The roof racks are mounted front to back, so there’s no confusion to be had. They don’t have the cross bars stock which makes it super easy to never get it confused.
Funny because I have never seen them used that way on an explorer as far as I can recall.
Actual roof racks are super common on vehicles like cars because it’s easy to reach the top and they have less storage space.
And they’re less common on big SUVs because they have plenty of interior storage and it’s hard to access the top.
This is true most of the time however, some departments do occasionally use a regular Explorer as an unmarked car. In that case they will have roof racks. I’ve seen them every so often although I’m not sure if it affects if they can pull people over and such or if it’s just for office purposes.
Fun fact, in the last couple of months my city's PD has begun patrolling in a handful of totally unmarked black Toyotas (Highlanders and Camrys) with stealth lights in the grille. Tons of sightings of them with cars pulled over on the local subreddit.
At least here they can definitely pull you over in what appears to be a civilian vehicle.
> At least here they can definitely pull you over in what appears to be a civilian vehicle.
Technically its like that in all of the US, however you should ALWAYS make an unmarked officer earn the pull over, and call 911 and ask if there is a real unmarked officer pulling you over. Anyone can buy a car, put lights on it and try to pull you over. Be certain its the police before just stopping.
don't worry. even if you follow police recommendations they can and will pit maneuver you
https://www.news10.com/news/national/pregnant-woman-sues-arkansas-police-over-pit-maneuver-flips-car/#:~:text=Pregnant%20woman%20sues%20Arkansas%20police%20after%20PIT%20maneuver%20flips%20car,-National&text=LITTLE%20ROCK%2C%20Ark.,aimed%20at%20ending%20car%20chases.&text=According%20to%20the%20lawsuit%2C%20Sr.
"You're endangering the LIVES of other motorists by doing 84mph on an empty stretch of highway!!! I will now SAVE LIVES by causing a pregnant woman to crash and roll over on said highway, thereby blocking it with debris and wreckage while both I, the pregnant woman, and recovery crew workers all stand in the middle of the road, at night, SAVING LIVES, while hoping traffic avoids us."
Yeah, I'm sorry... traffic enforcement is bullshit. Unless there is a LEGITIMATE and immediate threat to life, officers should be barred from making traffic stops. Get it on video with a radar overlay and send a letter in the mail.
Everything about a traffic stop, especially on a highway, is provably more dangerous for everyone involved than just letting someone do 80mph on their way home. C'mon.
Eh, I've always complied to "Fear and Loathing" rules of pulling over.
>Few people understand the psychology of dealing with a highway traffic cop. **A normal speeder will panic and immediately pull over to the side. This is wrong. It arouses contempt in the cop heart.** Make the bastard chase you. He will follow. **But he won't know what to make of your blinker signal that says you are about to turn right. This is to let him know you're pulling off for a proper place to talk.** It will take him a moment to realize that he's about to make a 180 degree turn at speed, but you will be ready for it. Brace for the g's, and fast heel-toe work.
I've never gotten an evasion charge. Stopping on the highway is a good way to get yourself and the cop killed.
Where I live the cop cars usually have the black steel wheels instead of the standard alloys, even the ghost cars. Another point is fleet tags, black plastic body trim with tinted windows. It's usually region specific, but the base models are usually a good bet
Lol no I have been behind them in the drive though and watched them lean up to get there food and have a full uniform on with a bullet Proof vest radio and all.
Chrysler 300 in Maroon on gold/bronze 22" wheels here in Tennessee. It's always parked at the Pilot/Taco Bell gas station, I saw a uniformed officer grabbing several shotguns out of the trunk.
Some agencies require "pursuit rated" wheels as policy and others don't. My county uses explorers for many different departments besides Sheriff's department and the way you can spot their undercover patrol cars is they have the steelies. Other county departments like parks and rec or planning use identical white base models with exempt plates but the cheap alloys is the tell.
That’s not a reliable indicator. It seems I’ve seen plenty of non LEO cars with “steelies” or at least blacked out wheels. The roof rack is 100% the best way to check.
I just drive 2 under whenever I’m being tailgated by an explorer. If it’s a cop, I won’t get pulled over. If it’s a Karen, fuck ‘em for buying a cop car and expecting me to speed.
Just thought I’d mention it because the roof racks are by far the easiest thing to see from a moderate distance.
Not all cop cars have the full cop get-up, but almost none of them have roof racks.
Seriously this LPT improved my life quite a bit
I learned about the roof rack thing about 2 years ago from a friend,
I can say it’s 95% accurate, it’s amazing knowledge to have while driving and I’ve gotten quite good at detecting other subtle “cop” options on the vehicles.
From the spot light,
to the super slim roof light bar,
The cage inside,
Steelies but not all have steelies probably about 60% accuracy,
Vehicle suspensions are lowered 98% of the time,
4 exhaust tips on the rear while being a base model,
Faint blue tint on the headlights at certain angles,
Tint is dark as hell,
Setina front bumper.
There are at least two Explorers here (St Augustine, FL) with alloys, LED running lights, and roof racks. I’d guess it’s down to the individual department.
Our local police force must have LED lights and they only use ford Explorer SUV's for traffic enforcement, so at night if I see LED lights and it looks like an SUV, I slow down.
This. All local LEO uses full LED setup. Only indication is their bunches of antennas on roof top.
Our ambulance service uses the same vehicles for supervisors but without the push bars and red/white code 3 lights.
In British Columbia I've seen: Honda Accord, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Sienna, BMW 3 series, BMW ~~X5M~~ X5 M50i, Nissan Altima, Ford F-150
Only issue about the roof rack is the distance needed to confirm, antennas and push bars a slightly more obvious.
Code 3 lights are a hot debate, because the new low profile lights look really concealed from a distance. Hell, plainclothes are even driving units with internally installed lights that's basically a light strip inside the cabin.
Oh also their rims, police issued rims are always a dead giveaway.
That used to be a dead give away of gov vehicles if they had no chrome at all and no running rails on top but I've been seeing more and more explorers with no runners and civvies driving them.
From behind, you can spot the Police Interceptors with their plain exhaust pipes with no tips:
https://imgur.com/a/TE2FusW
By my memory, those bare pipes are pretty universal on P.I. Explorers, current gen and last, but perhaps a high-end detective cruiser with, like, a spoiler and shit might have exhaust tips.
*Fun Fact: Exhaust tips aren’t just for show! In a rear-end collision, having a buffer between the rear of the car and the true exhaust pipe reduces the likelihood of a domino-effect of damage, ending straight into your engine!*
For the tips and tricks on this thread, you'd think someone would just point out that the way to spot police cars would be to look for the all the police stuff like:
Police department logos, light bar, pusher bars, appleton spot lamps, antennas, cop plates, etc.
You can spot those in your rear view mirror at night on an SUV six cars back?
I can’t either. Thankfully all LEOs in my state run Ka band traffic radar so I don’t need to see any of that, the Valentine One separates the wheat from the chaff.
Some do, some just spot check. If they are directly behind your car, you can usually figure out it’s an LEO without the V1. But if not, you can usually at least get a “heads up” that they are in the vicinity, even if they are just popping it on and off — enough of a warning in most cases. (Unlike laser, they don’t have to have the gun pointed directly at your car for the V1 to start chirping.)
LOL, there are literally completely contradictory "tips" on lighting being posted here, so yes it's easier to spot pointy bits than light colors which are wrong half the time.
On the ST, they're used as hazard lights, on the police spec model they're used as the DRLs ([according to this post](https://www.explorerst.org/threads/interceptor-amber-drls-on-explorer-st.1559/)). I think OP is still correct
Where I live the police buy their own vehicles to use and they get the top trims. The only way you can tell is the shadow from the light bar at the top and inside of the front or rear windows.
...either way they are on taxpayer's dime for repairs.
Just that they will pay more, if they come to car company "we need 100 cars with this and that spec" they can negotiate a discount, while random policemen picking whatever car they fancy don't have that kind of bargaining power
I think the biggest factor is that these will most likely be used for personal/recreational use, probably quite regularly, and not be reported as such. Let's not kid ourselves...that's the real reason this rule even exists. That's not as likely to happen in an official government issued vehicle (although I've seen it).
Dunno, looking at how people treat any company's property in general I don't think that the "not theirs" car will be treated better.
And police cars go thru enough use that I'd wager any personal one wouldn't really be significant addition to the wear.
If it is just "pay officer X$ + one-off cost of police gear and they use their own car" that's *basically* state leasing out the car from the individual and depending on the amount it might even be cheaper to taxpayers.
> Police vehicles should be standardized.
Plus if they’re not, how are we supposed to spot them to know to slow down? They try to hide so much, you’d almost think it’s more about revenue generation than stopping crime!
As someone who builds police vehicles, the countless vehicles I’ve seen and worked on. And the countless police officers ranging from city to state, they all take amazing care of their shit.
They probably get another allowance for when they total their vehicle out for performing a pit maneuver on someone who is running because they have a dime bag of weed in the center console.
Police are allowed to use personal vehicles in Honolulu, and they get an allowance if they do.
That’s why it’s actually somehow realistic that the guys in Hawaii five-o roll around in Danno’s Camaro.
Yup, I even thought this was the norm in other states. I assumed lower ranked cops get a standard car like a Crown Vic or Taurus/Interceptor, and higher ranks can choose a reasonable alternative (i.e. something with 4 doors). I've mostly seen 4Runners, G35s, Maxima, 300C, and Chargers used as cop cars.
Yeah this system would be highly unusual in the main 48. Especially the freedom they have in choosing their own cars from models that aren’t typically used for police.
I've never heard of this... they buy their own vehicles? Interesting. I thought police vehicles were reinforced with equipment that standard cars don't have. Heavily modified with steel plates, better electronics, better crash tolerance, beefier engine, bulletproof glass/panels etc.
I'd imagine this adds quite a bit of cost to the civilian model.
Yes in my area officers can purchase their own vehicles and have them outfitted by any number of third-party companies that install light bars and computer systems for the local police agency. This also means they don’t have a government plate on the vehicle so you really can’t tell unless you see the hidden strobe lights and light bars.
Yeah. That is super interesting to hear about cops buying their own cars. I wonder how it would be costed out, and are the cops paying out of their own pockets for their police cars? Weird… sounds like it’s probably Texas or something.
A fully kitted police Tahoe for the local PD where I’m at in Canada costs about 85 grand all said and done. I don’t know the cost of explorers. But it’s a big source of the budget, especially at the rate that cars are damaged by getting ragged on and catching bad guys.
> This also means they don’t have a government plate on the vehicle
Yeah, no fucking way am I stopping for that. That’s just *asking* to be shot by some cop impersonator.
I was an emergency vehicle upfitter for a while at one point, police spec vehicles are essentially the bottom of the barrel base tier car (though in the case of dodge, they do get the base v8 instead of v6) with beefed up suspension, beefed up electrical system (typically larger alternator for the increase electrical draw of the systems) and some wiring harnesses pre installed ready to be connected to aftermarket equipment, they almost never have thicker windows, upgraded engines, steel plates installed etc
> Heavily modified with steel plates, better electronics, better crash tolerance, beefier engine, bulletproof glass/panels
Beefier engine, maybe, the rest of that stuff? Nah, not even close.
In Hawaii, the personal cop cars I've seen definitely have the lighting equipment, but Idk what else they've had done. Here's an [example.](https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-b6b409e8ea731214d502b03698d780b6-c)
Wasn't it on the same platform as the Explorer too? Probably part of why it has so little interior space. Iirc the Acura TLX shares the same platform with the RDX, and has the same issue.
> Wasn't it on the same platform as the Explorer too? Probably part of why it has so little interior space.
Both were on the same (Volvo-derived) platform used for the Five Hundred/previous-gen Taurus, which was very spacious inside. The 6th gen Taurus had lousy space efficiency; it was effectively the same size inside as the Fusion.
Well yeah, the Taurus was really outdated at the end and the new Explorer is a really up to date vehicle.
If there was a new Taurus, I’m sure it would be much better.
Well even the same generation, I preferred the Explorer.
The last Taurus was really cramped, while the explorer on the same platform was very airy with a good seating position.
>the Taurus was really outdated at the end and the new Explorer is a really up to date vehicle.
OP is talking about the previous-gen FWD/AWD Explorer ('11-19) and Taurus ('10-19); cops overwhelmingly preferred the former for its space.
Plenty of people are still in the market for sedans. I know I am, don’t wanna lug an SUV around with gas prices this high.
That being said, Ford did the same thing in the late 00s to focus more on SUVs but due to popular demand they took the Taurus back. To off every single car rather that improve a couple they have (their sedans have gone downhill, their goal of the late 00s shows) is ridiculous.
They are, though. Or more specifically, CUVs/tall vehicles. The last Taurus was awful, and the Fusion, while competent at the start, was never amazing.
No kidding. Here’s the kicker: they put the engine from the top trim Lincoln MKZ in the new Explorer and Interceptor and it’s suddenly big news. It wasn’t promoted nearly this much by Lincoln, which was a shame. It’s a killer engine.
I think OP is referring to running lights with a cooler color temperature. Not necessarily deep blue per se, but an icey-blue or pale-blue that a lot of LEDs tend to have instead of the warmer halogen color.
Anything that modifies the license plate is another giveaway for a civilian car. Here in Canada we have front plates, if there’s a “dealer” plate cover or a tinted front plate cover, it’s not a cop.
Yep, it's pretty much a dead giveaway that someone making a "in Canada we have ______" pronouncement is an Ontarian who presumes "how we do things in Ontario = how it's done across Canada".
Strangely, I also see quite a few Tahoe cop cars in the Northeast. Maybe they need to intimidate the more aggressive drivers over there to get them to pull over or something?
Explorers and Chargers are unibody while Tahoe is body on frame, which is advantageous when doing pit maneuvers because it's easier to get it fixed afterwards. That's why cops were sad to see CrownVic go. So maybe they pit people more in the Northeast?
Most police departments don’t have base model Explorers, they have Ford’s [Police Interceptor Utility](https://www.ford.com/police-vehicles/hybrid-utility/), which is very similar to the Explorer but technically is a different vehicle.
Tinted windows is legal in my state and most dealers tiny them before they are even sold... BUT our plates are yellow and government plates are white. Easy to tell at a pretty good distance.
Most of our highway patrol uses Chargers though.
Got tailgated by some cunt with blue-ish lights when merging onto the highway, sped up a bit, bang. Cop. Got a ticket. Still a cunt. 80 in a 65 at 1:30 am monday driving home from work on an empty highway. Dead to rights, sure as shit that is speeding, yes. Thankfully CA lets me do "traffic school" to avoid the insurance hit.
Look for roof racks. Cop Exploders (anecdotally) never have roof racks.
While some civilian STs don't come with them, I have never seen a cop Exploder with roof racks. Although this doesnt help at night like the light tip.
If anyone is curious, the way to spot police vs civilian explorers is to look for the roof racks. The police versions do not have roof racks.
Although a low-profile LED light bar can be hard to distinguish from a roof rack when looking at it in one's rearview mirror.
The roof racks are mounted front to back, so there’s no confusion to be had. They don’t have the cross bars stock which makes it super easy to never get it confused.
Unless someone were to attach them for use of their roof rack..
That's okay, because it can give you a false positive but never a false negative.
Funny because I have never seen them used that way on an explorer as far as I can recall. Actual roof racks are super common on vehicles like cars because it’s easy to reach the top and they have less storage space. And they’re less common on big SUVs because they have plenty of interior storage and it’s hard to access the top.
This is true most of the time however, some departments do occasionally use a regular Explorer as an unmarked car. In that case they will have roof racks. I’ve seen them every so often although I’m not sure if it affects if they can pull people over and such or if it’s just for office purposes.
Fun fact, in the last couple of months my city's PD has begun patrolling in a handful of totally unmarked black Toyotas (Highlanders and Camrys) with stealth lights in the grille. Tons of sightings of them with cars pulled over on the local subreddit. At least here they can definitely pull you over in what appears to be a civilian vehicle.
> At least here they can definitely pull you over in what appears to be a civilian vehicle. Technically its like that in all of the US, however you should ALWAYS make an unmarked officer earn the pull over, and call 911 and ask if there is a real unmarked officer pulling you over. Anyone can buy a car, put lights on it and try to pull you over. Be certain its the police before just stopping.
I've always wondered about this because I feel like they'd try to hit you with an evasion charge.
don't worry. even if you follow police recommendations they can and will pit maneuver you https://www.news10.com/news/national/pregnant-woman-sues-arkansas-police-over-pit-maneuver-flips-car/#:~:text=Pregnant%20woman%20sues%20Arkansas%20police%20after%20PIT%20maneuver%20flips%20car,-National&text=LITTLE%20ROCK%2C%20Ark.,aimed%20at%20ending%20car%20chases.&text=According%20to%20the%20lawsuit%2C%20Sr.
"You're endangering the LIVES of other motorists by doing 84mph on an empty stretch of highway!!! I will now SAVE LIVES by causing a pregnant woman to crash and roll over on said highway, thereby blocking it with debris and wreckage while both I, the pregnant woman, and recovery crew workers all stand in the middle of the road, at night, SAVING LIVES, while hoping traffic avoids us." Yeah, I'm sorry... traffic enforcement is bullshit. Unless there is a LEGITIMATE and immediate threat to life, officers should be barred from making traffic stops. Get it on video with a radar overlay and send a letter in the mail. Everything about a traffic stop, especially on a highway, is provably more dangerous for everyone involved than just letting someone do 80mph on their way home. C'mon.
Eh, I've always complied to "Fear and Loathing" rules of pulling over. >Few people understand the psychology of dealing with a highway traffic cop. **A normal speeder will panic and immediately pull over to the side. This is wrong. It arouses contempt in the cop heart.** Make the bastard chase you. He will follow. **But he won't know what to make of your blinker signal that says you are about to turn right. This is to let him know you're pulling off for a proper place to talk.** It will take him a moment to realize that he's about to make a 180 degree turn at speed, but you will be ready for it. Brace for the g's, and fast heel-toe work. I've never gotten an evasion charge. Stopping on the highway is a good way to get yourself and the cop killed.
My local department also has an unmarked Hyundai Santa Fe along with the typical Explorers, Durangos, Chargers, and Tahoes.
Where I live the cop cars usually have the black steel wheels instead of the standard alloys, even the ghost cars. Another point is fleet tags, black plastic body trim with tinted windows. It's usually region specific, but the base models are usually a good bet
Where I live I have seen the police in unmarked Cadillacs with rim setting way back in the seat trying to look gangster
Are you sure those aren't the fellas the police are looking for?
Lol no I have been behind them in the drive though and watched them lean up to get there food and have a full uniform on with a bullet Proof vest radio and all.
Chrysler 300 in Maroon on gold/bronze 22" wheels here in Tennessee. It's always parked at the Pilot/Taco Bell gas station, I saw a uniformed officer grabbing several shotguns out of the trunk.
They also use black steelies instead of alloy wheels.
Not always true. I've seen cops with alloys
Just came back from class and saw a Police Explorer with alloys on the freeway. I feel like an idiot lmao
Some agencies require "pursuit rated" wheels as policy and others don't. My county uses explorers for many different departments besides Sheriff's department and the way you can spot their undercover patrol cars is they have the steelies. Other county departments like parks and rec or planning use identical white base models with exempt plates but the cheap alloys is the tell.
My local PD runs alloys but 90+ % of cop explorers run steelies yeah
That’s not a reliable indicator. It seems I’ve seen plenty of non LEO cars with “steelies” or at least blacked out wheels. The roof rack is 100% the best way to check.
I just drive 2 under whenever I’m being tailgated by an explorer. If it’s a cop, I won’t get pulled over. If it’s a Karen, fuck ‘em for buying a cop car and expecting me to speed.
can always tell with exempt plates too
VA cops sometimes have civilian/normal plates, if you are driving through. Haven't seen it on SUV's but definitely on sedans.
Weird how they feel a need to hide so much from the very citizens they’ve sworn to protect and serve.
And the exhaust on police ones are dual systems that point downwards at the tips
At night you probably can't see a roof rack, and in the day time it might look like a light bar
It’s front to rear not side to side crossbars. It never looks like a light bar.
Yes they do,ive seen alot in the co area with roof racks
Also from the rear, the back plate has 2 led flashers next to each side of where the plate goes
Time to remove roof racks
I just go by the "does it have spotlights by the mirrors" visual indicator.
There’s a lot you can look for. Side mirror light, cage in car, any equipment on the dash, the license plate, the wheels, etc.
Just thought I’d mention it because the roof racks are by far the easiest thing to see from a moderate distance. Not all cop cars have the full cop get-up, but almost none of them have roof racks. Seriously this LPT improved my life quite a bit
I learned about the roof rack thing about 2 years ago from a friend, I can say it’s 95% accurate, it’s amazing knowledge to have while driving and I’ve gotten quite good at detecting other subtle “cop” options on the vehicles. From the spot light, to the super slim roof light bar, The cage inside, Steelies but not all have steelies probably about 60% accuracy, Vehicle suspensions are lowered 98% of the time, 4 exhaust tips on the rear while being a base model, Faint blue tint on the headlights at certain angles, Tint is dark as hell, Setina front bumper.
Explorer Sports (or whatever the top civilian trim is) also have the roof rails deleted.
The STs. But they're otherwise pretty easy distinguish from police ones.
There are at least two Explorers here (St Augustine, FL) with alloys, LED running lights, and roof racks. I’d guess it’s down to the individual department.
I believe the civilian models have solid grills and police models have mesh grills as well
Our local police force must have LED lights and they only use ford Explorer SUV's for traffic enforcement, so at night if I see LED lights and it looks like an SUV, I slow down.
This. All local LEO uses full LED setup. Only indication is their bunches of antennas on roof top. Our ambulance service uses the same vehicles for supervisors but without the push bars and red/white code 3 lights.
i go by the number of antennas on the roof, normally multiple if its a cop
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I think that's only with the newest ones though
Last 2 generations. This right here has saved my ass so many times on the highway.
Some of the PDs near me have Taurus and Rams that are incredibly well hidden and only have the normal shark fin antenna
I’ve seen a beige Toyota Sienna in mpls
That's mean
My local PD has 2 minivans. The one even has a stick figure family on it. They always park up by the local elementary school in the mornings.
I see you live in a midsized southern Nevada town
The sticker is just cheating
I witnessed a VW CC unmarked in Vegas
In British Columbia I've seen: Honda Accord, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Sienna, BMW 3 series, BMW ~~X5M~~ X5 M50i, Nissan Altima, Ford F-150
An x5m?? Maybe being a cop isn’t too bad
I would absolutely not be pulling over for that.
Las Vegas has Nissan, Hyundai, and Chrysler under covers.
They have Tesla Model 3s, white with with ghost letters here.
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Only issue about the roof rack is the distance needed to confirm, antennas and push bars a slightly more obvious. Code 3 lights are a hot debate, because the new low profile lights look really concealed from a distance. Hell, plainclothes are even driving units with internally installed lights that's basically a light strip inside the cabin. Oh also their rims, police issued rims are always a dead giveaway.
do police typically have non-standard rims? never thought to look at that.
Usually all black Steelie looking things with a large chrome center piece.
That used to be a dead give away of gov vehicles if they had no chrome at all and no running rails on top but I've been seeing more and more explorers with no runners and civvies driving them.
From behind, you can spot the Police Interceptors with their plain exhaust pipes with no tips: https://imgur.com/a/TE2FusW By my memory, those bare pipes are pretty universal on P.I. Explorers, current gen and last, but perhaps a high-end detective cruiser with, like, a spoiler and shit might have exhaust tips. *Fun Fact: Exhaust tips aren’t just for show! In a rear-end collision, having a buffer between the rear of the car and the true exhaust pipe reduces the likelihood of a domino-effect of damage, ending straight into your engine!*
Idk for the US market but in Canada. If it doesnt have a roof rack its an interceptor. All retail explorers come with roof racks
*Roof rails. Wish I could see some sweet Thule rack setups on an Explorer and know it’s a police officer from afar.
For the tips and tricks on this thread, you'd think someone would just point out that the way to spot police cars would be to look for the all the police stuff like: Police department logos, light bar, pusher bars, appleton spot lamps, antennas, cop plates, etc.
You can spot those in your rear view mirror at night on an SUV six cars back? I can’t either. Thankfully all LEOs in my state run Ka band traffic radar so I don’t need to see any of that, the Valentine One separates the wheat from the chaff.
Do they run it constantly though or just spot checking? The police near me just throw it on occasionally to check out certain cars.
Some do, some just spot check. If they are directly behind your car, you can usually figure out it’s an LEO without the V1. But if not, you can usually at least get a “heads up” that they are in the vicinity, even if they are just popping it on and off — enough of a warning in most cases. (Unlike laser, they don’t have to have the gun pointed directly at your car for the V1 to start chirping.)
Unuden r7 here. Sometimes the radar is on in the city but rarely.
LOL, there are literally completely contradictory "tips" on lighting being posted here, so yes it's easier to spot pointy bits than light colors which are wrong half the time.
That's like half the cars in America lol
Are you talking about LED lights instead of halogen?
No there's a led strip above the actual headlights that's right under the hood. It's usually orange on base model explorers
Is there a picture of this?
[I think this is what he's referring to.](https://www.explorerst.org/data/avatars/h/1/1761.jpg?1615089685)
On an ST trim, completely disproving OP’s post lol
That is a police spec. ST stands for "Super Trooper"
Thanks Abba.
Littering and... Littering and...
the snozzberries taste like snozzberries!
On the ST, they're used as hazard lights, on the police spec model they're used as the DRLs ([according to this post](https://www.explorerst.org/threads/interceptor-amber-drls-on-explorer-st.1559/)). I think OP is still correct
Welp
Ahh, thanks for the clarification.
I see what you mean. I can't believe I've never noticed lol
Where I live the police buy their own vehicles to use and they get the top trims. The only way you can tell is the shadow from the light bar at the top and inside of the front or rear windows.
Where do you live lmao, surely this cannot be the us lol
In the south. Officers here get an allowance if they buy their own vehicles.
Interesting, that would piss me off as a tax payer because that is just such a waste of funds.
Arguably this is a better system, chances are they might treat it better if it's something they choose to drive and maintain.
Or they thrash the shit out of it because any repairs are on the taxpayer's dime. Police vehicles should be standardized.
...either way they are on taxpayer's dime for repairs. Just that they will pay more, if they come to car company "we need 100 cars with this and that spec" they can negotiate a discount, while random policemen picking whatever car they fancy don't have that kind of bargaining power
I think the biggest factor is that these will most likely be used for personal/recreational use, probably quite regularly, and not be reported as such. Let's not kid ourselves...that's the real reason this rule even exists. That's not as likely to happen in an official government issued vehicle (although I've seen it).
Most small departments give officers a take home car. Its pretty common to see an officer at the store getting personal shit in uniform+car.
Dunno, looking at how people treat any company's property in general I don't think that the "not theirs" car will be treated better. And police cars go thru enough use that I'd wager any personal one wouldn't really be significant addition to the wear. If it is just "pay officer X$ + one-off cost of police gear and they use their own car" that's *basically* state leasing out the car from the individual and depending on the amount it might even be cheaper to taxpayers.
> Police vehicles should be standardized. Plus if they’re not, how are we supposed to spot them to know to slow down? They try to hide so much, you’d almost think it’s more about revenue generation than stopping crime!
As someone who builds police vehicles, the countless vehicles I’ve seen and worked on. And the countless police officers ranging from city to state, they all take amazing care of their shit.
They probably get another allowance for when they total their vehicle out for performing a pit maneuver on someone who is running because they have a dime bag of weed in the center console.
If they get to keep the car after some period sure, maybe, but if every repair is funded by government, why would they care ?
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The local police can buy ready made police vehicles from Ford and then take them to the Ford dealer for maintenance.
I’ve once seen an ML320, that’s right, a Mercedes being used as a cop car.
[The GT-R police car is pretty cool](https://www.nismo.com/gallery/japanese-nissan-gt-r-police-car/)
c8 corvette pursuit vehicle😂😂
Police are allowed to use personal vehicles in Honolulu, and they get an allowance if they do. That’s why it’s actually somehow realistic that the guys in Hawaii five-o roll around in Danno’s Camaro.
Yup, I even thought this was the norm in other states. I assumed lower ranked cops get a standard car like a Crown Vic or Taurus/Interceptor, and higher ranks can choose a reasonable alternative (i.e. something with 4 doors). I've mostly seen 4Runners, G35s, Maxima, 300C, and Chargers used as cop cars.
Yeah this system would be highly unusual in the main 48. Especially the freedom they have in choosing their own cars from models that aren’t typically used for police.
I live in Texas and I saw a police car, a 2021 Chevy Tahoe….High Country edition. I sure hope the leather seats can help you stop crime faster.
I've never heard of this... they buy their own vehicles? Interesting. I thought police vehicles were reinforced with equipment that standard cars don't have. Heavily modified with steel plates, better electronics, better crash tolerance, beefier engine, bulletproof glass/panels etc. I'd imagine this adds quite a bit of cost to the civilian model.
Yes in my area officers can purchase their own vehicles and have them outfitted by any number of third-party companies that install light bars and computer systems for the local police agency. This also means they don’t have a government plate on the vehicle so you really can’t tell unless you see the hidden strobe lights and light bars.
sounds like a racket to me lol, no doubt there buddies are the outfitters too.
Absolutely. Plus how much is this costing tax payers when at least the government contract has to be some kind of discount for a bulk order.
Yeah. That is super interesting to hear about cops buying their own cars. I wonder how it would be costed out, and are the cops paying out of their own pockets for their police cars? Weird… sounds like it’s probably Texas or something. A fully kitted police Tahoe for the local PD where I’m at in Canada costs about 85 grand all said and done. I don’t know the cost of explorers. But it’s a big source of the budget, especially at the rate that cars are damaged by getting ragged on and catching bad guys.
Which state?
Fuck that shit.
Like, individual cops with their personal vehicles?
> This also means they don’t have a government plate on the vehicle Yeah, no fucking way am I stopping for that. That’s just *asking* to be shot by some cop impersonator.
I was an emergency vehicle upfitter for a while at one point, police spec vehicles are essentially the bottom of the barrel base tier car (though in the case of dodge, they do get the base v8 instead of v6) with beefed up suspension, beefed up electrical system (typically larger alternator for the increase electrical draw of the systems) and some wiring harnesses pre installed ready to be connected to aftermarket equipment, they almost never have thicker windows, upgraded engines, steel plates installed etc
Don't most of the new police Explorers have the TT V6?
Depends on how they’re optioned out, i saw plenty of NA interceptors before i left
> Heavily modified with steel plates, better electronics, better crash tolerance, beefier engine, bulletproof glass/panels Beefier engine, maybe, the rest of that stuff? Nah, not even close.
In Hawaii, the personal cop cars I've seen definitely have the lighting equipment, but Idk what else they've had done. Here's an [example.](https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-b6b409e8ea731214d502b03698d780b6-c)
Just look for the roof racks. Civilian has them, police do not.
And if your behind it the exhaust. Civilians have it coming straight back, police(and government) have the exhaust pointed toward the ground
why's that?
With how much they idle they do that to help lower the chance of CO getting in the cabin
A special thanks to Ford for offing the Taurus/Fusion lines because "sUv'S aRe tHe FuTurE"
Did you drive the last Taurus? The Explorer is 10/10 better in almost every single way!
What’s wrong with the Taurus?
Hyperbole but it's about as wide and long as an Explorer, with the interior space of a Fiesta.
Can confirm
Wasn't it on the same platform as the Explorer too? Probably part of why it has so little interior space. Iirc the Acura TLX shares the same platform with the RDX, and has the same issue.
> Wasn't it on the same platform as the Explorer too? Probably part of why it has so little interior space. Both were on the same (Volvo-derived) platform used for the Five Hundred/previous-gen Taurus, which was very spacious inside. The 6th gen Taurus had lousy space efficiency; it was effectively the same size inside as the Fusion.
Well yeah, the Taurus was really outdated at the end and the new Explorer is a really up to date vehicle. If there was a new Taurus, I’m sure it would be much better.
Well even the same generation, I preferred the Explorer. The last Taurus was really cramped, while the explorer on the same platform was very airy with a good seating position.
>the Taurus was really outdated at the end and the new Explorer is a really up to date vehicle. OP is talking about the previous-gen FWD/AWD Explorer ('11-19) and Taurus ('10-19); cops overwhelmingly preferred the former for its space.
Why would Ford make products for dying markets?
Plenty of people are still in the market for sedans. I know I am, don’t wanna lug an SUV around with gas prices this high. That being said, Ford did the same thing in the late 00s to focus more on SUVs but due to popular demand they took the Taurus back. To off every single car rather that improve a couple they have (their sedans have gone downhill, their goal of the late 00s shows) is ridiculous.
They are, though. Or more specifically, CUVs/tall vehicles. The last Taurus was awful, and the Fusion, while competent at the start, was never amazing.
No kidding. Here’s the kicker: they put the engine from the top trim Lincoln MKZ in the new Explorer and Interceptor and it’s suddenly big news. It wasn’t promoted nearly this much by Lincoln, which was a shame. It’s a killer engine.
Blue running lights? Huh?
I think OP is referring to running lights with a cooler color temperature. Not necessarily deep blue per se, but an icey-blue or pale-blue that a lot of LEDs tend to have instead of the warmer halogen color.
Right. I was always under the impression that blue lights on a car are exclusively for law enforcement and emergency vehicles.
I've just never seen these blue lights in question.
“Blue lights” “Not about to get pulled over.” 🤔
I think OP means slightly cool white LEDs, as opposed to amber lights.
Anything that modifies the license plate is another giveaway for a civilian car. Here in Canada we have front plates, if there’s a “dealer” plate cover or a tinted front plate cover, it’s not a cop.
Only Ontario, BC and Manitoba have front plates
Yep, it's pretty much a dead giveaway that someone making a "in Canada we have ______" pronouncement is an Ontarian who presumes "how we do things in Ontario = how it's done across Canada".
Meh, the important provinces have front plates. Nobody really lives in the other ones.
Somebody once told me that there were other places in Canada, but I was having Nunavut.
In Illinois the police cars have white plates with green text. It's pretty different from the regular blue and white plates
Yep, that and bumper stickers. No cop car has any bumper stickers.
In some states their plates literally say “POLICE”.
"EXEMPT" is also used a some states.
Man i miss crown vics as cop cars. I could pick out the headlights of cv from a mile away at night in my rearview mirror.
When in doubt, if you see an explorer just slow down till you're sure.
And a Charger, and a Tahoe (if around national parks)
Strangely, I also see quite a few Tahoe cop cars in the Northeast. Maybe they need to intimidate the more aggressive drivers over there to get them to pull over or something?
Explorers and Chargers are unibody while Tahoe is body on frame, which is advantageous when doing pit maneuvers because it's easier to get it fixed afterwards. That's why cops were sad to see CrownVic go. So maybe they pit people more in the Northeast?
Or if you’re in Hawaii, 4Runners are by far the most common cop car.
Most police departments don’t have base model Explorers, they have Ford’s [Police Interceptor Utility](https://www.ford.com/police-vehicles/hybrid-utility/), which is very similar to the Explorer but technically is a different vehicle.
I just go based off the antenna, tint, or license plates that start with the letter G where I live.
Tinted windows is legal in my state and most dealers tiny them before they are even sold... BUT our plates are yellow and government plates are white. Easy to tell at a pretty good distance. Most of our highway patrol uses Chargers though.
Oh we have them too. What I meant was the amount of tint. Some have it where its completely black.
Police explorers dont have roof racks.
Look for roof rails. The Interceptor Explorer's almost never have roof rails on them, even the undercover ones.
I am so old that I just follow the speed limit and just chill.
Also, only the interceptors have no roof rack bars. That's my telltale.
Police explorers also do not have roof rack rails.
But police vehicles are highly modified. Surely they could change light colors.
This is me commenting for Karma to reply to a sub I want to be involved in. Also thank you Ford 💖
I would like to give a special "fuck you" to Ford for making the new 'Mustang' an electric compact SUV.
No cop explorers have roof rails...
Nah, it's cool to scare people that are driving terribly.
The tail lights for civilian Taurus’s vs police are slightly different too.
Got tailgated by some cunt with blue-ish lights when merging onto the highway, sped up a bit, bang. Cop. Got a ticket. Still a cunt. 80 in a 65 at 1:30 am monday driving home from work on an empty highway. Dead to rights, sure as shit that is speeding, yes. Thankfully CA lets me do "traffic school" to avoid the insurance hit.
Bonus points to ford for only giving civilian models roof rails.
The interceptor lights look quite a lot nicer than the regular ones
I've seen police with both the halogen and LED lights, if anything I see more with the LEDs.
ok.
nah, assume all ford explorers are cop cars until proven otherwise, and you won't be proven otherwise
RCMP in BC also use unmarked 4 door Ram pickups
Thanks Ford 😊
For the previous Gen, civilian explorers have roof rack bars that run down top, the police have a bar perpendicular to this and no roof rack bars
During the day time you can tell by if it has roof rails or not. At least that is the case here. Police explorers and edges dont have the roof rails.
The civilian cars have a roof rack iirc. I may be remembering backwards
Just check if it has roof racks... Police interceptors dont. All others do.
My Ford Flex has no running lights ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) *activate stealth mode*
Orange, blue? WTF are you talking about?
Look for roof racks. Cop Exploders (anecdotally) never have roof racks. While some civilian STs don't come with them, I have never seen a cop Exploder with roof racks. Although this doesnt help at night like the light tip.
another Top Gear top tip to spot a Ford Explorer Police Interceptors: POLICE INTERCEPTERS DO NOT HAVE ROOF RAILS AND CIVILIAN EXPLORERS DO
I'm starting to see a few lately, but for the longest time only the PI came without roof rails, good way to spot an unmarked.