By Michael Martineck
September 19, 2007 -
The cop spec Dodge Charger is a high-mileage mule for first responders who take that “first” bit seriously. As any pre-pubescent male will tell you, this “race to the scene of the crime and/or chase the bad guy in my bad-ass American sedan” bit sits right at the top of the list of “why I want to be a cop when I grow up.” In fact, it’s so deeply grained in the male psyche that starting up the cop spec Dodge Charger forced me to fight an overwhelming urge to crank, stomp and spin the beast. I swear I didn’t.
The styling of the cop spec Dodge Charger has nothing to do with the facts, ma’am. You either like full size Hot Wheels cars or you don’t. The two-tone high contrast color scheme gave “my” cruiser the requisite mien of mean. Seen in the rear-view-mirror of your WRX, the cop Charger looks like it is going catch you– even if it isn’t.
The inside is ipso facto cop spec. Up front: thick climate controls and the kind of dome light you’d find in a walk-in closet. A steel, grooved mounting rack sits between the front seats where an arm rest used to be, ready for a laptop and radio retrofit. As the rack nixes the floor-mounted shifter, officers must change gears with a column shifter that I’m pretty sure was made out of a crank left over from 1914. It snapped out of park just before I added my second hand; part of an inadvertent on-board workout program.
The cop spec Charger’s back seat is very close to cruel and unusual punishment. Butt-shaped wells made of nightstick-hard plastic replace the back seat. The sloping rear roof, which makes the design on the outside, makes riding underneath an inherently humbling experience; even a Pesci-sized felon has to bow his head in forgiveness to sit back there.
The backseat is blocked off by a chubby plate of bullet-resistant Plexiglas. Cops call it a cage and the frame intrudes on an already seriously opaque C pillar. If justice is blind, it’s probably because she’s trying to see if there’s anyone behind the right rear quarter panel.
While the cop Charger might not have the handling chops of Subaru’s finest, the odds of [at least] dodging a kid chasing a ball in this car are greater than in any other Chrysler product I’ve ever driven. Controlled by a fat-ass (donut shop inspired?) steering wheel, the “police performance tuned” helm’s response is steady, linear and lithe. At pursuit speeds, it firms up like a Hollywood actress after her first baby. Cruising, it’s lighter than an Iron Chef soufflé.
The engine behaves exactly as you’d expect, given 335 horses and 375 pound-feet of torque pulling 3,700 pounds of serve and protectitude (plus some mighty heavy law enforcement equipment). In practice, drop the hammer and you get the distinct feeling the felon-chasing-compatible Charger is pushing you back in your seat, saying “let me handle this.”
The engine comes complete with Chrysler’s MDS (Multi-Displacement System), so it’s not firing on all eight pots all the time. (On purpose.) On paper, this seems ideal for police use, where bean counters and crime fighters are often at loggerheads. Slowly chugging through the neighborhood, the Charger’s a four-banger getting 25 mpg. Cutting to the chase, it’s got a V8 with who the Hell cares about mpg when you’re on a 10-108.
Eighteen inch 60’s put all these bit and pieces to excellent use. While not track ready, the rubber is as safe and predictable as an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. We tested on a rainy day, highlighting the utility of the all-season shoes. Fifteen-inch brakes kept the car in check. They performed well in the wet, though the anchors never had the chance to get hot.
The cop spec Charger’s heavy enhanced suspension is also a revelation. Entering my first turn, I braced to fight the forces of G and traditional muscle car stubbornness, only to find flat compliance. The thing did exactly what I asked. Sure, I’d set expectations lower than a ’70 Impala with an air-brushed Last Supper on the side. Regardless; the cop Charger gets hands off for good behavior.
In the opening voice-over of “It Takes a Thief” cat burglar Alexander Mundy said, “I've heard of stealing from the government, but for the government…” That about sums up this car: it’s a radically tuned, getaway car for the good guys.
The cop Charger doesn’t have SRT8 performance. Nor do buyers get much in the way of creature comforts. But for $24k, it's a steal. If the reliability’s good, a used cop Charger could be just the ticket for a law-abiding hoon— if there were such a thing.
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More Reviews59 Responses to “ Dodge Charger Police Vehicle Review ”
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POWERED
September 19th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
It’s refreshing to read a (fairly) positive review about a product of the Detroit three. I know what you mean about the look of this car. Seeing that “face” in the rear view mirror would make even the most law-abiding citizen nervous.
September 19th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
The back seats look pretty plush to be “night-stick” hard butt plates. I am guessing that isn’t the correct photo of the hinder parts of the cabin?
September 19th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
So it would appear the future of the big 2.8 products is products for global law enforcement agencies? That could be a niche that could be defended against the imports. After all, anyone going to pull over if a Honda Accord is flashing tis lights at you?
September 19th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
The back seats look pretty plush to be “night-stick” hard butt plates. I am guessing that isn’t the correct photo of the hinder parts of the cabin?
The black seats don’t match, so I bet its a higher content package intended for higher ranking officers. I wonder how long term comfort is compared to the Vic, those seats don’t look nearly as comfy.
My one beef with MDS was that it only came on between 50-65mph, go over those speeds and I never saw fuel economy higher than 21mpg. (from my time in a 300C)
But judging by the brakes, this is a Chrysler cop car in the proud 1960s tradition, not a replacement for the troublesome Intrepid Interceptor. And its a serious threat to the CVPI.
September 19th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
I think $24K is very good deal for a V8 Charger. That means it undercuts the V6 Charger SXT by about $2500, while the current R/T starts at $30K.
Why doesn’t Dodge offer a Police-spec Charger V8 to the public at this price? I figure they could add in back seat comfort from the cash they save from not using the lights and sirens on a civilian model.
September 19th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Why doesn’t Dodge offer a Police-spec Charger V8 to the public at this price? I figure they could add in back seat comfort from the cash they save from not using the lights and sirens on a civilian model.
Question is, does $24k include all the lights and sirens? Usually there’s extra charges for plug ‘n play wiring harnesses, not to mention the aftermarket equipment to go with.
September 19th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
No, the $24K is without full outfitting.
I like the Charger. They’re really nice drivers. I’ll take an R/T with the cop black wheels and chrome center caps.
Great review, except the engine has 340hp and 390lb-ft (why they don’t give the cop cars the 350hp 5.7L version is beyond me).
Sajeev Mehta :
My one beef with MDS was that it only came on between 50-65mph, go over those speeds and I never saw fuel economy higher than 21mpg. (from my time in a 300C)
I owned a 300C, and city mpg was pretty poor. But, man, on the highway that car was a miser. I consistently got 26-28mpg on the stretches between Eastern Long Island and Manhattan and between Philadelphia and Manhattan (I did both trips fairly frequently). My lifetime MPG average for that car (over a year and a half) was in the low 20s. Terrific.
September 19th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
I wonder why they never built the 6000 SUX. After all, the bad guys need a showpiece car too.
September 19th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
No, the $24K is without full outfitting
Well, they could put a normal backseat in it and charge $25K for it then. That would still be $5K less than the current R/T, and about $800 less than an optionless Mustang GT.
I agree about those cop wheels too, they look real good in those pictures.
September 19th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
I thought the going price for a fully equip police cruiser was arund $60,000. That’s what I remember the old Crown Vic’s being in something I read a few years back. The $24,000 is probably for the base car, then they add on the options(paint, lights, crash bar, interior bits, etc.)
But I agree I could deal with a stripper Charger with the goods under the hood for $24,000. As long as it didn’t jump out of park, I wont by a car that does that at any price.