Excursion vs Suburban: Battle of Massive People Movers

Is the ‘over the top’ 2001 Ford Excursion a superior vehicle to the less hyped Suburban of its era?

There was a time, not terribly long ago, when we could buy gigantic, gas guzzling, highly capable SUVs. It’s fair to note that you can sort of do the same thing today, but there’s nothing on the market quite like the Ford Excursion. The Super Duty-based ‘ute quickly became a favorite among enthusiasts, and today, it has also gained favor with collectors, driving prices to some pretty crazy levels. The folks over at The Fast Lane Truck just snagged a 2001 Ford Excursion of their own, and also happened to have a 1996 GMC Suburban 2500 sitting around, so it made for a good time to do a comparison between the two.

This particular 2001 Ford Excursion is fitted with the 6.8-liter V10 that was originally rated to produce 310 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque, while the Suburban and its 454 cubic-inch V8 make 290 horsepower and 410 pound-feet. Of course, power really only matters in terms of what it does for capability in these rigs, plus it has to be enough to propel them to highway speeds in a reasonable timeframe. Regardless, this comparison test does net some interestingly thoughts about these two big SUVs in other areas.

TFLT notes that it understands why people like the Excursion, calling it “over the top,” but they also point out that this can be a good and a bad thing. The V10 gets horrible gas mileage, as everyone knows, and the Excursion is simply massive. Unless you’ve got a ton of kids and a big boat to tow, one can certainly make the case that it’s too much, but that’s also what has made it such a highly-coveted vehicle in recent years.

At the end of the day, the Suburban wins this comparison, however, simply because it’s a bit more practical. TFLT prefers the 454 over the V10, the interior of the GMC, and the superior ride quality. The Excursion wins in terms of styling and overall looks, sheer passenger and cargo room, and capability, while the diesel is obviously the better powertrain choice in this particular vehicle. Regardless, it’s easy to see why everyone loves the Excursion, and also why this generation of the Suburban might soon be the next sought-after collectible.

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Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.