THE VEHICLES TESTED WERE THE DODGE ASPEN, FORD FAIRMONT, CHEVROLET IMPALA, FORD LTD AND LTD II, CHEVROLET MALIBU, CHRYSLER NEWPORT, DODGE ST. REGIS, AND PLYMOUTH VOLARE. ALL 1979 TEST VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH DRIVE TRAINS, SUSPENSION, AND BRAKE COMPONENTS, AS WELL AS WITH TIRES AND INTERIOR FEATURES AND INSTRUMENTATION SPECIFIED IN ICAP REQUIREMENTS. THE FIRST PHASE, PRELIMINARY HANDLING EVALUATION, TESTED HIGH SPEED CORNERING AND HANDLING ABILITY BY SUBJECTING EACH VEHICLE TO COMPLETION OF 16 TIMED LAPS. BRAKE TESTING INVOLVED EVALUATION OF EACH VEHICLE'S ABILITY TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT DECELERATION RATE OF 22 FEET PER SECOND ON TWO SEQUENCES OF 90 MILE-PER-HOUR TO 0 STOPS, AND TENDENCY FOR BRAKE TO FADE OR LOCK UP EVENLY AND TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT LINE ON LOCKUP. VEHICLES WERE ALSO SUBJECTED TO FUEL ECONOMY TESTS AND TO ACCELERATION AND TOP-SPEED TESTING, THE LATTER TEST INVOLVING A FIFTH WHEEL IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN ELECTRONIC DIGITAL SPEED METER AND TIMER TO DETERMINE THE ABILITY OF VEHICLES TO ACCELERATE FROM A STANDING START TO 60, 80, AND 100 MILES PER HOUR, RESPECTIVELY. THE INSTRUMENTED PERFORMANCE TEST EXAMINED VEHICLES' ABILITY TO RESIST SIDE FORCE OR SKIDDING HIT WITH A GRAVITY FORCE EQUAL TO THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE ITSELF, AND AN ERGONOMICS EVALUATION MEASURED COMFORT AS RATED INDEPENDENTLY BY FOUR OFFICERS. ADDITIONAL EVALUATIONS WERE MECHANICAL (VEHICLES WERE SCALE-RATED BY THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT), COMMUNICATIONS (LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENTAL RADIO INSTALLATION UNIT PERSONNEL RATED VEHICLES' ABILITIES TO ACCOMMODATE THE REQUIRED COMMUNICATIONS AND EMERGENCY WARNING EQUIPMENT), AND HEAT TESTING (EVALUATORS MEASURED AMBIENT, RADIATOR INTAKE, UNDERHOOD, TRANSMISSION OIL, POWER STEERING OIL, ENGINE OIL, AND ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURES WITH A DIGITAL THERMOMETER). DETAILED TECHNICAL DATA RESULTING FROM THE STUDIES ARE INCLUDED, AS ARE BASIC SPECIFICATIONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PATROL VEHICLES. (DAG)