Explorer

Make
Ford
Segment
SUV

What's with this SUV craze anyways? We get that gas prices are low and people don't mind splurging on gas guzzlers, but why not opt for performance instead of utility by buying sports cars stuffed with V8s? Either way, the reemergence of the SUV glory days is changing the entire automotive industry as we know it. Niche SUVs are coming out left and right, and even the Queen of England has given up her Bentley sedan in favor of a SUV. Whether or not SUVs are a status symbol in the eyes of the public, cops are the newest group of SUV-loving consumers.

We can't imagine why, since powerful pursuit sedans seem like a lot more fun during car chases than an SUV. Maybe it has something to do with SUVs being better four-wheeled ramming devices than sedans. Either way, Ford's latest data shows the magnitude of the switch that police departments across the nation are undertaking. When Ford's newest Taurus and Explorer-based Police Interceptor vehicles hit the market in 2012, the sedan outsold the SUV by a slight margin. A year later, the Explorer had overtaken and has remained the police car of choice. Since March of 2012 until now, the Explorer Police Interceptor has made up 64% of Ford police car sales.

We bet this number would be different if the Mustang had made it to the pool of optional police vehicles. This trend coincides with current industry trends, which are seeing cars becoming the rare choice of vehicle for the general population. In a time where manuals are being overtaken by CVTs and downsizing is the new norm, this doesn't surprise us in the least. Trucks sales have also risen by 7% this year, accounting for a portion of the loss in car sales. This may explain why Ford has just released a new F-150 based police truck. Pro Tip: If you're considering a gas guzzler to take advantage of low gas prices, get a V8 sports car and then you won't have to worry about lardy police SUVs catching up to hand you a speeding ticket.