Aside from the obvious interior dimensions, what would you consider the pros & Cons of the Ex vs. E350 4x4 Van.

Both diesel, both 4x4.

Use:
Towing
Transport
Work station.

Concerns:
Weight
Stability
Handling
Fuel Economy (based on a 7.3 diesel)
Load Capacity.

If you had a choice, which one?

 

Easy decision. The Excursion is a Ford designed, engineered, and built vehicle. Any E350 4x4 is not. It's been "upfitted" by who knows who and the quality should be questioned.

 

rlh68050, can you explain what upfitted would be for the e350? You say the EX is ford designed, engineered and built, but the E350 is not, I'm just curious about that. Not questioning you, I'm simply curious.

 

I'm pretty sure he's talking about the 4x4. The E350 didn't come 4x4 from Ford. It is aftermarket.


Also, the 7.3 doesn't put out as much power in the van as it doesn't have an intercooler.

 

Ok, that makes sense. Sorry for mini hijack, was curious. Thanks so much.

 

Not all Ex's were 4wd correct?
So, they had to be "fitted" by Ford to become so. I realize factory fitment is covered under warranty and such, but so are those products engineered, built by and/or installed by, say Sportmobile.

And uUsing the assumption of not tampering with Ford engineering, why would anyone ever dream of modifying a stock excursion from it's stock engineered configuration? Didn't they figure all that out at the factory?

As for the quality...Quigley, Sportsmobile, U-Joint....any of those ring a bell?

All very reputable builders.

So I'm still interested in some feedback on the categories mentioned?

Really, what I'm looking for, is anyone with first hand experience with them? Any real time comparisons?

Comparisons or feedback like this:
Thanks. That's the kind of comment I'm looking for
And I do appreciate rlh68050's opinion.

 

I have owned both an Excursion V-10 (4wd) and a E350 V-10 (2wd) and they had similiar handing to me. IIRC the E350 has a higher payload but Ex owners have added springs and such to raise the carrying capacity of theirs (doesn't raise the GVWR). The E350 had more headroom than the Excursion and they both towed my TT great but I enjoyed the flexibility the 4 wheel drive gave me in the Ex so an E350 with 4 wheel drive would be a nice TV. I have read about Quigley conversions and haven't read one bad report on them yet. Their conversion seems pretty top notch just like the factory. I believe you can order them from Ford so they are far from chop shop quality.

 

Lets not forget the "style" factor. The E350 may be as capable but vans in general are just plain butt ugly.

 

Having just sold a 1995 E350 Club Chateau, that I had since new, and picked up a 2003 Excursion Eddie Bauer, I must say I miss the van.
Much more useable room inside, better forward visibility, the ability to "walk back from the front seats to the rear is a plus when it's time to break up a fight amungst the offspring. The van had close to 300,000 kilometers on it, and no major mechanical issues. It was starting to get a bit rusty underneath.
I do like the excursion, as it is much quieter inside, has more features, and 4x4 will be a definite plus in the winter. The van had a 7.5 litre gas engine, the ex has the 6.8, I think mileage is pretty close to the same.
I got a good deal on the excursion, so I'm going to give it time to grow on me. It does have a much better "presence" than the van did.

Carry On,

 

The Quigley van has it's advantages, but as an Excursion owner, I have to say I'm biased...

The Excursion is wider, whereas the vans are taller...but believe it or not they have the same amount of room, it's just distributed differently. With a van, you have room for kids and other passengers to move around on a long road trip. With the Excursion, kids are more confined but have plenty of room to slide around on whatever row. If you need to haul something big, the Excursion wins hands down. With a van, you can only fit so much on top of the "James Bond" couch in the back.

It just depends on who you are and what your needs are; I prefer the Excursion because it's more practical for me and what I do with it. It's also easier to work on...lol.

 

Van is shorter in length and width so if you are planning to use off road then the van wins. The van will win resale too. The X however wins the day to day use and appearance category.

 

What about safety as far as in a collision situation? Would the Ex protect the occupants better than the E350 van? What about the center of gravity and how likely is one to tip over compared to the other?

 

The X wins on all fronts there now doesn't it?

 

Are you sure about that. It seems as if the Excursion is "Prime" right now. Everyone is looking for one, and the people who are selling them seem to be pricing them high. I am selling mine with a 31 Ft travel trailer and think I have them reasonably priced, but that is my opinion.

 

They key here is that Ford still makes the vans, but not the Excursion. There are still plenty of Ex's on the road. Give it another 5 years you'll see less of them. These will come down in price (except the 7.3L diesels) now until it reaches an equilibrium point, stay flat and then the price will climb due to the rare factor.