# Any high MPG vehicle with enough performance to be an effective LEO pursuit vehicle? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 25, 2008, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-high-mpg-vehicle-with-enough-performance-to-be-an-effective-leo-pursuit-vehicle/457718 "2008-07-25T07:46:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-high-mpg-vehicle-with-enough-performance-to-be-an-effective-leo-pursuit-vehicle/457718/61 "2008-08-04T13:32:24Z")
[QUOTE=1010011010] The Chevy Caprice is the OTHER vehicle that seems like it’s always a cop car… also body-on-frame… also rear-wheel drive. The Caprice was discontinued in 1996. Guess what the new Impalas are based on? [/QUOTE] Plenty of police forces used the previous-generation Dodge Intrepid, which was a unibody model. Lots are now buying the new-ish Dodge Charger (which, it has to be said, makes an [awesome-looking](http://www.pistonheads.com/pics/news/10134/Dodge_Charger_Police-L.jpg) patrol car) ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-high-mpg-vehicle-with-enough-performance-to-be-an-effective-leo-pursuit-vehicle/457718/62 "2008-08-04T14:43:51Z")
[QUOTE=Hail Ants] First of all, the only reason Euro-cops drive gay little econoboxes is because, wait for it… **That’s what nearly _EVERYONE THERE_ drives!!** A police car certainly needs to be of the same or better average class of vehicle in their particular region. Plus a Crown Vic would literally not fit on a lot of Euro/UK streets. [/QUOTE] This isn’t true. As has already been pointed out, British and European forces regularly use Volvo V50’s, which are bigger than Crown Vic’s (going by Wikipedia figures, anyway). There’s very few streets in the UK where a large car cannot fit. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-high-mpg-vehicle-with-enough-performance-to-be-an-effective-leo-pursuit-vehicle/457718/63 "2008-08-04T15:02:39Z")
[QUOTE=Capt. Ridley’s Shooting Party] This isn’t true. As has already been pointed out, British and European forces regularly use Volvo V50’s, which are bigger than Crown Vic’s (going by Wikipedia figures, anyway). There’s very few streets in the UK where a large car cannot fit. [/QUOTE] The Volvo V50 is 4.5m long and 1.7m wide. The Crown Vic is 5.3m long and 1.9m wide. If you go by _interior volume_, the V50 is probably bigger, but not by overall dimensions, which are what matter when it comes to fitting it on little British roads. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-high-mpg-vehicle-with-enough-performance-to-be-an-effective-leo-pursuit-vehicle/457718/64 "2008-08-04T15:14:39Z")
Ah, you’re right. I read the wrong dimensions :smack: ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-high-mpg-vehicle-with-enough-performance-to-be-an-effective-leo-pursuit-vehicle/457718/65 "2008-08-05T09:43:54Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] The Volvo V50 is 4.5m long and 1.7m wide. The Crown Vic is 5.3m long and 1.9m wide. If you go by _interior volume_, the V50 is probably bigger, but not by overall dimensions, which are what matter when it comes to fitting it on little British roads. [/QUOTE] The volvo I mentioned is the V70 - l/w/h is apparently 4823/1861/1547. So it’s a bit wider and a fair bit shorter. However the cops over here are also very fond of Range Rovers, [Transit vans and the like.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_van) The short-wheelbase (6 or 9 seat?) versions are pretty much exactly the same size as a Crown Vic (4.6m or so) and have few troubles negotiating the roads, along with the numerous ambulances, fire engines, post vans, delivery trucks and so forth which the Brits somehow manage to squeeze into their comedy little chocolate-box country. Who would have thought it? Anyhow, to answer the OP - if you want a LEO pursuit vehicle with better MPG than the tugboats most often used in the US, there are plenty available. However this thread should also have given you a pretty good idea how fiercely such dangerously radical innovations are resisted. Note Rick’s post #23 in particular - the preferences of the people actually driving the vehicles do not necessarily have anything to do with what is acually purchased. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-high-mpg-vehicle-with-enough-performance-to-be-an-effective-leo-pursuit-vehicle/457718.md?page=3)