nice rimz

ELEVEN MPG? Are you shitting me? My 20 year old lawn mower is more efficient than that. Plus it mows the lawn while it moves..

If they want an SUV why don't they use the ford escape hybrid or mercury mariner hybrid?

I second that. Why not the Ford Escape?!

This is almost a knee-jerk reaction, but - being a Chicago resident - there's no way! Are they getting their idea for large vehicles from CSI:Miami's Hummers? Tahoes aren't exactly sweetheart-sized SUV's. And they aren't just impractical for green reasons but also for how cumbersome they are on Chicago streets, particularly on residential streets. Like other people have commented, if the CP insists on an SUV, it should be hybrid and smaller...though a regular hybrid sedan would be more practical.

What about the Mazda CX-7? It gets 17/23 City/Highway and has plenty of power. Ford owns them so it's an "American" vehicle.

I spend part of my time in Chicago. IMO, the police need vehicles that "specialize". A Daimler Smart ForTwo would be adequate for traffic duties in the south loop, gold coast, and river north areas. Those areas are essentially snow free regardless of how hard it is coming down.

IMO, it would be a good business opportunity to offer to finance the CPD's purchase of HEVs or PHEVs (modified Prius) and make a profit by taking a large portion of the department's fuel savings.

The Crown Victoria has alway got horrible gas mileage, even the 2000 Police Package Camaro got far better mileage. IT is a big, heavy car with an under-sized, over-worked engine.

Now the police package Tahoe has a 5.3L displacement on demand engine (active fuel managment) that actually does get respectable mileage for an SUV of that size. It can also run on E85

http://www.gmfleet.com/government/products/police.jsp

There is also the police package Chevy Impala to consider. V-6 with active fuel management, 234hp (250 for the Crown Vic), and is capable of running on E-85. The Minnesota State Police has started using them (front-wheel drive cop cars are fine, just too many old school people out there).

Part of the problem with police cars is that they need to take a lot of abuse, something weak like a Ford Escape just isn't going to do it. In North America police pacakge cars are:

Ford Crown Victoria
Chevy Impala
Chevy Tahoe (these are performance models, not your typical ones like shown above btw)
Dodge Charger
and Volvo S70 (only available as a wagon)

Some other cars have been pressed in to service, but most are trashed pretty quick. The only Asian import that ever faired well was a 90's Nissan Maxima with the CHP, but it was total junk by 75,000 miles. (Fords are normally sold around 60-80,000 miles, Chevy Caprices were going to 150,000 miles, rebuilt, and then sold at 225,000 miles)

-Lego

The Ford escape and its derivatives are front wheel drive so they are a no go for any serious use.
The Tahoe also gets better than 10mpg, its about even with the Ford Crown Vic.
Its funny how a small v6 SUV gets a fuel efficient 20mpg while a large v8 SUV is a gas hog at 19mpg.

Remember with fleet vehicles the total cost of ownership is the bottom line. A Chevy Tahoe will go 200-300k with just fluid changes, brakes and tires. So many other vehicles which might get slightly better fuel economy need more scheduled maintenance like timing belts which can sometimes require a lot of work (helped my FIL replace a timing belt and I'll never own a vehicle with one).

Also, for the record chicago police already have some chevy tahoes used as patrol cars, though it's by no means the most common vehicle (i.e. the ford and in the last couple years the impala, as well.)

Although it feels good to say chicago is cash-strapped and their cars broken-down, looking around i just don't see that. Their equipment seems more modern and in good repair than it has in previous years.

But really, if snow is the issue why not just something front wheel drive?

How about a Subaru? More economical than an SUV while still being able to drive in a Chicago winter.

@jake, have you ever ridden in the back seat of a suburau? The prisoners will all get let go on the grounds of cruel and unusual punishment.

@Anthony B, FWD deos not do any better in the snow, maybe back when it was first selling with heavy iron block engines and the lightweight tiny cars it might have but a modern car with aluminum engines with plastic everything else the center of gravity is in the middle of a front wheel drive car so you get no real advantage but get all the disadvantages. Front wheel drive just can't stand up to any real hard use.

That is part of the reason why we have so many SUV's and trucks used as cars, there have been very few decent cars sold in the several years. I gave up on front wheel drive myself, its just too much hassle having a vehicle in for alignments and having to replace half the engine because it uses a timing belt instead of a chain, people want somehting that thsy can just drive.

And again it goes down to total cost of ownership, even with $4/gallon gas the cost of maintenance on a front wheel drive vehicle negates any fuel savings, espically in large fleets.

Until someone comes out with a car that fits the fleet/low mainteance market then were forced to run SUV's.

My city has cops out there walking and riding the beat on bikes and horseback. Whatever happened to that?

"My city has cops out there walking and riding the beat on bikes and horseback. Whatever happened to that?"

Gangsters fell in love with that Ford V-8 and outran the cops.

Oh to be a bank robber in a town with only bikes and horses.

"My city has cops out there walking and riding the beat on bikes and horseback. Whatever happened to that?"

Chicago has police on horseback and bike, but in the winter months it gets a bit cold.

I do agree that the Tahoe is not that green...why it won the 2007 award is beyond me, but I think that the Escape would be a good alternative choice.