Who gets the nod? Crown Victoria P71 or Caprice LT1?

Amongst collectors and drivers of former police cars, there seems to be no greater debate than whose's cars are better: Ford or Chevy. I know you Mopar guys are probably getting a bit annoyed, but while I count myself as a Mopar guy, the pentastar's entries in this field are a bit too slim.

I see a lot of requests for information that deal with whether to buy a Caprice or a Crown Victoria. The replies to these requests are usually very emotional as drivers of each model tend to be highly opinionated. So who's right?

Both the Ford Crown Victoria and the Chevy Caprice make for excellent police-package vehicles. Each has some strong points, and some bad points. It is pretty pointless to make comparisons based on police-specific options like coolers, ABS, DC-power supplies, and heavy-duty components since the cars are pretty much the same in these regards. So to make things easier I have made the comparison based on areas where there is a more measurable difference such as performance, price, handling, economy, maintainability, and (yikes!!!) styling. Also, since most police-package cars on the market today are 1991-1996 Caprices and 1992 and newer Crown Victorias, I have limited the comparisons to these cars.

So for the benefit of all those conflicted buyers out there, I offer the following information.
 

1992 and Newer Crown Victoria General Information
The Ford Crown Victoria has been in Police service for several decades as the Ford LTD, Ford LTD Crown Victoria, Ford Crown Victoria, and lately as the Ford Police Interceptor. Most Crown Victorias purchased today are 1992 to 1999 models. 1992 was the first year of the "aero" body style that replaced the more boxy body style of previous decades.

Changes between 1992 and 1993 were restyles of the rear lights and the use of a slotted grill. 1995 saw the restyling of the tail lights and trunk lid. 1998 was the first year of the current body style, which makes major changes to both the front and rear of the car.

Most Crown Victorias that are for sale have a 4.6L police engine, which puts out in the neighborhood of 210-215 horsepower (depending on who you talk to). These are Single, Over-Head-Cam (SOHC) engines. There are no Ford factory made Dual Over-Head-Cam (DOHC) engine Crown Victorias. If you see one it's been refitted with the engine after it left Ford.

Crown Victoria Good Points:

1. Usually very reliable on the maintenance level, except for the 1992 model, which experienced a lot of transmission problems.

2. Very good power to body weight ratio.

3. Relatively good gas milage at 20 mpg.

4. Still in production.

Crown Victoria Bad Points:

1. There have been some problems with steering at high speeds on some models that have resulted in the deaths of police officers. These problems are not very consistent, and can vary between cars, which is why Ford hasn't recalled them.

2. There are no really high-performance engine options (like the Chevy LT-1). It's a 4.6L SOHC or nothing.

3. 1996 and later models tend to be a bit sparse in the interior appointments category. The interiors are pretty spartan, and the liberal use of plastic/vinyl panels can result in a lot of creaks and squeaks when you drive.

1991-1996 Caprice General Information
The Chevrolet Caprice has been in police service throughout its model run. The latest models, introduced in 1990 as an early 1991 model, offered a major change in styling over the boxy model it replaced. New for the 1991 Caprice was a driver's airbag, anti-lock brakes, as well as the new styling. The chassis and powertrain were carry-overs from the 1990 model. The 1991 Caprices were available with a 5.0 litre V-8 engine with 170 hp for city patrols or with a 5.7 liter V-8 at 205 hp for pursuit work. Most departments opted for the faster 5.7 liter.

The 1991 thru 1996 Caprice had slight sheet metal changes over its six years. The 1991 Caprice had closed rear wheel well and its "B" and "C" pillars were black. For 1992 the body stayed the same but the "B" and "C" pillars were now painted the same color as the body of the car. Changes for 1993 were open rear wheel wells (which made the car look much better), new tail lights, and "CHEVROLET" printed on the front grill. The body was unchanged for 1994, but new wheel covers became optional and the engine was new. 1995 models had the rear roof pillar rounded off.

Each year saw the Caprice improve its performance. 1994 and later models saw the availability of the LT-1 5.7L Corvette engine option, which offered 260 hp instead of the 200 hp of the 9C1 4.3L engine option.

The Caprice model run ended in 1996.

Caprice Good Points:

1. 1994-1996 Caprices with the 260 hp LT-1 engine option are fast!!! That extra horsepower really makes a difference with large, heavy, police-package vehicles.

2. Caprices maintained a steady 60 percent share of the police vehicle market, so there are more of them available at lower prices.

3. Body style changes from 1993 to 1996 made the Caprice look much better than it did from 1991 and 1992.

Caprice Bad Points:

1. These cars are not the most fuel efficient police vehicles, which is why many agencies went with Fords.

2. Since these cars went out of production, the "latest" model you can get is a 1996.

3. These cars seem to have a less than stellar track record when it comes to maintenance when compared to a Crown Victoria. It should be remembered that when compared to the average vehicle on the road the police-package Caprice's maintainability is far better than most of the cars that are out there.

Read And the Winner Is....