TESTS WERE DESIGNED COOPERATIVELY BETWEEN 'MOTOR TREND' MAGAZINE AND THE LOS ANGELES SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TO PREDICT THE FUTURE BEHAVIOR, LONGEVITY, AND SERVICEABILITY OF CARS BEING CONSIDERED FOR POLICE USE. CARS TESTED WERE THE CHEVROLET NOVA, PLYMOUTH FURY, DODGE DART, MERCURY MONTEGO, AND PONTIAC LE MANS. THE FIRST PHASE OF THE TEST, A PASS OR FAIL SITUATION INCLUDING HIGH-SPEED LAPS AND LOW-SPEED LAPS, AND PANIC STOPS, WAS DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE THE OBVIOUS UNACCEPTABLES. THE SECOND PHASE WAS PERFORMANCE TESTING ADAPTED TO SPECIALIZED ACTIVITY. THIS INCLUDED ACCELERATION FROM REST, BRAKING FADE TESTS, AND EMERGENCY HANDLING. REPAIR (MECHANICAL) AND FUEL COMPARISONS WERE ALSO MADE. THE COMPACT POLICE CAR WAS SHOWN TO BE DEMONSTRABLY SAFER. A SUMMARY CHART AND PHOTOGRAPHS ARE INCLUDED. (RFC)