Why Holden and Ford made the best police cars

[Bossxr8]

https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-new...paign=theguide

David Morley

13 Dec 2020

If you’re lamenting the loss of our homegrown passenger cars, you’re not alone. In fact, it seems The Force is with you: The police force, that is.

While locally engineered and built Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons were the mainstay of local State police forces for many years, these days the boys and girls in blue have been forced into a range of imported alternatives.

And it seems that those replacements are not always especially “policing-friendly” as it was put to us recently.

Our source is a serving member of the Victorian Police, and although he is not an official spokesperson on this subject, our informal chat did reveal a few shortcomings in the vehicles now being tasked with protecting and serving.

A serving member in road policing command, our contact was able to fill us in on some of the problems being experienced in the shift from Commodore station-wagons to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class wagon.

Those issues begin with a spate of flat batteries, sometimes leaving the police vehicle stranded at the scene of a call-out.

To be fair, police vehicles do put a huge strain on their battery, due to the sheer number of electrical fitments all competing for volts.

A typical Victorian police car now will be fitted with two emergency-band radios as well as a CB radio, number-plate recognition technology and, of course, the red and blue lights.


Victorian Police have replaced its Commodore station-wagons with Mercedes E-Class wagons.

“Soon after switching to the Benzes, we started having flat batteries all the time,” our source said.

“We had earlier argued for the cars to be fitted with twin batteries, but Mercedes assured us that the standard, single battery would be sufficient.

“Eventually, (Mercedes) told us that the failures were being caused by the fact that the cars had sat on a dock before being shipped to Australia, and that had caused the batteries to degrade.

“Replacing the original batteries has helped, but we still get flat batteries.”

Another part of policing that seems at odds with the turbo-diesel V6 engines in the Benz wagons is the requirement to sit idling for extended periods.

Long waits, sometimes several hours, at COVID-19 roadblocks highlighted this problem.

“We’ve found that if you just jump back in after idling the engine for a long time and hit the throttle, the car sometimes goes into limp-home mode,” our contact said.


“The solution is to switch the engine off when you return to the car and then restart it before trying to go anywhere. That works, but you’ve got to remember to do it.

Our source told us that nobody had yet figured out what causes this behaviour, but in a workplace where people often suddenly need to be somewhere else in a hurry, it seems less than ideal.

“The problem is that you can’t predict when a car is going to do this to you … but you certainly need to be aware of it,” they said.

The interiors of these cars also tend to cop a hammering in the hands of the police force.


Obviously, this is a problem for many makes and models, but the body-hugging seats in the Mercedes aren’t especially compatible with the handcuffs, firearms and whatever else is carried on the officer’s belt.

Seat bolsters are easily damaged, but the high-tech Benz information display is also a problem as it extends right across the centre of the dashboard and reduces the available space to fit police-spec computer tablets and camera gear.

Our contact summed it up in typically restrained police style: “These are lovely cars to just go for a drive in. But they’re just not all that policing-friendly.”

CarsGuide has contacted Victoria Police for comment, but was told it "will not be providing a response".

[Dr Smith]

So here is the solution......


https://www.ford.com/police-vehicles/hybrid-utility/
all the Australian police forces combine their specifications and buying power, get Ford to build RHD Explorer Police Interceptor, kitted out for police use from the company and here is the best part...WE the buying public then can buy factory RHD US Fords....I personally think VicPol should specific Lincoln Aviators just on my own personal selfish desires.

The simple fact is this: Police vehicles spend a lot of time idling on the job. That’s what makes the standard hybrid powertrain on the Police Interceptor Utility ideal for law enforcement. On-board electrical equipment can be powered using the lithium-ion hybrid battery, allowing the gasoline engine to shut off – running only intermittently to charge the battery. The standard Intelligent AWD drivetrain provides improved handling stability and traction in all driving conditions. It also offers significant improvements in fuel economy and reduced engine idle time (compared with the previous model), along with across-the-board improvements in performance and capability.

[Sprintey]

To protect and serve... that US Ford with the flag on it looks pretty cool.

Why not establish a small line to make a dedicated AUS police car/interceptor?

(Sell extra units to the public)

[MITCHAY]

What I find strange is how the states and territories have all gone in different directions when choosing replacements.

[CyberWasp]

Did the Statesman’s supplied to the police the USA end up being liked?

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

What I find strange is how the states and territories have all gone in different directions when choosing replacements.

That doesn't surprise me at all, we have different road rules (No u turn at lights - WTF NSW?), registration systems, public transport ticketing systems, beer measurements, potato cake/scallop and the way the pandemic was handled

Common sense would be hey maybe we should all have standardised requirements across our police forces, differences being rural/metro.

That would require everyone to agree on standards and thats never going to happen.

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

That doesn't surprise me at all, we have different road rules (No u turn at lights - WTF NSW?), registration systems, public transport ticketing systems, beer measurements, potato cake/scallop and the way the pandemic was handled

Common sense would be hey maybe we should all have standardised requirements across our police forces, differences being rural/metro.

That would require everyone to agree on standards and thats never going to happen.

Yeah but all that was true when we had Commodores and Falcons

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

To protect and serve... that US Ford with the flag on it looks pretty cool.

Why not establish a small line to make a dedicated AUS police car/interceptor?

(Sell extra units to the public)

The Yanks loved their Crown Victoria for many years, seemed like a great platform for the cops.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

That doesn't surprise me at all, we have different road rules (No u turn at lights - WTF NSW?), registration systems, public transport ticketing systems, beer measurements, potato cake/scallop and the way the pandemic was handled

Common sense would be hey maybe we should all have standardised requirements across our police forces, differences being rural/metro.

That would require everyone to agree on standards and thats never going to happen.

and railway line .gauges. bl**dy stupid.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

Did the Statesman’s supplied to the police the USA end up being liked?

It was 4th pick after Ford Police Interceptor Utility (Explorer-based), Chevy Tahoe PPV, Dodge Charger PPV, and the Ford Police Interceptor Sedan (Taurus-based).
they also had recalls on brakes and seatbelts on them

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

It was 4th pick after Ford Police Interceptor Utility (Explorer-based), Chevy Tahoe PPV, Dodge Charger PPV, and the Ford Police Interceptor Sedan (Taurus-based).
they also had recalls on brakes and seatbelts on them

Plus it wasn't "Made in USA" which deterred some police departments from buying them.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

(No u turn at lights - WTF NSW?)

I believe that is all states.....except Vic. Not just NSW.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by Dr Smith

Plus it wasn't "Made in USA" which deterred some police departments from buying them.

Yes can't imagine that went down well, they would have been looking for things to be wrong with them.

There will still be a bot of that happening with Police in Australia - but as it stands we have no choice.
there's a lot of different brands out there at the moment but I wont be surprised if BMW starts taking a stronghold. not just because of the cars but they have a pretty good package Ive read.

[Big_Daz]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

Yes can't imagine that went down well, they would have been looking for things to be wrong with them.

There will still be a bot of that happening with Police in Australia - but as it stands we have no choice.
there's a lot of different brands out there at the moment but I wont be surprised if BMW starts taking a stronghold. not just because of the cars but they have a pretty good package Ive read.

I think your right regarding the BMW's... the fact that BMW already does a "Police Pack" version of the 530D with a few less of the "nice bits" for a lower price (though still higher than the SS/XR6T's of old) would help.

[lra]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

That doesn't surprise me at all, we have different road rules (No u turn at lights - WTF NSW?),

It is legal to do a U-turn at lights in NSW, >> if there is a sign that states that a U-turn is permitted.
That there are no signs anywhere to that effect is of no consequence.

[oldel]

Same for WA, but there is actually a few signed places where u-turns are permitted.

E: one from memory is the traffic lights at the intersection of south st and gilbertson rd kardinya. I suspect it's because otherwise it would be hard to get to your driveway if you live on south st near that intersection. That's probably the criteria of where u-turns are permitted over here - driveway access for local residents where even turning left or right and doing a u-turn on the minor road is impossible because it's a busy street also.

[dmat2391]

My younger brother(Highway patrol NSW) has the new chrysler 6litre unmarked as his work vehicle.
Was excited a/f when he first got it, then describes..... they only go great in a straight line, always has stability control kicking in and really really bad with the fuel economy, even he's embarrassed by the average mileage (30+ per hundred).
He will always be a Holden V8 bloke, but did admit to me, that even though the driveline would crap itself sometimes, nearly all the highway patrol wanted to be in a xr6 turbo when the **** got real. Including him

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by dmat2391

He will always be a Holden V8 bloke, but did admit to me, that even though the driveline would crap itself sometimes, nearly all the highway patrol wanted to be in a xr6 turbo when the **** got real. Including him

Many coppers that I spoke to said that the Commodore V8 was the better car for general handling/braking/transmission etc., but they liked the extra grunt of the Ford's Turbo on the open road.

Many suggested that the ideal police car would've been a VFII with a Ford Turbo 6 power-plant.

Dr Terry.

[Rob 351]

I was talking to a copper a few months back & he was telling me how much they missed the Falcon.. They still had a few VF’s in the fleet at the time although 2 at the time were out of action once again with engine issues..
Simple things he said you could do in a Falcon like a hand brake turn old school by grabbing the handbrake..Obviously the extra grunt of the Falcon was handy also..
Weather it was true on not but he also said a windscreen in the new Beemer was about 4k to replace, which in country NSW, happens more than you realise..

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by Rob 351

Weather it was true on not but he also said a windscreen in the new Beemer was about 4k to replace, which in country NSW, happens more than you realise..

Sounds like the marked up price of a crash repair invoice.

Ive read that the genuine BMW glass is higher quality than a locally produced screen through Obriens etc but not that much dearer

Apart form obvious shape difference a BMW screen shouldn't cost any more than a commodore or falcons rain sensing screen,

you can get one for $245 ( they dont list the latest model)
https://www.autoglasswarehouse.com.a...an-wagon~47716

police would almost certainly have windscreens in their maintenance program so don't believe anything the handbrake turning copper tells you..

[xxx000]

The BMW's are getting big wraps from drivers. Comfortable, incredible high speed
capabilities, very low fuel consumption, fantastic handling.

Chryslers as stated already, shocking fuel economy and numerous other problems

[oldel]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

Sounds like the marked up price of a crash repair invoice.

Ive read that the genuine BMW glass is higher quality than a locally produced screen through Obriens etc but not that much dearer

Apart form obvious shape difference a BMW screen shouldn't cost any more than a commodore or falcons rain sensing screen,

you can get one for $245 ( they dont list the latest model)
https://www.autoglasswarehouse.com.a...an-wagon~47716

police would almost certainly have windscreens in their maintenance program so don't believe anything the handbrake turning copper tells you..

They're leased aren't they? If so I suspect that it wouldn't be done anywhere else rather than a dealer, and I know even old BMWs are fussy about HOW it's installed, certain trims need to be replaced (book time is 4-5 hrs to do it right and that would be @ dealer labour rates of $200 p/hr - or more)

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by oldel

They're leased aren't they? If so I suspect that it wouldn't be done anywhere else rather than a dealer, and I know even old BMWs are fussy about HOW it's installed, certain trims need to be replaced (book time is 4-5 hrs to do it right and that would be @ dealer labour rates of $200 p/hr - or more)

not sure, but Police wont have to pay the normal Public rates. is there enough deals to cover the rural cars?

also I just read that the 530D they are using is just as quick as the outgoing SS commodore, but uses half the fuel

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by xxx000

The BMW's are getting big wraps from drivers. Comfortable, incredible high speed
capabilities, very low fuel consumption, fantastic handling.

Chryslers as stated already, shocking fuel economy and numerous other problems

But more importantly, I believe that they're way more comfortable

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by oldel

They're leased aren't they? If so I suspect that it wouldn't be done anywhere else rather than a dealer, and I know even old BMWs are fussy about HOW it's installed, certain trims need to be replaced (book time is 4-5 hrs to do it right and that would be @ dealer labour rates of $200 p/hr - or more)

I would've thought(But Don't know) that, They would be on some type of Fully maintained Operating Lease or a R&M Contract...

[oldel]

Yeah, I'm not saying they have to pay full price either, but somewhere there would be an invoice for a lot of money for a windscreen replacement in a BMW - if only for record keeping or someone else gets stuck with it. Whether the cops have to pay that amount is another story. But it would be factory glass under a lease, not some $250 equivalent I bet, and about $1000 labour E: and associated 'consumables' and seals that add up too. BMW glass has always been like that, made for autobahn speeds and are fussy with noise, leakages, wipers etc unless done as per the factory manual.

[MITCHAY]

I'd imagine that the 300 and Stinger are fairly comparable to a Commodore or Falcon in cost.

How much does the 530D cost in comparison? Both cost and maintenance.

In the ACT we are using Subaru Libertys and Outbacks for general duties Marked and unmarked VW Passat R-Line wagons as well as BMW X3M40i for traffic duties.

[roKWiz]

Haven't ridden down under capital hill in a while. (good story)

Interesting to know what the pollies are using these days, as the old Statesmans' and Fairlanes' disappear. I'm guessing BM's.

[whynot]

It looks like the first in a series of articles that will eventually argue for CyberTrucks to become the new police cars. Think about it. Oodles of electrical power to run lights, computers, and accessories. Plenty of free dash space. No issues with extended idling periods. Acres of steel to screw external stuff into. Capable of taking the odd bash (just buff out with a Brillo). Impressive acceleration.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Haven't ridden down under capital hill in a while. (good story)

Interesting to know what the pollies are using these days, as the old Statesmans' and Fairlanes' disappear. I'm guessing BM's.

Tony Abbott's daughter Bridget races into post as brand ambassador for BMW Sydney Carnival

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https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...1a0de60416a0d4

PM snubs Holden to buy $6.2m fleet of BMWs that can withstand terror attacks

BOMBPROOF BMWs designed to withstand AK47 bullets and terrorist attacks have won the contract to replace the Prime Minister’s fleet of ageing Holden VIP limos.

Government tender documents have confirmed that BMW has won the $6.2 million battle after a war of words over whether Holden made a serious bid to tender for the deal.

The fleet of luxury limousines will be deployed to Brisbane for the G20 in November, transporting world leaders including US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel. Russian President Vladimir Putin is still scheduled to attend but may be banned over the unfolding crisis in the Ukraine.

On the eve of Holden announcing it would withdraw from Australia last year, government sources claimed the local manufacturer had failed to bid for the new contract.

Holden denied it had failed to tender arguing it had partnered with bids from other armoured plated companies involving a retrofitted Holden Caprice. It accused the Abbott Government of a vendetta against the company over leaks.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...0f8c4ccb6f560b

The pollies have armored BMW 7 series