What’s the Best Patrol Vehicle in 2025?
When it comes to picking a patrol vehicle, every cop, sheriff, and fleet manager has an opinion – and they’ll defend it like a hometown football team. In 2025 the debate is hotter than ever, because the big three pursuit-rated SUVs each bring something unique to the table. Ask “What’s the best police vehicle in 2025?” and you’ll hear passionate arguments for Ford’s tech-savvy hybrid, Chevy’s burly V8 wagon, or Dodge’s muscular underdog. Truth is, “best” depends on who you ask and what your department needs. Let’s break down the contenders – the Ford Police Interceptor Utility (Explorer), Chevrolet Tahoe PPV, and Dodge Durango Pursuit – and see why every department swears their choice is the right one.
Ford Police Interceptor Utility (Explorer) – The Hybrid Hotshot
A Los Angeles Police Department Ford Police Interceptor Utility (Explorer) on city patrol. The Ford PI Utility has become a ubiquitous police SUV, valued for its balanced performance and high-tech, upfit-friendly features.
Meet the Ford Police Interceptor Utility (PIU) – essentially a law-enforcement-tuned Explorer that’s America’s most popular police vehicle. By 2025, Ford has doubled down on tech and efficiency: a hybrid powertrain now comes standard, letting the SUV sip fuel at idle without sacrificing pursuit power. In fact, the 2025 PIU’s hybrid system can run lights, radios, and electronics on battery while the engine catches a break, saving an estimated 838 gallons of fuel per year (about $17.5k over 6 years) compared to all-gas patrol cars. That “silent watch” capability is a game-changer for city departments where patrol SUVs spend 40–60% of their time idling on scene. And don’t worry, Ford insists the hybrid PIU offers “zero compromise” on speed or performance versus the gas model– in other words, it’s still plenty quick when you stomp the pedal.
Performance & Handling: With standard AWD and a lower center of gravity than truck-based SUVs, the PI Utility drives more like a spirited sedan on steroids. The available 3.0L EcoBoost V6 cranks out a whopping 400 hp for those highway chases, while the hybrid V6 makes a respectable 318 hp. Officers often report that the Explorer-based PIU feels nimble in city traffic and confident at high speeds on the freeway. Ford even added a new “Manual Pursuit Mode” – tap a steering-wheel button and the transmission holds lower gears and firmer shifts for aggressive driving. In short, the PIU can hustle. And thanks to upgraded brakes and a suspension tuned for law enforcement, it handles the weight of gear (and the occasional curb-hop) with ease. It also aced Ford’s 75-mph rear crash test, meaning it can take a hit and keep your officers safer.
Interior & Upfitting: One word: ergonomic. Ford knows cops basically live in these SUVs for 8-12 hours a shift, so they’ve optimized the cabin for duty use. The front seats are designed to accommodate duty belts, so no more feeling like you’re sitting on your handcuffs. The shifter is column-mounted (police officers cheered when Ford ditched the civilian rotary dial) to free up space between the seats for consoles and equipment racks. In the 2025 update, Ford added a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and four programmable steering-wheel switches so officers can control lights, sirens, and other devices without taking hands off the wheel. The PIU is extremely upfit-friendly: its standard Police Vehicle Integration System 2.0 provides built-in wiring interfaces, making it easier to install lights, radios and radar – “less time rewiring, more plug-and-play ease,” as upfitters say. There’s even a factory option for a lockable vault in the cargo area to secure rifles, evidence, or donuts (okay, probably not donuts). And speaking of cargo, the PIU offers plenty for urban duty – enough room for medical kits, spike strips, and maybe a small battering ram, without being a hulking beast to parallel park.
Notable Features: Ford has been keen on officer safety and high-tech touches. Every 2025 PIU comes with Police Perimeter Alert (it’s like a motion sensor that watches your six; if someone sneaks up, the SUV chimes, turns on a rear camera and locks the doors). The Police Engine Idle feature lets you remove the key and lock the SUV while it keeps running (no more thefts of running cruisers). There’s a “Dark Car” mode to kill interior lights on stakeouts. Optional Level IV ballistic door panels can stop high-powered rifle rounds – literally bulletproof doors! All of this makes the Explorer PIU a high-tech, future-proof patrol ride. It’s no surprise that big departments from NYPD to LAPD have made it their go-to cruiser.
Pros: Agile handling, standard hybrid efficiency, loads of safety tech, extremely upfitter-friendly (pre-wired and ready), proven AWD performance. Cons: Slightly less interior room than the Tahoe, and some old-school officers miss the V8 rumble (the hybrid is quiet – good for sneaking, less so for gearheads). Also, with all the gadgets, the sticker price isn’t cheap: a new PIU runs around mid-$40k depending on options. But for many, the fuel savings and capability more than make up for it.
Chevrolet Tahoe PPV – The V8 Beast of the Highway
If the Explorer is the agile athlete, the Chevy Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicle (PPV) is the linebacker – big, powerful, and built to take a beating. This is the full-size SUV that many troopers and deputies swear by, especially in rural and highway patrol roles. The 2025 Tahoe PPV continues Chevrolet’s 70-year legacy of police V8s, packing a 5.3L V8 engine (355 hp, 383 lb·ft) under the hood. That small-block V8 burble is music to an officer’s ears and delivers strong acceleration even with a loaded rig. The Tahoe’s body-on-frame, truck-based platform has been thoroughly pursuit-tuned: Chevy lowered the ride height and stiffened the suspension on the PPV so it corners much flatter than your uncle’s civilian Tahoe. High-performance Brembo brakes and an upgraded cooling system are onboard to handle all that kinetic energy of a 3-ton SUV in a chase. In Michigan State Police tests, the latest Tahoe’s top speed and lap times now give the Ford a run for its money (no more jokes about Tahoes being slow, they’re legitimately quick for their size).
Size & Capability: One word: space. Agencies love the Tahoe because it’s roomy enough to carry all the gear. Got a K-9 unit? The Tahoe’s rear can fit a full-size dog kennel with room to spare for a cooling fan and water bowl. Need to haul heavy equipment or a team’s worth of riot gear? The Tahoe boasts 125+ cubic feet of cargo volume with seats folded – basically a rolling storage unit on wheels. Even with the second row up (for transporting detainees or passengers), you get a huge cargo area for rifles, medical kits, shields, and more. Plus, the Tahoe PPV is rated to tow ~6,000 lbs (or up to 8,200 lbs in the SSV package), so it can pull trailers, boats, or mobile command posts without breaking a sweat. Rural sheriffs in particular love that capability – a Tahoe can respond to an incident with an equipment trailer in tow, something a unibody Explorer might struggle with.
Despite its size, the new Tahoe handles surprisingly well. The latest generation introduced independent rear suspension, improving ride smoothness and cornering stability. Officers report that the Tahoe feels planted at high speeds – a big confidence booster on wide-open highways. It’s also available in RWD or 4x4; many agencies opt for 4WD for all-weather and light off-road use (critical for rural deputies who may traverse dirt roads or snowy passes). Ground clearance is generous, and the Tahoe’s rugged build can absorb the abuse of off-pavement patrol or hopping curbs in urban call response. It’s no rock-crawler, but compared to smaller SUVs, the Tahoe is the battering ram that can bust through flooded streets or snowdrifts with relative ease.
Interior & Upfit Friendliness: The Tahoe’s cavernous interior is a selling point for officers on the larger side (or wearing winter layers and external vests). Chevy outfits the PPV with police-specific front seats that have built-in cutouts for duty belt gear, meaning the radio and cuffs on your hip won’t bruise your kidneys. The center console comes deleted from factory, leaving a nice blank canvas between the seats to mount your radios, siren controls, and MDT (mobile computer) – upfitters love the space. There are also convenient flat panels and pass-throughs for wiring. Chevy’s electrical architecture in the PPV provides high-output alternators and auxiliary power taps ready to hook up light bars, laptops, radar units, you name it. Many Tahoes come with dual batteries and dedicated circuits for aftermarket gear. And if you want plug-and-play lights, GM offers an optional Whelen lighting package from the factory (integrated LED flashers in the grille, pillars, etc.)– your new Tahoe can arrive with the red & blues already installed and warranty-backed.
Tech-wise, the 2025 Tahoe PPV caught up to the times: it now features a massive 17-inch touchscreen with Google built-in maps (helpful for pursuits or navigation, a digital rearview mirror (so you can see behind even with partitions or prisoners blocking the window), and a standard HD 360° camera system for maneuvering in tight spots. These modern touches might seem like luxuries, but officers appreciate anything that improves situational awareness. And despite the fancy screen, all critical controls (lights, siren, push-to-talk) are still toggles or buttons that can be mounted within easy reach.
On the street: The Tahoe PPV shines in highway and suburban environments. State troopers love them for long freeway stretches – the V8 can maintain high speeds effortlessly and the wheelbase provides a stable ride when nabbing speeders. In more spread-out cities or counties, the Tahoe’s presence is a bonus: it looks authoritative (harder to miss than a smaller SUV). Some agencies also prefer a larger vehicle for officer safety in crashes, and indeed the Tahoe’s heft and ladder frame can offer a solid protective cage. Durability is another plus – these trucks are built on a platform similar to the Silverado, so they have heavy-duty components that hold up under punishing use. It’s not uncommon for a well-maintained Tahoe to remain in frontline service for 5-7 years or more, then get repurposed for detective or administrative use.
Pros: Biggest interior and cargo capacity of the group, rugged truck durability, strong V8 performance, excellent towing/utility, and lots of factory upfit support. Cons: Larger size can be a tight squeeze in dense urban areas or old parking garages. Fuel economy? Let’s just say the hybrid Explorer laughs while the Tahoe guzzles (expect ~15 MPG on duty – the price for that V8 power). Also, sticker price is highest: a 2023 Tahoe PPV started around $48k (RWD) to $51k (4x4) new – often a few thousand more than a comparable Ford PIU. But for many departments, the capability is worth the cost. Ask a Texas Highway Patrol trooper or a county sheriff in Montana, and they’ll tell you: “Nothing beats a Tahoe for all-around police work.”
Dodge Durango Pursuit – The Underdog with a HEMI Punch
An unmarked Dodge Durango Pursuit used by Albany Police Department. Dodge’s Pursuit SUV often flies under the radar (sometimes literally, as agencies use unmarked Durangos for traffic enforcement), but it offers a blend of comfort and muscle that wins loyal fans.
While Ford and Chevy often steal the spotlight, Dodge’s Durango Pursuit is the dark horse that many officers quietly love. The 2025 Dodge Durango Pursuit comes from the Mopar stable known for speed (its cousin, the Charger sedan, was a legend in its own right). Dodge has positioned the Durango Pursuit as a balanced mid-size SUV – bigger than an Explorer in some dimensions, smaller than a Tahoe – with a focus on performance and all-weather traction. Under the hood you have two engine choices: the standard 3.6L Pentastar V6 (293 hp) or the beloved 5.7L HEMI V8 pumping out around 360 hp and 390 lb·ft of torque. Yes, that’s right, the HEMI is alive and well in police service. With the V8, the Durango turns into a hot-rod SUV that launches off the line with authority – it’s easy to chirp the tires (ask me how I know). Even the V6 is no slouch, and it brings slightly better fuel mileage if budgets are tight. All-wheel drive (AWD) is standard on the Durango Pursuit, with a smart system that shifts power between wheels to maintain grip. In crappy weather or on dirt roads, the Durango grabs and goes, where some RWD SUVs might be slipping.
Driving & Handling: Dodge built the Durango Pursuit with a performance-tuned, load-leveling suspension using Nivomat self-leveling shocks. Translation: even with a trunk full of gear or a couple of perp passengers, the rear end won’t sag – the suspension adjusts to keep the ride height optimal and handling sharp. Officers often praise the Durango’s balanced feel: it sits lower than a Tahoe, giving a more planted cornering feel, but it’s still hefty enough to be stable at speed. The Pursuit package includes heavy-duty everything – brakes, cooling, stability control – all calibrated for the demands of pursuits. In acceleration tests, the HEMI Durango has been known to edge out the larger V8 SUVs up to about 60 mph, thanks to a great power-to-weight ratio and that quick-shifting 8-speed transmission. Top speeds are electronically capped for all these vehicles, but let’s just say a HEMI Durango can easily hang in the 130+ mph club. Importantly, the Durango also brings a decent 8.1 inches of ground clearance – not as high as a lifted truck, but enough to handle rough terrain and floods better than a sedan. It truly is a versatile performer: highway, city, or off-road, one vehicle that can do it all in a pinch.
Interior & Special Features: Here’s where the Durango sometimes surprises people. Dodge paid a lot of attention to officer comfort in this SUV. The front seats are sculpted for duty belts, similar to the Tahoe, to reduce hip and back strain. The Durango also has an industry-first tri-zone climate control that’s K-9 friendly – meaning you can set a separate temperature for the cargo area where a police dog might be kenneled. K-9 officers love this, since keeping their four-legged partners cool is critical. In fact, many agencies choose Durangos specifically for K-9 units: the size is just right for a dog cage in back, and the ride is smoother than a truck so Rex is comfortable. The instrument panel-mounted electronic shifter frees up the center floor area, allowing more room to mount radios and equipment (no big shifter sticking out of the console). The Vehicle Systems Interface Module provides easy hookup for lights and sirens, and Dodge includes wiring prep for spotlight, lightbar, and grille lights from factory. Another neat feature: the Pursuit has red/white overhead dome lights (red for night vision) from factory, so officers can read or work inside without blowing their cover – think of it as a built-in stealth mode for the interior.
The Durango Pursuit’s cabin is often described as quiet and solid. Less road noise than some competitors (Dodge beefed up sound insulation, which you appreciate on long patrol shifts). There’s ample room up front, and decent space in back for prisoners if you use it as a transport. Note that the Durango is a two-row setup in police trim – no third row – so behind the second row cage you get a sizable cargo area (about 43 cubic feet of space) for gear. That’s in the same ballpark as the Explorer’s cargo room. It can also tow 7,200 lbs with the HEMI (6,200 lbs with the V6), which rivals the Tahoe in capability. Dodge really emphasized making this a jack-of-all-trades vehicle.
On Patrol: Departments that run Durangos often do so because they’ve had great reliability from the Dodge Charger Pursuits and want to stay in the family, or because they got a sweet deal (Dodge has priced the Durango Pursuit aggressively at times to steal market share). You’ll find regional loyalties at play: for example, some Midwest and East Coast agencies have fleets of Durangos and love them – Albany PD in NY heavily uses Durangos, finding them ideal for city patrol and highway details. In contrast, West Coast agencies lean more Ford, and Southern states love their Tahoes. But those who drive the Durango often become die-hard fans. They cite the smooth ride (it’s built on a unibody chassis, so it’s less truck-like over bumps), the quick acceleration, and often the cost – you might get a Durango Pursuit a few thousand cheaper than a comparable Tahoe or Explorer, stretching the budget further. And let’s not forget the intangibles: there’s something satisfying about having a HEMI growl under the hood. 🚓 Some officers are gearheads, and the Mopar muscle reputation carries weight.
Pros: Strong V8 performance (with satisfying sound), comfortable ride and seating, excellent AWD system, K-9 friendly features, and generally lower initial cost. Good blend of city maneuverability and highway stability. Cons: The Durango doesn’t have the massive cargo volume of a Tahoe, and Dodge’s future in the police market is a bit uncertain (with Chargers discontinued, the Durango Pursuit’s long-term fate is unclear – but as of 2025 it’s still in production). Resale and parts network might not be as robust as Ford/GM, though being a proven platform, maintenance is straightforward. Also, if you need the absolute largest vehicle, Tahoe still wins on sheer size. But if you ask the officers who drive them, the Durango Pursuit hits a sweet spot that just fits their needs.
Horses for Courses: Choosing What Fits Your Agency
At the end of the day, declaring a single “best” patrol vehicle is like arguing Coke vs. Pepsi – it depends on taste and needs. Each of these 2025 police SUVs shines in its element:
Urban Police Department? The Ford PI Utility’s hybrid efficiency and tech (quiet idling, tight turning radius, advanced integration) likely make it the best police vehicle for city use in 2025. Cities love saving fuel and having nimble vehicles for crowded streets. Plus, the tech-savvy features appeal to modern policing with cameras and sensors.
Highway Patrol or Rural Sheriff? The Tahoe PPV often gets the nod. Out on the open road, that V8 power and extra size for long rifles, spike strips, and personal gear is appreciated. The Tahoe’s proven durability on rough roads (and yes, the psychological deterrence of a big black-and-white truck in the rearview mirror) are big pros. Its towing and off-road ability also suit country duty.
Mixed Suburban or Agency that wants a bit of both? The Durango Pursuit might be the Goldilocks. It’s got highway legs with the HEMI, but it’s easier to manage in dense areas than a Tahoe. Agencies that run lots of specialty units (K-9, traffic, undercover) like the Durango for its versatility – it can be marked or slicktop, and it blends in more than the larger SUVs.
And let’s be honest: tradition and preference play a big role. If your department has been a “Ford shop” for years, odds are you’ll stick with the Explorer and have spare parts and familiarity to back it up. Chevy loyalists will point out their Tahoes have held up to 100k hard miles and still feel solid. Dodge fans (they do exist!) will passionately argue that the Pursuit’s performance is unmatched for the price. Every cop thinks their cruiser is the best – and for them, it probably is.
One officer put it to us like this: “The best patrol vehicle is the one that gets the job done and brings you home safe. For some that’s a hybrid Explorer saving gas in the city, for others it’s a Tahoe that can power through a muddy back road, and for others it’s a Durango that’s quick off the line. You can’t go wrong as long as it fits your mission.” In other words, the “best” patrol SUV is the one that aligns with your agency’s priorities – be it fuel economy, cargo capacity, all-out power, or purchase price.
The Bottom Line (and a Friendly CTA)
In 2025’s patrol vehicle showdown, there’s no one-size-fits-all winner – and that’s actually great news. Law enforcement agencies have three excellent pursuit-rated SUVs to choose from, each with proven merits. Whether you’re Team Ford, Team Chevy, or Team Dodge, the key is outfitting your chosen ride to meet your officers’ needs and your community’s challenges. That’s where we come in. Contact Blueprint Outfitting to help spec and upfit whatever patrol platform you run – be it a fleet of hybrid Explorers, a pack of Tahoes, or a stable of Durangos. We’ve outfitted them all, and our mission is simple: make your police vehicle the best it can be for the job. From lightbars to laptops, partitions to power management, we’ll ensure your cruisers are 100% ready for duty. After all, the best patrol vehicle is the one that’s expertly upfitted to keep your officers safe, effective, and proud to hit the streets. Let’s build your perfect patrol SUV together – whatever badge sits on the grille, we’ve got your back.
