everything said above is true... they were slow sellers, they came out at a time of rising gas prices when people were not buying large vehicles... now they would face competition they didn't have when they came out because there are so many SUV's that have third row seating that are better suited for commuting and stuff. And my limited diesel 4x4 sticker at 60k. No wonder they were slow sellers when new! You could buy a base model surburban AND a chevy cavalier for what my truck cost.

New CAFE fuel standards mean manufacturers will likely have to downsize, or find a way to make more lightweight and aerodynamic, large SUVs and trucks. They certainly won't be introducing new, expensive, slow selling SUV's that place them in the public spotlight for chagrin.

 

The new EPA mpg laws require a certain mpg average. say the average has to be 30 mpg If you build 10 cars that get over 30 miles per gallon then you can build a few trucks and SUVs that get less. Then it is possible to bring back the excursion.

Ask Tim about how ford bought a few excursions from him to look over them. Supposedly they are thinking of bringing them back featuring the 6.7 and the 6.2.

 

IIRC, CAFE standards do not apply to vehicles over a particular weight rating (which the EX exceeded, no pun intended).

The market for the Excursion is extremely limited especially as there is the perfectly fine Expedition EL which rides better, is more soccer-mom friendly, has all the gizmos and lines up nicely against the Suburban/Yukon.

The Ex only brings a higher tow rating and (possibly) a diesel option to the table. Not enough to justify the engineering, I'd guess. Most roles fit for an Excursion can be handled by a Super Duty, an Econoline, or an Expedition (regular or EL). Makes for a narrow market...

 

Tim? Ford purchasing Excursions? Please elaborate.

 

I wonder how the Expedition EL's sales numbers compare to what the Excursion managed. I would be fairly comfortable in betting that the Excursion did slightly better than what the EL is doing. If I remember correctly, Ford sold 40,000 Expeditions but the majority of those were probably the short ones not the ELs.

 

Oh I dunno I see new EL's EVERYWHERE! If I talk to the drivers they usually say they bought one cause they excursion isn't available and would have bought the excursion if they could.

But talk to almost anyone that has a diesel ex and they all use it for towing. I definitely think there is a niche market for an SUV with a diesel that can tow a 10k or greater trailer.


I also think we will see new diesels coming out. I would have considered a smaller (expedition/durango/suburban) sized truck if I could have got one with a diesel.

I just really don't see ford bringing back the ex... but then again I never saw them doing some of the other weird things they have done.

What I'd like to see is a raptor version of the expedition... now that would be pretty sweet.

 

40,499 Expeditions were sold last year...I don't see even half of that being ELs.

 

Customs by Tim who builds the new excursion. Ford motor company bought a few new excursions from him for their research and development design depart(whatever it's called). Supposedly ford is drawing up new designs for the excursion. It's real simple to build another ex. All ford needs to do is use the chassis of a f250 super cab short bed(which doesn't sell as much as single and crews do) and drop a new redesigned excursion body on it.

 

They said they didn't make what they needed to to make it worth redesigning the ex for the 06 and up...

don't know what economies would have changed to make that no longer the case and it suddenly be a cash cow and worth building, especially with CAFE standards. Especially since they already have the investment in the EL on the current platform and I think we can all agree they wouldn't sell the EL and the EX at the same time.

As to the weight stuff, they have been and are changing cafe to eliminate all the loopholes. I think I'd have to believe, based on everything I've read, that if the excursion came out, it would be covered by CAFE the same as the expedition EL is.

 

There are a good deal of "Lightning" Expeditions out there. Guys (or gals) buy a 99-03 5.4L 2V equipped Expedition and the Lightning supercharger assembly is almost a complete bolt on with very little in the way of modding required. It'll do 300whp with no other performance parts and a basic tune. Then there are the guys who do all the lightning mods and are putting down well north of 400whp. There's a youtube vid of a guy with a Kenne Belle Expy dynoing over 600 to the wheels.

That was the whole reason I got a 2V 2nd gen Expy over the 3V. I figured if I ever wanted to do it I would be able to and its also easier to do the spark plugs on the 2Vs... If for some reason my search for an Ex does not work out or the wife decides to put her foot down on getting another big truck then I will probably be on the Lightning forums looking for a complete supercharger takeoff and talking to BTS about a tranny build.

 

2002, that is interesting to hear if it is completely factual. I take it that you know Tim since you were able to drive one of his creations.

This is my thinking: I have heard rumors that the EL isn't going to be back when the Expedition receives its redesign; probably due to slow sells. In its slowest year, the Excursion sold 21,669 units; like I have mentioned, I am willing to bet that this is better than what the EL has mustered. On top of that, the Excursion's potential profit margin is probably significantly above that of an Expedition. From what I understand, Ford made upwards of $12,000 on each Excursion and that number has probably inched up more because the current Super Duty platform has been in use fundamentally unchanged since what?...1998. Ford broke even on this platform a long time ago so they don't have much risk in losing money on building another vehicle that will not require much in the way of re engineering on the same stalwart platform.

As for CAFE, the Excursion would theoretically rake in an insignificant amount of sales compared to Ford's entire vehicle sells. With cars like the Fiesta, Fusion, Escape, etc. selling in large amounts, they would more than offset however Excursion sells would affect Ford's corporate fuel economy average.

All in all, it is interesting to think about because the Expedition has been strangely ignored in terms of updates. It has gone 6 years with no significant updates. In that same amount of time, the Super Duty has gone through two redesigns and has received an entirely new engine lineup. Perhaps Ford is reexamining the market...

 

they just redesigned it in 2007 with new mechanicals and sheetmetal... I don't think it shares much with the older models. Thats when they started the EL as well.

 

Yes, that is six model years with no updates. Ford seems to be on a cycle where they refresh their vehicles every three or four years with a full redesign on the sixth or seventh model year. For example: Super Duty-thorough redesign in 2008 followed by a refresh in 2011. Fusion-introduced in 2006, refreshed in 2010 and fully redesigned in 2013. F150-significantly updated in 2009 followed by a new engine lineup in 2011. Mustang-completely redesigned in 2005, refreshed in 2010, new engines in 2011 and completely redesigned for 2014/2015. Catching my drift?

 

Couple things to keep in mind... The Expedition EL has an independent rear suspesion, which allows the fold flat 3rd row (big selling point vs the GM Sub/Yukon), plus it is "badge engineered" into a Lincoln product as well.

An Excursion's advantage over the Expedition would be increased cargo/towing and expanded powertrain at the expense of less refinement and likely no Lincoln model. It seems that the North American market is moving away from large SUVs in general - witness the redesign of the Explorer from body-on-frame to unibody crossover. I have a hard time believing that if Ford can't find a market for an Expedition EL / Navigator L, that they will find one for a larger, less refined, less soccer mom friendly version.

The Excursion is ideal for those that need 4wd, regularly carry more than 5 people, and tow 8K+. Pretty narrow demographic, IMHO (not that I would not love to see a new one - I just don't see it happening in this market).

All that being said, the export market could drive development of new large SUV. Of course, we might not get it here given all of the negative press Ford would receive for any new Excursion....

 

Well I defiantly didn't fit in the excursion category listed^^. Wanted 4wd don't really need it, on a regular basis it's just me in my truck no passengers. Only tow 8k + when I use my fathers cabin cruiser. I can tow everything else with the ranger if I wanted to.

Why have I owned 3 excursion? I like the truck so much. If they built a new one I'd go buy one.