PRELIMINARY HANDLING TEST VEHICLE
(1.46 mile, Fontana high-speed course)
stability control in the default mode. T is year, the fastest police vehicle during
the Preliminary Handling Test was the Ford PI Sedan with the 3.5L EcoBoost V6. Run- ning a close second and third were the Chev- rolet Caprice 6.0L V8 in a virtual tie with the Dodge Charger 5.7L V8 AWD. Six of the other sedans and crossovers were clustered in a two-second group. T e 3.5L EcoBoost V6 in the Ford PI Sedan allowed it to perform as well as all the other V6 sedans.
Acceleration During the testing, acceleration times to vari- ous speeds up to 100 mph are measured; as is the standing-start ¼ mile acceleration times where Elapsed Time and trap speeds are re- corded at the end of the quarter. Maximum top speeds are not measured. T e race to 100 mph was a close, four-
sedan group led by the Ford PI Sedan 3.5L EcoBoost V6, followed in quick succession by the Chevrolet Caprice 6.0L V8 and both 5.7L V8-powered Dodge Chargers. T e Ford PI Utility 3.5L EcoBoost V6 led the next pack of V6 sedans of all makes.
Brake Testing Immediately after completing the Preliminary Handling Test, the brakes are tested under sim- ulated real-world police operating conditions with hot brakes and tires. T is duplicates condi- tions after an emergency run or a vehicular pur- suit and makes this one of the most severe brake tests performed by the police community. All of the fi nal brake testing is conducted in the same area of track surface, thus maintaining the same coeffi cient of friction. T e test vehicle is accelerated up to a speed
of 80 mph, and the brakes are applied to main- tain a deceleration rate of 22 fps (squared) without ABS activation. T is is repeated three additional times. T e vehicle then sits station- ary for fi ve minutes to heat-soak the brakes. T e vehicle is then accelerated to a speed of 60 mph and is decelerated at the maximum rate, just short of ABS activation. After a two-minute heat-soak period, the procedure is repeated. T en the vehicle is accelerated to 60 mph and the brakes applied to simulate a “panic-stop” with ABS activation. T e police vehicle with the best brakes this
year was the Caprice V6, followed by the Char- ger V8, and Ford PI Sedan FWD. T e Caprice V8 was close behind, but especially noteworthy was the Ford PI Utility braking performance— far better than the average pursuit vehicle.
The Chevrolet Tahoe had moderate body lean and chassis bounce. The vehicle remained neutral to both mild under steer and over steer. Overall, the Tahoe handles well for a large SUV. The engine makes adequate power and pulls strong.
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Ford PI Sedan AWD 3.5L EcoBoost V6 Chevrolet Caprice 6.0L V8 Dodge Charger AWD 5.7L V8 Dodge Charger 5.7L V8
Ford PI Sedan AWD 3.7L V6 Dodge Charger 3.6L V6 Chevrolet Caprice 3.6L V6 Ford PI Sedan FWD 3.5L V6
Ford PI Utility AWD 3.5L EcoBoost V6 Chevrolet Impala FWD 3.6L V6 Ford PI Utility AWD 3.7L V6 Chevrolet Tahoe 2WD 5.3L V8
LAP TIME 1:21.3 minutes 1:22.0 minutes 1:22.2 minutes 1:24.1 minutes 1:24.5 minutes 1:24.7 minutes 1:25.2 minutes 1:25.4 minutes 1:25.6 minutes 1:27.2 minutes 1:28.0 minutes 1:31.7 minutes
The Ford PI Utility with the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 had a neutral chassis on all corners and was very easy to handle. Steering responds very well to driver inputs. Body lean and suspension bounce were minimal. Engine is very strong and smooth, power delivery was very good and predictable.
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