Current State of the Squads
Present and future Dodge police cars and their competition
A Dodge Durango and Ram squad package are expected soon; the Durango might be pursuit rated but the Dodge would almost certainly be a “special services vehicle.” Both are expected to have built-in control consoles for lights and sirens, beefed up electrical facilities, and added transmission cooling; the Ram is expected to use modified heads and other transmission changes.
The Dodge Charger squad car was offered with a police package starting with the 2006 model year. We have full testing results by two police testing agencies, and a list of Chargers in police use. The Challenger is also used by some agencies, without factory support. (To see the competition, visit our Caprice page.)
The standard 3.5-liter High Output V-6 engine on the Charger police package has 250 horsepower and 250 lb-ft. of torque, with 18-inch V-rated tires and steel wheels, heavy-duty police brakes and linings and heavy-duty suspension (a similar package was on the Dodge Magnum). The 3.5 liter engine performs roughly as well as the current Ford Police Interceptor V8, while getting an additional 2 mpg on both city and highway, and stopping about ten feet faster from 60 mph. The price of the Charger squad varied from $1,000 to $4,000 above the Ford, but performance is far better even with the 3.5 (where cornering and braking carry the day). The Hemi is also available, with cylinder deactivation; for 2009, as with regular Chargers, horsepower was upgraded to 368 horsepower and 395 lb.-ft. of torque, thanks to variable cam timing and numerous performance and reliability upgrades. 2009 gas mileage was rated at 16 city, 25 highway.
The 2006 Dodge Magnum and 2006-2010 Dodge Charger police packages include a certified speedometer, column shifter, emergency rear door lock override, heavy-duty five-link suspension system, heavy-duty alternator, heavy-duty battery, heavy-duty brakes, inoperable rear door locks and rear windows, and special police electrical wiring. Optional equipment includes daytime running lamps, dual spot lamp, police-type heavy-duty front seats with manual lumbar adjustment and full-size spare tire.
One observer wrote: “I spent about 1,000 miles in a Charger R/T [both as driver and passenger] and I'm impressed with the power and the capacity of the brakes. The car had [a decent number of] miles on it at the time and they'd been very hard miles. The engine was familiar with the rev-limiter in top gear and the anti-lock feature on the brakes had seen its share of use. Every time the car came back from a road test, the brakes and the cats were stinking [from the heat]. Even with all that abuse, the rotors still looked like mirrors. Looks like the brake issue from the Intrepids has been solved…”
The name Dodge Enforcer was making the rounds, but wasn’t used. The last time that name was used was in the Chrysler Enforcer.
Overshadowed by the LX cars were the usual Chrysler suspects, including the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Durango, both of which are in use in various towns and cities as special-service vehicles.
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