The Vrs is a good car, but cannot carry large amounts of kit. We currently have Volvos (which I don't like), with BMWs being considered as a replacement.
I should add that BMW supply the cars at a fraction of the price the general pubic pay and they have better resale value, so it benefits the tax-payer.
|
As someone who regularly looks at ex-police car retailers, it seems that everything is used. And as a procurement specialist, I guess the reason is different deals, different criteria and driver power!
Looking at some of the stuff for sale (the white/silver stuff) now:-
Volvo V70 T5's - no surprise there
Mondeo Estate dog vans - never seen a 2 seater mondeo before!
Mercedes C320 Saloon - there don't seem to be many of those
Vectra 3.2 GSI - no big surprise down here, there are a few of these
The Octavia - 2 of these for sale at the minute -
2004 54 REG SKODA OCTAVIA 1.8T VRS ESTATE, SILVER, 1/2 LEATHER, ALLOYS, CLIMATE CON, AIR CON, £4250
&
2004 04 REG SKODA OCTAVIA 1.8T VRS 5 DOOR HATCH, SILVER, 1/2 LEATHER, 17" ALLOYS, CLIMATE CON, AIR CON, £4995
Not sure about the BMW having better resale value? I looked at a 530D on a 2003 plate that was up for £6995. The Volvo of a similar age was £6500 at the time (this is going back a year or so).
It does seem that the Skoda Octavia is the preferred police car from the VAG group - how many Audis do you see that are marked up? I know the West Midlands have an unmarked Audi, but that doesn't count...
|
Having tried the VRS and various VW/Audi offerings: VW/ Audi simply overpriced for what you get. VRS -unbelievable. Comfortable, fast , economical (easily get 40mpg) reliable - in fact, everything a VW isn't! True, VW/Audit interiors might be a better quality of plastic, but when you're (ab)using cars the way police do, is the interior spec that important? It's a working vehicle after all, and not meant for them to be so comfortable that they can pull into a lay-by and nod off........
Our local force use VRS, Saabs, BMWs, in fact anything they can get their hands on, and its obvious that many cars "do the rounds" of various forces for "evaluation" since few of our traffic cars are even registered in Scotland (yet all the scrappy pandas and vans are)
Edited by hbosken on 21/11/2007 at 08:30
|
Hbosken where in Scotland are you? I have only ever seen an unmarked Saab doing the rounds on the M90 area? Have never seen a marked Saab anywhere!
--
2007 Seat Altea XL 2.0 TDI (140) Stylance
2005 Skoda Fabia vrS
|
Hbosken where in Scotland are you? I have only ever seen an unmarked Saab doing the rounds on the M90 area? Have never seen a marked Saab anywhere! -- 2007 Seat Altea XL 2.0 TDI (140) Stylance 2005 Skoda Fabia vrS
I'm in Edinburgh - we have a 9-5 estate in silver with full battenburg livery. It was even on TV recently as it was called out to that big accident on the M8 at Livingston a few weeks ago.
|
|
|
|
MLC, out of curiosity why don't you like the Volvo? Which one is it, saloon / estate? FWD?
Also on normal day to day running, people who own the Octavia say that it has a massive boot space, is that still not big enough for what you carry?
Does anyone use Octavia estates? I am sure they were available in vrS spec?
As I said earlier, up here in Strathclyde I think I have only ever seen one unmarked and no marked Octavias. Strange how different police forces, presumably working to the same spec of value for money, suitability etc, come up with different answers?
What 4x4s do you use, if any?
--
2007 Seat Altea XL 2.0 TDI (140) Stylance
2005 Skoda Fabia vrS
|
Living in the same Norfolk market town as Norfolk's police head quarters we see an interesting selection of cars being evaluated from time to time as well as the majority of the areas traffic fleet which is based there. Iro 4x4's though where we holiday on the Norfolk coast the police have a special set up to police the Bacton Gas storage terminal which is actually on the beach as such. They have a Nissan Terrano LWB, Shogun LWB, Saburu Forrester (non turbo i think) and the big Isuzu (Citation i think). Seem to spend a lot of the time off road on Beech tracks and paths as well as on the beach itself which is surprisingly drivable. Slightly envious of the job, at least this role!
Going to start a thread re buying an ex police car as a few questions to put to the forum.
|
|
|
|
MLC: I see you West Mercia boys have also been hooning about in an unmarked Vectra that looks like an SRi but has the 2.8T V6 from the VXR in it! I've also seen the standard S60s, the odd MK3 Mondeos and maybe 1 Octavia too..
How many different cars do you guys use? Why so many different cars, are you trying to figure out what's best or is it just so us motorists can't spot you so easily? ;)
|
|
Where I live in Northern Ireland, many of the regular marked police cars are Skoda Octavias, some of which are diesels. Others often used are Mondeos and Vectras, petrol and diesel. On the motorways and main routes, Omegas seem to be the most popular, and for BobbyG, there are several new shape Range Rovers doing the rounds. There is also a fully marked Mitsi Evo ?8 or 9!
|
|
Unmarked metallic blue vRS on M1 beds/Northants area. Looks very nice - especially when it's after someone else.
|
|
|
|
Oilburner-different departments, different budgets. We've currently got Skoda Vrs (saloons and estates), Mondeo ST220s, Vectras and the odd Omega knocking about.
As for the Volvos. They are V70 estates. Wallow around, no feel through the steering and horror of horrors, they are automatics.
|
PSNI use them (both marked and unmarked). It's no secret that the Close Protection Unit use them - Mr. Paisley et. al. can be seen being taken here and there in the Skoda Superb, although others have the Omegas. Plenty of armoured Mondeos and Vectras still knocking about. Feel sorry for the guys on these dreary mornings having to peer through the murk of the 'normal' and then heavily-laminated windscreens...
Plenty of Black and Blue Golf R32s and some 4Motion Passats used by Roads Policing Unit. The boys are planning to get VXR estates soon. Even going to the extent of putting on garage markings on the plates to try to throw people off the scent of looking for (amongst others) no garage markings...
AA
|
I believe the Skoda Superb uses the same powertrain that started life in the Audi A8 in the mid 90s. This is the beautifully engineered 30valve 2.8 V6 married to the 5 speed Tiptronic.....stonkingly fast. It was briefly put into the Audi A6 2.8SE [I have one] and then, presumably because of its speed and reliability, continued life in the Skoda.
The gearing is indeed superb, instantly responsive on kickdown, spins like a turbine, 24mph per 1000revs in 4th, changes up at the red line 6250 [do the maths] then a leisurely 32mph per 1000revs in 5th, can return 30mpg if driven carefully.
Autocar did a comparison of the three almost identical German 2.8s called 'Three of a Wunderkind' - Merc E, BMW 5 and A6. I would love to see a repeat using ten year old examples with 100,000 on the clock.
|
Through my job I had cause to visit AVCIS VFU last week (ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service Vehicle Fraud Unit - what a mouthful!).
The cars they run are Octavia VRS's - apparently they're more than adequate with the covert blues and twos....
Oh, I saw a Merseyside Police lorry this morning - reg was K4 MPA. What a waste of our money that is....
Edited by DieselBoy {P} on 22/11/2007 at 08:38
|
|
DieselBoy - how do you know that K4 MPA was 'a waste of our money...' - it probably came with the vehicle from new, as the vehicle is now some 14years old (but would appear to be one owner)?? The business of selling cherished numbers was not so heavily enshrined back in the early 90s'?
|
|
Some of you obviously posting during playtime....so can we get back on topic. Several posts pulled.
|
Just feast your eyes on a Skoda Octavia Laurent & Klement model. Puts all other manufactures back ten years.
Having tried all the others I will stick with my Skody.
|
I post some toungue-in-cheek quip about the use of the Americanism 'cop' and the post gets deleted. I even added a smiley.
Someone has been driving round the sense of humour bypass - hardly offensive.
|
|
Any issues with moderation e-mail us they won't be debated here.
|
"DieselBoy - how do you know that K4 MPA was 'a waste of our money...' - it probably came with the vehicle from new"
Eh? It certainly looked newer than a 'K' reg, and don't you think that 'MPA' might mean Merseyside Police Authority?
|
Was going to doubt my wife when she said she saw a Lotus fully marked police car the other week near our house in Sussex. Turns out she wasn't wrong, see the link:
www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/anythinggoes/archive/2007/...x
Never doubt your wife is the rule now.......
|
Dieselboy:-
[from autotrader vehicle check)
Details for VRM :
K4MPA
Make IVECO-FORD(U.K.)
Model NOT AVAILABLE
Engine Size 5861
Colour WHITE
Fuel DIESEL
BodyStyle NOT CODEABLE
Transmission NOT AVAILABLE
Gears NOT AVAILABLE
Previous Keepers NOT AVAILABLE
Date of registration 24.05.1993
Last keeper change NOT AVAILABLE
Sorry to be so dull and sad, but I must admit your post got me curious as to how a police vehicle would have a cherished plate!!
|
24.05.1993
So it was age related and they're obviously getting good value from it by running it for 14 years !
|
|
If they bought it ages ago, they probably only paid £250. They could probably sell it for much more now since in number plate speak it is the word 'camper'. Quite a good investment.
|
"Sorry to be so dull and sad, but I must admit your post got me curious as to how a police vehicle would have a cherished plate!!"
Fairy nuff.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
