Another CVPI fire death in Florida this time

[hounddog]

Between the Imapala and the Ford, the Impala has lesser handling and not enough power.  It works in areas where neither are needed most of the time, but does not work as well in areas with more open roads as the Ford.

The Charger, on the other hand, works equally well in both situations.

[MX793]

Between the Imapala and the Ford, the Impala has lesser handling and not enough power.  It works in areas where neither are needed most of the time, but does not work as well in areas with more open roads as the Ford.

The Charger, on the other hand, works equally well in both situations.

I recall MT doing a comparo between the Impala, Charger and CV police versions a couple of years ago and the Impala was a few ticks quicker than the CV in all tests of straight line speed.  Seat of your pants might tell you otherwise, but the Impala is .3 seconds quicker 0-60 and over a full second quicker to 90 than the CVPI.  Rolling acceleration was roughly equal (45-65 in 4.2 for the Chevy vs 4.3 for the Vic).  It may make a bit less power, but it's also at least a quarter of a ton lighter.

[GoCougs]

Such is the problem with cars at least a decade past their due date.

The Impala and Charger are much better vehicles, an as MX793 posts, even the V6 versions are quicker (let alone the V8 versions).

[hounddog]

I recall MT doing a comparo between the Impala, Charger and CV police versions a couple of years ago and the Impala was a few ticks quicker than the CV in all tests of straight line speed.  Seat of your pants might tell you otherwise, but the Impala is .3 seconds quicker 0-60 and over a full second quicker to 90 than the CVPI.  Rolling acceleration was roughly equal (45-65 in 4.2 for the Chevy vs 4.3 for the Vic).  It may make a bit less power, but it's also at least a quarter of a ton lighter.

True, the Chevy today is slightly faster in straight line acceleration if that is all you consider, or need.  But in the testing that our MSP (which Rohan was part of) the Impala gets it handed to it by everything on the road course.  The Ford got around the track a couple seconds quicker.  It is no faster around than a Tahoe for cryin out loud!  The Ford was only a couple hundredths of a second off the Impala in the 1/4 mile as well.

And, when it came to braking, the Ford was very steady and consistant while the Impala was wildly inconsistant with 0-60 distances anywhere from 138 to 152 feet.  Ford was more steady with 140-147 feet.  The hotter the Impala got, the worse it performed. 

In short, the Ford is still a more predictable car on wide open roads for patrol even if it may possibly be more dangerous for officers on the side of the road.

Please do not mistake me for a CVPI advocate, I am not.  I am merely saying the Impala is a 20 or so year old platform, and could be much better.  It is being used based on gas comsumption for the most part.  I am, and for as long as they make them will continue to be, an advocate of the Charger in either engine.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/msp/VehicleTestBook2009_MSP_web_260463_7.pdf

[MX793]

True, the Chevy today is slightly faster in straight line acceleration if that is all you consider, or need.  But in the testing that our MSP (which Rohan was part of) the Impala gets it handed to it by everything on the road course.  The Ford got around the track a couple seconds quicker.  It is no faster around than a Tahoe for cryin out loud!  The Ford was only a couple hundredths of a second off the Impala in the 1/4 mile as well.

And, when it came to braking, the Ford was very steady and consistant while the Impala was wildly inconsistant with 0-60 distances anywhere from 138 to 152 feet.  Ford was more steady with 140-147 feet.  The hotter the Impala got, the worse it performed.

This road course testing was performed by officers who are largely trained in driving RWD vehicles, was it not?  Techniques that work for RWD will actually hinder a FWD.  This very well might have affected the outcome around the road course in your guys' testing. 

MT did run the cars around a police road course (I think they were at the LAPD's validation center) but didn't post lap times.  They did post how much slower than a Miata the cars were.  The Charger lagged by 6 seconds, the Impala by 7 and the CVPI by 10, implying that the Impala was roughly 3 seconds a lap quicker than the CV.

Braking showed the two as about equal, but I believe they simply listed their best stops.  No commentary about stop consistency, which is certainly important.  20+ feet in variation is huge.

[ifcar]

This road course testing was performed by officers who are largely trained in driving RWD vehicles, was it not?  Techniques that work for RWD will actually hinder a FWD.  This very well might have affected the outcome around the road course in your guys' testing. 

Then it would also hinder how they perform in real life. It doesn't matter if the Impala is better if most cops can't use it as well.

[MX793]

Then it would also hinder how they perform in real life. It doesn't matter if the Impala is better if most cops can't use it as well.

They'd obviously have to adjust their driver training to include training on FWD techniques, just as how most forces added SUV specific driving training to educate officers on how to handle an SUV at the limits when they started using Tahoes and Explorers and such in their fleets.

[ifcar]

They'd obviously have to adjust their driver training to include training on FWD techniques, just as how most forces added SUV specific driving training to educate officers on how to handle an SUV at the limits when they started using Tahoes and Explorers and such in their fleets.

But there will obviously be quite a lag while people adjusted. Especially if the experts who are getting these lap times need to re-learn driving before they can teach it.

[hounddog]

This road course testing was performed by officers who are largely trained in driving RWD vehicles, was it not? 

No, that is not quite accurate.  The instructors who performed the tests are trained to instruct students in both rwd and fwd vehicles.  They must qualify with both in order to drive them both in tests as well as during class instructions. 

These are not just regular patrol officers, they are full time staff instructors, or call-in instructors like Rohan.

Braking showed the two as about equal, but I believe they simply listed their best stops.  No commentary about stop consistency, which is certainly important.  20+ feet in variation is huge.

Yes, yes it is.  It could easily mean the difference between stopping in time for a kid who ran out, or squishing him into the ground. 

[hounddog]

They'd obviously have to adjust their driver training to include training on FWD techniques, just as how most forces added SUV specific driving training to educate officers on how to handle an SUV at the limits when they started using Tahoes and Explorers and such in their fleets.

Anything police officers handle or use, they have to be "certified" to use.  Otherwise, everyone involved in the governmental body would be open to "fail to train" lawsuits. 

Nobody, at least in most departments, gets handed a thing which is so different from the standard and is told to just go out and use it.  Risk Managers go crazy over stuff like that.  Of course, there will be exceptions to that rule, but that is the basic rule we live by.