Ford Crown Victoria Being Hoarded By Police Departments
After serving for more than 30 years, the Ford Crown Victoria has established a sterling reputation as the police car of choice. Ford is ending production of the Crown Vic Police Interceptor at the company’s St. Thomas, Ontario, factory and despite stopping sales of Crown Vics to consumers in 2008, Ford continues to make them available to fleets.
Sales to law enforcement agencies have been increasing as Ford prepares to launch new police vehicles based on the Taurus and Explorer. Through the first seven months of the year, Crown Vic sales are up 64 percent to 35,203 units. The Crown Vic enjoyed widespread success due to its two bench, six passenger seating layout and gearshift mounted on the steering column. The vehicle was introduced in 1983 and was the top choice of law enforcement in 1996-2010. The Crown Vic’s death was further pushed by the federal government requiring automakers to boost their average fuel economy to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 and to 54 mpg by 2025. The Crown Vic’s 16 mpg city mileage is not very appealing, nor efficient.
Currently, the Crown Vic makes up about 70 percent of the police vehicle market, but Ford’s new offerings aren’t being warmly received by police departments. One officer told the Detroit Free Press that he was stocking up on Crown Vic’s, as the new Ford offerings were inadequate for their needs. The officer stated that the Dodge Charger and Chevrolet Caprice were being looked at, something Ford does not want to happen.
[Source: Detroit Free Press]
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Love my 2008 Marquis (Mercury version of the Crown Vic). I consistently get 28 MPG on the highway. It's comfortable, fast and reliable. 60K on the odeometer and I have only lubed, changed the oil and replaced tires. Ford is making a big mistake. The Crown Vic should be viewed as a specialty vehicle and get Federal dispensation from the CAFE requirements.
My wife has a 1994 Crown Vic. and has over 200,000 miles, just now started to use a little oil 2 qts between changes. This car when new would get 26 plus mpg on the road, and 18 mpg in town, that's better than lots of smaller cars, rides great and handles like a dream. Ford could have improved the milage with the new techknowledge. Sad that it going away!