This report presents the results of the six major tests conducted on the Michigan State Police 2001 patrol vehicles.
Patrol vehicles are one of the most critical purchases a law enforcement agency makes; for many they represent the second largest expenditure, after personnel. Selecting a vehicle that balances both budgetary and performance requirements has become a challenge to police fleet administrators. The Michigan State Police (MSP) have been conducting extensive evaluations of the performance capabilities of each new model year’s police vehicles as part of their annual vehicle procurement process. Since 1981, these performance tests have been sponsored by the National Institute of Justice through its National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) in partnership with the MSP. In September 2000, the 2001 model year patrol vehicles were evaluated. This report contains a synopsis of the test results. Each vehicle is subjected to six major tests and evaluations with the results weighted to reflect the relative importance of each attribute as related to MSP operational requirements. The six major tests included: vehicle dynamics, acceleration, top speed, braking, ergonomics and communications, and fuel economy. The vehicle makes tested included: AM General, Chevrolet, DaimlerChrysler, and Ford. Tables