Thought this would be fun.

I'll start, my wife is an interior decorator specializing in Yachts, several years back she took on a refit of all soft goods on a mega yacht. The catch was she had 5 weeks to finish the yacht before it would be shipped out to Russia. Her business consist of 3 work rooms located about 40 miles away from the shipyard where the work was being done. She had decided in order to complete this job on time and not have her crew stop production, every time a few pieces were ready she/I would drive down pickup and take finished pieces back to the yacht.

She decided to buy a van, well I don't do vans. So I took charge a purchased the 2002 Ex v10. Always thinking when the job was done I would either give the Ex to her project manager (that has a company van now) or just sell it.

All I can say is that after driving the Ex for sometimes 160 miles in a day I fell in love with it. Needless to say I never gave her up until buying my current Ex.

My daily driver at the time was a new Range Rover and yes I sold that to drive a real mans SUV.

 

In college in the seventies there was a Ford van with the Quadra-van conversion on campus and I have loved vans ever since. So I had been shopping for a four wheel drive diesel van and remembered going to the Seattle Auto show and seeing the 2000 Excursion. I had picked up brochures for every year of production and finally decided to go for it in the last year of production. That was close...

Happy ever since, but I do appreciate a full sized van. I miss the E series, sniff, sniff.

 

I was using my Durango as the family motivator and race car tow vehicle but it was really struggling to get up the entrance at Laguna Seca with a loaded trailer and all the track gear crammed in the back of the Durango. I never weighed it but I did have the rear axle bagged to level it. And it got about 6mpg on those trips.

When our 3rd child came along my wife started talking about a mini-van to haul the kids and their friends around, but because we both have long commutes she was going to keep her daily commuter car. Since I couldn't use it to tow the race car, I would have to keep the Durango and that would result in adding ANOTHER car to our growing fleet with only 2 licensed drivers in the house!

I made the executive decision that we would replace my Durango as a tow vehicle with something she could also use to haul around the kids and their friends.

It took me over a YEAR to find one that met all my criteria. My wife loves to drive the 4x4 with 33's and 4" lift! She can see over almost everything so she's got a great view of traffic and possible danger and she's in a tank that will protect her and the kids from any distracted driver that puts themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I've never looked back. I've seen 18.5mpg (hand calculated) on road trips from SF to LA and it'll cruise on the I5 with no problems. Although I never got rid of the Durango either... It now sits at the house in Tahoe full time as a "run-about" when we're playing up in the mountains.

 

You sir made a wise choice plus you can always rent a van for a day, that should make you love your Ex even more.

 

Honestly? Because I was never in love with my 07 Expy EL Ltd. It was a great truck, did everything I wanted it to, I just never felt a connection with it. Before it, I had a Yukon XL Denali that I definitely had a connection with. Loved that truck and after having the Expy for 4 years, I knew I wasn't ever going to love the truck.

Once I found the Ex of my dreams, back in April, I've remember what it feels like to love... a truck, hahaha.

I've posted it before, but this is how I feel every time I step into the truck.

 

My family loves SUV's. They are the ideal vehicle for the wife and I, and we had been steadily upsizing from a Toyota 4Runner to the Expedition EL. I've always lusted after the F-250/350 and when I finally got one, I realized that it wasn't enough with us having 4 kids.

So naturally my eyes turned to the Excursion. It's 90% F-250/350 in my eyes, and I can shove the kids into the rear easier. Not to mention that huge cargo area.

It's a natural fit. That, and they're old enough and cheap enough that I can afford to have one and play with it. I don't feel guilty spending money on it.



edit: I'm in Norfolk right now for training and boy do I wish I was in the market to buy an Excursion. I've found 3 7.3 PSD and 1 6.0 PSD's on Craigslist for dirt cheap (<$10k) that I'm very interested in.

 

i was 10 when the Ex came out, i wanted one from the moment i saw it. lusted for years never thinking i would get one. i remember dreaming of a white 7.3 4x4 limited as a kid...

at age 19 in 2009 i was able to buy my first 2004 xlt and i was hooked. sold it in a moment of stupidity in 2010 and bought my 2000 limited a month later. after the second one was totaled in a head on crash i bought my current 2002 limited and i will not be letting go of it!

i tried living without an Ex that just did not work..i love these beast's

why? because i wanted it

 

In my single days I drove a 1984 Bronco II. Drove it till the 2.8 was leaking like a sieve, and the 5spd lost 5th and reverse... Built a 289 V-8 and C4 and Dana 20 from a boxy Bronco, and shoehorned it all in and drove it till I bought a 1994 Suburban to pull our 22ft TT. Had two kids at the time, but we always had extended family with us, so the Suburban made sense. Then later we sold the 1978 TT and bought a 2001 30ft TT since we now had two more kids for a total of 4. The Suburban did ok, but that 454 didn't like the steep grades, and as mileage sucked. Looked for a new suburban with the diesel and Alison, and they didn't make one. This was 05. a buddy had just bought a 05 F250 and loved it, and so I went and test drove an 05 Ex. I liked it but the V10 was Not too impressive (now I know why, it had 3.73 gears...) but the diesel was impressive, and the kids loved the entertainment system. So we bought it, and used it till we moved to Alaska. In Alaska, it was not the best for island living since everything is short distance driving and lots of winter, so it would take lots of time to warm up, and then we had turbo issues. After using it minimally (only 36k miles) for 5 years in Alaska, we sold it this spring, having replaced it with our "new" 00 Ex. Now I drive the Ex nearly every day, except when I drive my 02 F350. I really like the new Ex, had I known then what I know now, I would have bought a V10, 4.30 geared XLT, black with grey interior.
As it is, I now have one of the few Whipple supercharged V10's in an Ex with 4.30 gears, Banks headers and Exhaust, with the XLT package, and now that I have the sway bar, Mod V's/mod B's etc, I really enjoy "The Beast". and it still has less than 75k miles on it! I love the Ex so much, that I have an Extra Ex in WA state so we don't have to rent a car when we go to the lower 48. Another 00 V10, but it is all stock for now. But it is a limited green and tan with just barely 110k miles.
As others have said, I think owning an Ex can be a bit of a sickness....

Garry in Kodiak, AK

 

I grew up in Navigators. We had one of the early '98s (around production # 5000) and a 2000. They both had rear captain chairs and were simply awesome. I spent a lot of time getting acquainted with the second and third rows of those trucks. We actually looked and test drove a Toreador Red V10 Ex when they first came out, but it was so big (larger than we needed), we decided to go with another Navi instead. I still remember the test drive in that, which was in the dark.

In '03 when the lease on the second Navi was up, our needs had changed and we could downsize. Went with an '03 Mountaineer that was a disaster. Had lots of little problems that the Navigators never had. We were able to turn in the Mountaineer a bit early, and they had an Excursion on the lot leftover. We looked at Expeditions but they seemed like nothing more than a grown up Explorer, which might have had similar problems. The Excursion had proven technology that had been around for years, so chances are it would be a great truck. Plus it ended up being cheaper than the Expedition.

I had the same feelings when looking for a vehicle of my own two years later. I probably wouldn't have minded a Navigator, but they were harder to find and more often sadly pimped out. I loved the truck feel of the Excursion and was glad to find one of my own.

And over eight years and 63k miles later, the Ex hasn't had any of those kinds of problems like the Mountaineer!

 

Started drag racing years ago and needed a tow vehicle for the trailer. Always had large pickups with diesels for that. I also do most of my own work on house/property which requires something with a larger hauling capacity.

So, over the years, I became the guy with a truck and trailer and usually help people move, haul cars (makes some money too) and still have my race car. I haul cars for a restoration shop too.

I had a 2011 SD for a while and it was nice but expensive. I got tired of all our hockey equipment being cold when we get to the rink as well as lifting the bed cover to get at it. Sold the SD and the equity covered the cost of the EX so I have no payment and a perfect family/hockey/car/utility hauler.

 

I`ve always liked the Excursion. and Dodge didn`t make a HD SUV. Had an 05 Explorer and it was the best, most comfortable SUV I`ve ever had. why can`t manuf. still build a vehicle with seats like the mid 90`s Explorer?

 

My story is similar to AlaskanEx' story....

In 1999 my brother who was and still is a car-buff, kept talking about Ford's "Suburban Fighter". He would show me the spy photos online and kept telling me it wouldn't be something good, but GREAT!

When they made their debut late 1999 going into 2000, I saw them and instantly thought: "It's nice, but it's HUGE!". My brother then mentioned "Oh it comes with a Diesel engine too." My ears went up like a German Shepherd at attention...The thought of a diesel powered SUV intrigued me/peaked my interest. I saw one up close when my neighbor traded his troublesome 1994 Suburban in for a 2000 Deep Wedgewood Blue 7.3 Excursion. It was beautiful, magnificent, and I definitely wanted one.

Couldn't afford one at the time, but like AlaskanEx, I always dreamed of a Limited, White, 4x4 7.3 Excursion . Fast Forward to August 27th, 2001, my dad bought the truck I have now new and let me tell you guys, it was L-O-V-E LOVE at first sight! My dad had it parked in the garage, I went out with a chair, turned the lights on outside, in the garage, and just sat out there. Couldn't keep my eyes off her

2 years later, my Dad grew to hate it and I grew to love it. Then he made me an offer I couldn't refuse: "It's yours if you want it....pay for it, take care of it, I'm buying something else." From there he went to buy the 2003 Acura TL he has now.

Why did I keep such a large SUV when I wasn't married, had kids, or a real need for it?

Because I always wanted one and it's just so nice to have

I'd also much rather have something I can grow into, rather than something I'd grow out of

 

Well I had a 2002 Caddi STS for 6 years and it was constantly in the shop. I loved driving it but my wife hated me getting pulled over for speeding constantly! I also had a F150 for odds and ends and working on some of our properties. Then she starts complaining that I need to get a bigger vehicle. I told her to trade her GMC sonoma in and get a mini van. She says she wouldn't drive one. So it was back on me. So I say ok you want a suv. She says sure. I talk to a buddy who has a 2000 limited 7.3 l and ask him about it. He lets me drive it. I fall in love. Find a 2005 6l and the rest is history. got rid of the Pick up and Caddi that paid for bullet proofing the 6l. Now she complains that all I do is mess with the truck all the time. Kids love it. Its the bus! in the winter my boy plays hockey we are all over upstate NY and Canada usually packed full of of kids for the games. Got a dump trailer for the properties.

 

Mine is similar to russ and toreador also. I remember when they came out, I was 12. We had an expedition at the time which I loved. I remember at first I thought the excursions were ugly. Shortly after my dad bought a slightly used 2001 in 02 I think. He still has it although it has become a work truck that hauls his tools. Since he got it I wanted one. He would switch cars from time to time, and there was a period of about 3 years that he didn't use it for work. So I cleaned it out and used it daily for over a year. Every time gas prices took a spike, excursion prices would go down, and I didn't have money. Gas would go down, excursions back up, and I had some extra cash but didn't want to pay more for the truck. So I waited and waited and finally on july 4th 2012 I got my own 2001 4x4 v10. Eventually I will own a 2wd diesel also. Hopefully an 05 6.0 in either white/tan or that light gold color.

Funny, I've "known" russ (alaskanex) through an old explorer forum since like 2002ish I believe. We both still have our explorers and now have excursions. Haha

 

My wife and I have 5 kids between us. We've gone through two Suburbans and decided to buy an Ex this time.

So far it's the best of the bunch!