Description
When it comes to size, the Excursion was the Godzilla of its times, stretching longer than any Chevrolet Suburban and made the Ford Focus looked like a Pinto when parked next to the big SUV.
Ford took inspiration from Hummer when it built the Excursion. While the rugged military vehicle was big with four cramped seats and offered a cubicle's comfort, the Excursion tried to be on the other side of the scale but showed less off-road abilities. The road-Behemoth was built on the same chassis as the F250 Super Duty and delivered ample room for up to nine people inside.
The front fascia resembled the F250 front fascia, with big squared headlights and a three-parted grille. Hence the car was very tall on its feet. It featured a steel metallic bumper under the bumper to prevent the vehicle climb on other sedans. Ford installed side-steps to climb inside the vehicle, and that was a good idea. In the back, the tailgate split in three, with the window going up and the lower side opening from the middle on the left and right hinges.
Inside, Ford offered a limo-like room for seven or eight passengers. It could also be offered with up to nine seating capacity with three rows of benches. Otherwise, it featured captain seats in the middle and individual seats at the front. The dashboard was similar to the one installed on the F250 Super Duty.
Under the hood, Ford installed the V10 Triton engine for the base, 4x4 model, but the Excursion was available in a 4x2 version as well. Despite the rigid front axle with leaf-springs, the biggest SUV on the market offered good comfort thanks to its huge wheelbase.
Press Release
The Excursion was the largest SUV in the Ford Motor Company lineup for the model years 2000-2005. Based on the Super Duty pickup truck platform, it offered large V8 (gasoline and diesel) and V10 (gasoline) engines, and seating for up to 9 passengers. It was designed to slot above the Ford Expedition and Ford Explorer in the company's SUV lineup. The Excursion was designed to be classified as a heavy-duty vehicle, as for commercial or rural use, which exempted the vehicle from CAFE fuel economy regulations. The last Excursion was produced on September 30, 2005, at Ford's Louisville plant. Production was cancelled after sales slumped below targets.
Introduced in 2000, it was initially criticized for being too large to fit in most home garages. It was longer than the Chevrolet Suburban & GMC Yukon XL, its chief competitors. Opponents also complained about its large weight, and poor fuel economy. Sales were initially good, but slowed as gasoline prices rose. In 2003, the 7.3 L Powerstroke diesel was replaced with a more powerful, and yet more fuel efficient 6.0 L Powerstroke diesel. Industry insiders expected Ford to stop producing the Excursion, but sales continued through the 2005 model year, and production of the Excursion finally ended in September 2005. It was not external criticism that killed the Excursion - rather Ford needed to free up capacity at the Louisville plant that produces the Super Duty pickup trucks. A more fuel efficient, extended-length Expedition, named the Expedition EL, is scheduled to replace the Excursion in the company's lineup for the 2007 model year. The 2007 Lincoln Navigator L will also be based on the same platform as the Expedition EL.
A 4-speed automatic transmission was standard, with a 5-speed automatic introduced in 2003. 2003 also saw the availability of an upmarket Eddie Bauer trim line. The grille was updated for 2005.
The truck uses code U4 in the 5th and 6th positions of the VIN.
Engines included the following:
+ 7.3 L Diesel V8, 235 hp-250 hp (2000-2003)
+ 5.4 L V8, 255 hp (2000-2005)
+ 6.8 L V10, 310 hp (2000-2005)
+ 6.0 L Diesel V8, 325 hp (2003-2005)
The Excursion included a unique feature called the "BlockerBeam", which was an under-bumper rollbar-like device that helped stop smaller vehicles from sliding under an Excursion during collisions. The BlockerBeam concept is now widely used in the industry.
