OT: Ford fusions for cop cars!!!

becca011906

Senior Community Member
Ok my dh is an officer in our county. they are needed to purchase 3 new cars, one was totalled and need to replace 2 with HIGH milage. The county commisioners wanted them too look into more fule efficate cars, like ford fussions.... b/c crown vics are kinda pricey on gas... well another wife who's DH was in the car that is needed replaced b/c it was totalled (he swirved to miss a deer hit a concreet post, limped away with only broken arm and sprained ankel) She stated her dh would be DEAD if he was in that kinda car, and only lived b/c he was driving a car built like a tank.
It's so scary to think that my county officials are looking and taking fule efficancy over safety!!! :eek:
Happy ending was on a 2 to 1 vote they are getting 3 new crown vics, even though they wanted dodge chargers. oh well. atleast it's better then a ford fussion.
 
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southpawboston

New member
:confused: you're basing this on the word of an officer's wife, and not crash test results? "built like a tank" doesn't save lives. smart design and safety features do. did this woman actually reference crash test data? i was actually thinking of purchasing a fusion, because i think it's a very well designed and reasonably priced car. the crown vic platform dates back at least 15 years and does not incorporate a lot of structural safety features that newer cars have. the only thing it has going for it that helps in safety is sheer size and weight.

here are some crash test results (results for both cars are based on latest 2007 model year cars with SAB package):

crown vic:
side impact score (IIHS): MARGINAL
frontal offset impact score (IIHS): GOOD

fusion:
side impact score (IIHS): GOOD
frontal offset impact score (IIHS): GOOD

crown vic:
side impact score (NHTSA): 5 stars
straight offset impact score (NHTSA): 5 stars

fusion:
side impact score (NHTSA): 5 stars
straight impact score (NHTSA): 4 stars

so basically both cars get the highest ratings from both testing methods for side impact. the crown vic gets a better straight frontal impact rating, and the fusion gets a better side impact rating from IIHS.

so it looks like both cars are pretty comparable, safety wise. so what's wrong with then wanting to replace the fleet with more fuel efficient cars if the safety is comparable? i still don't understand why someone would make a comment like that without checking facts?
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
Older Crown Vics also had that little fuel tank issue... Newer models since 2005 have a kevlar reinforced fuel tank shield as an option for police departments.

Do they still make police cruisers based on the Chevy Impala? That's a reasonably safe choice, also. The Crown Vic and Ford Fusion are also reasonable. I think police departments like Crown Vics because they still use a body on frame chassis. Supposedly, these hold up much better for very high mileage conditions. Taxi fleets use them a lot, too.
 

southpawboston

New member
I think police departments like Crown Vics because they still use a body on frame chassis. Supposedly, these hold up much better for very high mileage conditions. Taxi fleets use them a lot, too.

yes, this is true... they are quite durable. unfortunately they are heavy polluters (i think the newest ones are only LEV emissions) and they do consume a lot of fuel.

Do they still make police cruisers based on the Chevy Impala?

not the old body on frame ones, but the new global platform impalas, definitely. i see them in a lot of different states.
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
Made worse by the fact that they are left running all the time and idle frequently for extended durations. This would be a perfect application for a hybrid...
 

WESTMICHIGANLEO

New member
I drive a Crown Vic about 25,000 miles a year for work, and there is no way you would ever catch me driving a Fusion in it's place.

A co-worker just bought a Fusion, and it is very nice. The fact of the matter is, it is in no way suitable (or safe enough) for police work. If a Fusion and a Crown Vic collide, I would choose to be in the C.V.. The weight difference is one of the biggest reasons why.

There are many many factors as to why the C.V. is so widely used for police duties, and those reasons will remain the same for years to come. If I were to try to haul around my equipment needed for work in a fusion, I would need a roof rack, and the rear seat. Heck, we have even started to use the police package Tahoes for patrol purposes when the officer needs to carry more equipment than the C.V. will carry.

I agree 100% on the exhaust emissions though. The fact that these cars are pollution nightmares saddens me. I try hard to keep mine from idling constantly, but they also devour energy with all of the equipment inside (computer, Camera, Radios, etc...). If it is turned off for too long, it will have a dead battery, and that can be a huge issue if it is at the wrong time.

Agencies that have Senior Volunteers or Parking enforcement vehicles most certainly should be using a Hybrid vehicle though.
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
The hybrid Taho is being released for the 2008 model year. The estimate a 25% improvement for fuel economy over the regular Tahoe.

I know some of the traffic division in our town use alternate vehicles (possibly repo ones), including smaller ones like Mustangs, Camaros, etc. Maybe a Fusion or other model wouldn't work for the patrol division, but there are certainly areas like community service that could use smaller, cheaper and more fuel efficient models.
 

tl01

New member
I drive a Crown Vic about 25,000 miles a year for work, and there is no way you would ever catch me driving a Fusion in it's place.

A co-worker just bought a Fusion, and it is very nice. The fact of the matter is, it is in no way suitable (or safe enough) for police work. If a Fusion and a Crown Vic collide, I would choose to be in the C.V.. The weight difference is one of the biggest reasons why.

There are many many factors as to why the C.V. is so widely used for police duties, and those reasons will remain the same for years to come. If I were to try to haul around my equipment needed for work in a fusion, I would need a roof rack, and the rear seat. Heck, we have even started to use the police package Tahoes for patrol purposes when the officer needs to carry more equipment than the C.V. will carry.

I agree 100% on the exhaust emissions though. The fact that these cars are pollution nightmares saddens me. I try hard to keep mine from idling constantly, but they also devour energy with all of the equipment inside (computer, Camera, Radios, etc...). If it is turned off for too long, it will have a dead battery, and that can be a huge issue if it is at the wrong time.

Agencies that have Senior Volunteers or Parking enforcement vehicles most certainly should be using a Hybrid vehicle though.

I agree about choosing a crown vic over a fusion in an accident of those two cars together. I believe that at some point a vehicles size does make a difference. Also, if cops ever have to do things like pit manuevers to end chases, I think they would be better off in a larger car. I'm pretty sure I live in the high speed chase capital of the world.
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
Weight is indeed a factor in head-on crashes between vehicles, at least up to a certain point where it becomes less of a factor. The vehicle ratings at www.informedforlife.org use the effect of weight at reducing fatalities in their risk ratings.
 

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