And Mount Pleasant Town Administrator Eric DeMoura referred to the cars as tanks.
The discontinuation could also mean more business for some auto body shops and used car sellers. Wild Rose Motors in Fullerton, Calif., primarily sells the “legacy” Crown Victoria Police Interceptors. About 70 percent of the company’s business comes from police departments and other law enforcement agencies.
Seton Montgomerie, the dealership’s part-owner, said business has been booming since Ford announced its next-gen squad car. Many police agencies with reduced budgets want to get their hands on a couple of Montgomerie’s $10,000 Crown Vics. (A price point for the next-gen cars has not yet been announced.)
Montgomerie said he’s a die-hard fan of the Crown Victoria and wouldn’t drive anything else. “The new cars are lighter and not as heavy duty as the old model,” Montgomerie said. “We’re hoping for a miracle and they release a comparable model to replace the Crown Vic.”
Lisa Teed, Ford’s marketing manager for the new Police Interceptor, said Montgomerie shouldn’t wait for any miracles. “This is the replacement,” Teed said. “We understand the concerns of the law enforcement agencies, and we’re giving them what they’re asking for.”
The new sedan, based on Ford’s Taurus, will be offered in a front-wheel drive 3.5 liter, 263-horsepower V-6 model and an all-wheel drive 3.5 liter V-6 twin turbo model with 365 horsepower. By comparison, the older, rear-wheel Crown Victorias were typically fitted with a 250-horsepower V-8 engine.
According to Ford, the new models also boast 20 percent greater fuel efficiency, an all-wheel drive option, police gear integration, and a rear-end crash test rating that will meet or exceed the Crown Victoria’s 75-mph rating.
All of the concerns harbored by Crown Victoria fans are being addressed with the new lineup, Teed said. The new models may look smaller, but the interior volume is equivalent. And while some swear by aesthetics of the “body-on-frame” design, Teed said the general appearance of a vehicle after a crash isn’t necessarily indicative of how safe it is.
In addition to traditional safety features such as larger brakes and side-curtain airbags, the new vehicles include a hands-free information system that will allow officers to operate communications equipment by voice control. The vehicles also have radar sensors to detect cross-traffic, a color rear-view camera system and an alert system that notifies the driver with a light on the rear-view mirror when something enters the vehicle’s blind spot.
Despite these improvements, Montgomerie thinks Ford is making a mistake by moving away from the Crown Vic. “Chevy did the same thing 16 years ago and they lost their share of the market,” Montgomerie said. “Everyone knows what a police car looks like. It’s subliminal marketing for Ford. I don’t know why they want to take that away.”
Change is never easy for anyone, Teed said.
“But emergency vehicle drivers have personally told me these [new] vehicles require less effort to drive,” she said. Despite nearly 20 years of service from the Crown Victoria, Teed predicts an easy transition into the new age of police vehicles.
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Good for Ford. What do you think of the new police vehicles that chevy is making. I have read test on all the new police vehicles and chevy is the best all around vehicle for L.E. Even the Tohoe is rated better than the Ford. Check it out and then print it. Thanks Sam
The new Police cars for the US are actually the Australian made Holden (GM) Caprice 6.0 litre V8s. The Taurus is not in the same class which is why Holden has received orders of about 20,000 thus far. How on earth could anyone be sad about the loss of a car that is so far behind international standards its not funny; something akin to driving a barge.
I had the opportunity to drive the civilian version of the new Police Interceptor with turned out to be very surprised at the power and torque of the Taurus. Certainly it was not outfitted with the police equipment; however, I walked away impressed. I am hoping that the SUV Police Interceptor is equally impressive. Our agency is not likely to replace our fleet for several more years so the bugs should be worked out by then.
I Owned a Tarus with a (nearly) 300hp engine a few years back, the thing would flat out fly (Or so I heard), watch out speeders.....
The Ford offering is an absolute POS. The chevey offering is slightly less bad, but the really and truly suck part about it is that the shifter is in the center console hump instead of on the column. Sounds minor until you realize that it's gonna be that much slower to switch gears while emergency driving and every department will have to buy new equipment and figure out where to mount it.
Both Chevy and Ford SUV's are a nightmare for patrol. Yeah, those engines are fast....but the brakes can't handle the extra weight. I remember a partner toroling up in a tajoe to back on a felony T-stop and the brake fade being so bad he ended window to window with the nad guy's car. Not to mention that in order to kep them from rolling, they had to lower them so much that they actually get stuck offroad in places a crown vic won't.
I had a 2010 Taurus as a rental for a month. What a fantastic car - and I'm a car guy, have owned the best German cars (and have one now). The new Taurus is flat out amazing, the motor is powerful, smooth, linear delivery, the suspension is firm and predictable at the limits, the interior will make you think its an Acura. I was just stunned with how good the car was, I'd seriously consider buying one next year when I get my next car. Ford really stepped it up.
Yea, you only have to watch out if police departments will be able to afford the fuel for these. Luckily for us in Illinois, State Police don't have enough cash for fuel for moving patrols, only stationary.
The shifter is not in the console. It's on the column. the person who said it was in the console is a dope and wrong http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/10q1/2012_ford_police_interceptor-car_news
I've been able to test drive one of these as a prototype late last year. It was fantastic. It went up over a curb smoother and easier than the crown vic. We got to drive it as hard as possible for an entire tank of gas and it returned mileage 4mpg higher than the crown vic. While I'll miss the crown vic, I'm really looking forward to getting this in to our PD.
Also, wobbles is incorrect about the shifter. It is not on the center console. It's on the column to allow room for the computers and utility belts.
The militarization of America's police force continues. Thanks War on Drugd!
The Chevrolet PPV that was on display in our area had the shifter in the console. mrvw, Your website link also led to photos of the Chevrolet PPV with the shifter in the console. "Dope"
I remember when departments had to go with the Taurus years ago. What a piece of JUNK. Ford ended up coming back with the Crown Vic. Not only were they too small, they fell apart.
I've driven these barges professionally since they came out in 1992 and they are awesome. I won't pass judgement on the new Fords or Chevys until I drive one, but the Crown Victoria is an excellent car for its intended purpose.
man, i really love these cars. im a fairly big man (265) and i like the comfort of a large car. plus it looks cool. dagnabit!!!
I examine a lot of police for injuries, Stater's too and my question is will they fit? Some of these guys are really big and we have had to have seats moved back in some of the Chevy,s. They also need room for all of there gear, and they probably feel safer in a larger car. Remember this vehicle is not just there car its there office, they may cover large areas, and need room for felons, dogs etc.
I came to this site because I was curious about the Crown Vic. For the first time, I'm impressed by Ford. But on a whole other matter, doesn't anyone know how to spell anymore? e.g. THEIR cars are over THERE, and THEY'RE going to get them.