Michigan test archive
1998 Michigan State Police Patrol Vehicle Test
The year the limiter footnote reached ten of fifteen top speeds — and Ford kept its trucks off the road course.
Fifteen vehicles ran from September 20 to 22, 1997: the largest field in this archive. Nine special service, six police package, and among them two Subarus, two Volvos, a Ford Expedition and a Chevrolet Tahoe. But the important marks on the 1998 tables aren’t cars at all. They’re footnotes.
The first is a small letter b, attached to ten of the fifteen top speeds, meaning the vehicle was fitted with an electronic speed limiter. The Crown Victoria’s 130, the Lumina’s 123, the Explorers’ 106, the Expedition’s 106 — none of those are the speeds those vehicles could reach. They’re the speeds their manufacturers had decided to permit. The only top speeds without the mark were the two Camaros’, the Tahoe’s, and the two Volvos’.
The second is a small letter a on both Camaros, sitting beside identical figures of 150 mph, and it means the opposite problem: because of the limitations of the test track, drivers were instructed not to exceed 150. The bulletin’s own competitive objective now reads “up to 150 mph.” A year earlier a Camaro had run 157. The program had reached the point where it could no longer safely measure its fastest cars.
The third is a double asterisk on three Fords. Ford Motor Company had indicated that the Expedition and both Explorers were not designed nor intended to be used as pursuit vehicles, and they were therefore not subjected to vehicle dynamics testing. They ran everything else — acceleration, top speed, braking — and have full figures in every other table. Chevrolet’s Tahoe ran the road course.
The police package vehicles
| Vehicle | Engine | 0–60 (s) | 0–100 (s) | Top speed (mph) | Dynamics | Brakes (ft/s²) | 60–0 (ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Crown Victoria | 4.6L SFI | 9.01 | 25.91 | 130 b | 1:24.51 | 28.69 | 135.0 |
| Volvo S-70 T5 Sedan | 2.3L turbo | 8.14 | 19.32 | 147 | 1:22.55 | 29.38 | 131.8 |
| Volvo V-70 T5 Wagon | 2.3L turbo | 8.57 | 20.62 | 142 | 1:23.40 | 25.88 | 149.6 |
| Chevrolet Lumina | 3.8L SFI | 9.55 | 28.31 | 123 b | 1:26.62 | 23.48 | 164.9 |
| Chevrolet Tahoe (2WD) | 5.7L SFI | 9.40 | 29.50 | 123 | 1:26.62 | 22.29 | 173.7 |
| Ford Crown Victoria (CNG) | 4.6L SFI | 11.79 | 36.47 | 104 b | 1:28.59 | did not complete braking — alternator failure | |
Gold row: the Crown Victoria’s comeback. A year earlier it had missed the 0–60 gate by five hundredths of a second; here it cleared all three acceleration gates with room to spare, took nearly a second and a half off its lap time, and stopped in a computed 135.0 feet. Whatever Ford changed between the 1997 and 1998 cars — the bulletin lists the engine as SFI where the previous year read PFI — it was worth a full second to 60 mph.
Below it, near-misses everywhere. The Lumina, newly fitted with the 3.8 in place of the 3.1 and a second and a half quicker to 60 because of it, missed the 0–100 gate by 0.11 seconds — and then fell under the braking floor at 23.48. The Tahoe cleared 60 and 80, missed 100 by 1.30, and posted 22.29 ft/s², the worst braking figure in the field. Its 173.7-foot computed stop is the longest in the test by nearly nine feet, and stayed the longest in these books until the following year’s special-service trucks. And the Lumina and the Tahoe recorded identical lap averages of 1:26.62, which is worth stating plainly as a coincidence rather than dressing up as anything else.
The muted row is the natural-gas Crown Victoria, which took 11.79 seconds to reach 60, was governed to 104 mph, completed its first braking phase and then suffered an alternator failure that ended its brake evaluation. The bulletin records the electronic malfunction in a footnote and leaves the rest of its braking row blank.
The special service vehicles
| Vehicle | Engine | 0–60 (s) | 0–100 (s) | Top speed (mph) | Dynamics | Brakes (ft/s²) | 60–0 (ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Camaro (automatic) | 5.7L SFI | 6.00 | 14.64 | 150 a | 1:18.98 | 28.34 | 136.6 |
| Chevrolet Camaro (6-speed) | 5.7L SFI | 5.93 | 14.00 | 150 a | 1:20.59 | ‡ | ‡ |
| Jeep Cherokee (2WD) | 4.0L PFI | 9.96 | 33.30 | 111 b | 1:25.82 | 25.55 | 151.5 |
| Jeep Cherokee (4WD) | 4.0L PFI | 10.42 | 36.23 | 112 b | 1:26.91 | 26.00 | 148.9 |
| Subaru Legacy SUS (AWD) | 2.5L SFI | 11.35 | 36.05 | 112 b | 1:27.33 | 27.43 | 141.2 |
| Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon (AWD) | 2.5L SFI | 11.68 | 38.36 | 111 b | 1:28.37 | 27.56 | 140.5 |
| Ford Explorer (2WD) | 5.0L PFI | 10.15 | 37.86 | 106 b | ** | 24.03 | 161.2 |
| Ford Explorer (AWD) | 5.0L PFI | 10.84 | 42.49 | 106 b | ** | 23.96 | 161.6 |
| Ford Expedition (2WD) | 5.4L SFI | 10.42 | 31.79 | 106 b | ** | 25.64 | 151.0 |
Gold row: 1:18.98 — the fastest lap average in the books held to this point, breaking into the eighteens for the first time and bettering the 1995 Camaro’s 1:19.20. The 6-speed was quicker in a straight line, reaching 60 in 5.93 and 100 in 14.00 seconds — quicker than any Camaro before it in these books — but gave up a second and a half a lap to the automatic. Both cars’ top speeds are unknown: the track ran out before they did.
Two ordinary-looking figures deserve a second look. The Subaru Legacy — an all-wheel-drive 2.5-liter, the first Subaru ever to appear in these tests — out-braked every American sport utility in the field, though both Subarus lapped slower than either Cherokee. And the AWD Explorer needed 42.49 seconds to reach 100 mph, 4.6 seconds longer than its two-wheel-drive twin. That is the same 5.0-liter engine in the same body.
Complete acceleration data — every 10-mph increment, all fifteen vehicles
| 0 to… | Camaro auto | Camaro 6-spd | Lumina | Tahoe | Cherokee 2WD | Cherokee 4WD | Crown Vic | Crown Vic CNG | Expedition | Explorer 2WD | Explorer AWD | Subaru Outback | Subaru SUS | Volvo S-70 | Volvo V-70 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mph | 1.54 | 1.68 | 2.16 | 1.98 | 2.08 | 2.11 | 1.93 | 2.41 | 2.25 | 2.03 | 2.11 | 2.41 | 2.40 | 2.29 | 2.35 |
| 30 mph | 2.44 | 2.60 | 3.38 | 3.29 | 3.48 | 3.56 | 3.19 | 4.18 | 3.88 | 3.46 | 3.65 | 3.90 | 3.86 | 3.58 | 3.69 |
| 40 mph | 3.37 | 3.52 | 4.91 | 4.77 | 4.97 | 5.15 | 4.73 | 6.06 | 5.58 | 5.27 | 5.54 | 6.10 | 5.95 | 4.88 | 5.06 |
| 50 mph | 4.55 | 4.65 | 7.05 | 6.88 | 7.39 | 7.69 | 6.68 | 8.41 | 7.73 | 7.53 | 8.06 | 8.75 | 8.52 | 6.31 | 6.59 |
| 60 mph | 6.00 | 5.93 | 9.55 | 9.40 | 9.96 | 10.42 | 9.01 | 11.79 | 10.42 | 10.15 | 10.84 | 11.68 | 11.35 | 8.14 | 8.57 |
| 70 mph | 7.52 | 7.55 | 12.49 | 12.27 | 13.19 | 13.94 | 11.82 | 15.41 | 13.55 | 13.68 | 14.73 | 15.99 | 15.48 | 10.10 | 10.75 |
| 80 mph | 9.35 | 9.36 | 16.41 | 16.13 | 18.53 | 19.65 | 15.50 | 19.88 | 17.62 | 18.26 | 19.69 | 21.89 | 20.97 | 12.40 | 13.15 |
| 90 mph | 11.85 | 11.52 | 21.55 | 22.05 | 24.68 | 26.30 | 20.10 | 26.31 | 23.82 | 23.77 | 25.67 | 28.78 | 27.35 | 15.60 | 16.66 |
| 100 mph | 14.64 | 14.00 | 28.31 | 29.50 | 33.30 | 36.23 | 25.91 | 36.47 | 31.79 | 37.86 | 42.49 | 38.36 | 36.05 | 19.32 | 20.62 |
| Top speed | 150 a | 150 a | 123 b | 123 | 111 b | 112 b | 130 b | 104 b | 106 b | 106 b | 106 b | 111 b | 112 b | 147 | 142 |
Ten of the fifteen top speeds carry the limiter footnote. Read that row again and notice what it means for the whole exercise: in 1980 this program measured what a police car could do, and the answer was 124.6 mph. In 1998 it increasingly measured what a manufacturer’s software would allow, and for the two fastest cars in the field it couldn’t measure at all.
Complete braking data — both phases, fourteen vehicles
| Vehicle | Phase I speed | Phase I distance (ft) | Phase I rate | Phase II speed | Phase II distance (ft) | Phase II rate | Average rate | 60–0 computed (ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Camaro (auto) | 60.20 | 136.30 | 28.60 | 59.90 | 137.40 | 28.09 | 28.34 | 136.6 |
| Chevrolet Lumina | 60.40 | 169.70 | 23.12 | 60.50 | 165.20 | 23.83 | 23.48 | 164.9 |
| Chevrolet Tahoe (2WD) | 60.10 | 173.50 | 22.39 | 59.70 | 172.80 | 22.18 | 22.29 | 173.7 |
| Jeep Cherokee (2WD) | 59.80 | 152.30 | 25.26 | 60.00 | 149.80 | 25.85 | 25.55 | 151.5 |
| Jeep Cherokee (4WD) | 60.20 | 150.90 | 25.83 | 60.30 | 149.40 | 26.18 | 26.00 | 148.9 |
| Ford Crown Victoria | 60.60 | 134.80 | 29.30 | 60.40 | 139.80 | 28.07 | 28.69 | 135.0 |
| Ford Crown Victoria (CNG) | 61.50 | 141.00 | 28.85 | did not complete — electronic malfunction (alternator failure) | ||||
| Ford Expedition (2WD) | 60.40 | 155.10 | 25.30 | 60.40 | 151.00 | 25.99 | 25.64 | 151.0 |
| Ford Explorer (2WD) | 61.10 | 171.20 | 23.45 | 60.70 | 161.10 | 24.60 | 24.03 | 161.2 |
| Ford Explorer (AWD) | 61.40 | 169.80 | 23.88 | 60.40 | 163.30 | 24.03 | 23.96 | 161.6 |
| Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon | 60.20 | 142.50 | 27.35 | 60.30 | 140.90 | 27.76 | 27.56 | 140.5 |
| Subaru Legacy SUS | 60.10 | 141.10 | 27.53 | 59.50 | 139.40 | 27.32 | 27.43 | 141.2 |
| Volvo S-70 T5 Sedan | 60.10 | 132.30 | 29.37 | 60.10 | 132.20 | 29.39 | 29.38 | 131.8 |
| Volvo V-70 T5 Wagon | 60.10 | 153.00 | 25.39 | 60.60 | 149.80 | 26.37 | 25.88 | 149.6 |
Gold row: best braking in the test, and it isn’t close in character — the Volvo sedan stopped in 132.30 feet on its first attempt and 132.20 on its second, a tenth of a foot apart after a four-minute cool-down. Its 29.38 ft/s² average was the highest in the field, though not in these books: the 1995 Camaro had recorded 29.57. Its own wagon twin managed only 25.88. The muted row is the CNG Crown Victoria, whose first-phase 28.85 ft/s² was the third-best first-phase figure of the day, behind the Volvo’s 29.37 and the gasoline Crown Victoria’s 29.30, before the alternator ended its evaluation.
Ergonomics, communications and fuel
| Vehicle | Ergonomics & communications | EPA city (mpg) |
|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Tahoe | 238.89 | 13.4 |
| Ford Expedition | 224.62 | 12.9 |
| Ford Crown Victoria | 219.71 | 16.0 |
| Ford Crown Victoria (CNG) | 216.65 | 17.3 |
| Ford Explorer | 215.25 | 13.8 (2WD) / 13.7 (AWD) |
| Chevrolet Lumina | 194.29 | 18.1 |
| Volvo V-70 T5 Wagon | 194.09 | 18.7 |
| Chrysler Jeep Cherokee | 189.20 | 15.5 (2WD) / 15.1 (4WD) |
| Volvo S-70 T5 Sedan | 186.32 | 18.7 |
| Subaru Legacy Sport Utility Sedan | 179.26 | 20.6 |
| Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon | 176.92 | 20.6 |
| Chevrolet Camaro | 161.17 | 16.8 (auto) / 17.8 (6-speed) |
The Tahoe improved on its own 1997 mark, to 238.89 — the highest ergonomics and communications total in the books from 1995 to this point — and the Expedition arrived in second. The two biggest, thirstiest, slowest-stopping vehicles in the test were the two the officers and the installers liked most. The Crown Victoria’s 219.71 is a substantial jump on its 1997 score of 190.56 and puts it within striking distance of the trucks, which is part of why it survived the decade the trucks were winning.
What the bulletin doesn’t hold
This page is built from the NIJ/NLECTC bulletin of October 1997 — an eight-page synopsis. The full report, published as Equipment Performance Report: 1998 Model Year Patrol Vehicle Testing, holds the per-lap dynamics data, the vehicle specifications, the final weighted scoring, the year’s winner, and the bid and adjusted bid prices. Those will be added here from an original copy.
What 1998 settled
Control of the top-speed column passed from Michigan to Dearborn and Detroit. Ten of fifteen vehicles arrived governed, and the two that weren’t ran into a limit of a different kind — a racetrack too short to find out. For twenty years these books had answered the question “how fast will it go?” with a number. From here the honest answer was often “as fast as the software says.”
Ford keeping its sport utilities off the road course is the other marker worth keeping. In 1998 the manufacturer of America’s best-selling truck told the country’s benchmark police test that its trucks were not pursuit vehicles — while the officers scoring the tests handed the Tahoe and the Expedition the two highest ergonomics marks of the year. Both things were true at once, and the second one won.
And quietly, in the middle of it, the Crown Victoria fixed itself. A year after missing the acceleration bar by five hundredths of a second it cleared every gate, lapped nearly a second and a half quicker, stopped in 135 feet, and scored nearly thirty points higher with the people who had to work in it. Nothing about that made headlines. It just meant that when the Caprice was gone and the Camaro was ending, there was one police sedan left standing that could do the job.