Charger squad car appears to have price drop

The police car market has, in recent decades, tended to be dominated by one manufacturer at a time, with Chrysler holding 80% during the Diplomat/Gran Fury years, Chevrolet holding a dominant share during the Caprice years, and Ford coming in strong when there were no competing rear-wheel-drive domestic pursuit sedans from other automakers. Since its launch, the Dodge Charger police car has been adopted by numerous police agencies despite (according to reports) a heavy price premium. Now, it seems that the Charger can be the most affordable, as well as the most capable, police car.

A recently published Florida contract guide shows the 2010 Dodge Charger squad car, equipped for police usage, at $19,184 marked, or $19,718 with the “street appearance” package. The Chevrolet Impala, usually the low-cost leader and the only major squad car with front wheel drive, listed at $19,246 marked, or a low $18,745 unmarked. Ford came in at $21,119  marked, $21,317 with street appearance (3.27 axle; 3.55 axle was extra). Lead time on the Chargers was, however, the longest of the three, with 120 days quoted vs 60 for the Chevy and 90 for the Ford.

The listings are titled “Police pursuit automobile” and therefore likely include the Hemi engine rather than the V6. However, the model code does not specify which engine is used.

All Ford orders must be in by May 14, 2010, and there may be a rush of final orders as fleet managers eager to keep everything standardized and uniform stock up for future years when convenience takes a back seat to performance and economy.

Chrysler does not have an entry for special service SUVs this year.