In this recent Super Bowl ad, the police need to use a Toyota Prius in order to catch bad guys who were outrunning them in another Prius.
The commercial is a work of fiction, but for the city of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, it is a true story.
The Arkadelphia Police Department used to use the iconic Crown Victoria police cruiser. These cars were beasts in their day -- big, tough, and muscular. All the things you look for in a police car.
When Officer Don Cleek heard they were replacing the old V8's with the Toyota Camry Hybrid, "I was dead set against it," he said.
The Crown Victorias only got 12mpg, and cost the city $2,500 in repairs each month. The city was talking about cutting shifts, and reducing patrol miles just to balance the budget.
The new Toyota Camry Hybrid police cruisers get 27mpg, even with the taxing way the officers drive them. They break down less. The money saved allowed the police department to increase patrols, and give everybody a 3 percent raise.
They also turned out to be great police cars. The officers call the hybrid's silent engine "stealth mode," and they find the lighter vehicles handle better at high speeds, too.
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