$94,456.32

 

I'm sorry but there is no way you or I can get on a creeper and roll under a stock expedition, I can however roll under a stock Ex. And BETTER RIDE, exact reason why the Ex is gone, and super duty trucks sag nowadays with a small load and tiny trailer! I've been in a Ex and SD towing the above mentioned trailer going into a snow covered corn field for goose hunting and both somewhat struggled BUT flung mud/snow/etc all over and pulled that trailer wherever we pointed the front end. Ex was a mild 2-4" lift with aggressive 285 mud terrain tires, F250 was 6" lift with aggressive 35" mud terrains (both trucks 7.3 diesel). There is no way a expedition could have done what the "real" trucks did them days

 

You do realize a Expy can fit 33-34" (285's) rubber bone stock without a mild lift needed

I loved my F-250 and X, but I'm a realist. Stock to stock, an Expy EL wins almost all categories against an X.

A modded X will win when re-compared obviously.

Ford dropped the X because of that. There was a huge surge of environmentalism and Ford just didn't have the sales volumes needed to justify keeping 2 vehicles that do almost the same job.




Btw, you're argument above is basically saying the F-150 is worthless towing a trailer in a snowy field as well. The Expy and F-150 are almost same rig (like F250 and X). Don't want to put words in your mouth, but would you be so vehement with your argument if we were discussing a F-150 in that snowy field?

 

Also for the sake of argument I could not fit under my excursion, creeper or bare back, with the stock springs and tires. No way. 31's and sitting damn near on the bumpstops. I was just looking at the picture of me standing by it the day I got it. Can't believe how low it was. Got me stuck in a grassy field courtesy of a 6" deep ditch. Sat on the running boards. Straight axles and diesel be damned.

 

This is why the Excursion will never be built again (by FORD).

Calendar Year Total American sales
1999 18,315
2000 50,786
2001 34,710
2002 29,042
2003 26,259
2004 20,010
2005 16,283

Source: Wiki

An almost 50% decrease from CY one to CY two and continuous declines in each successive year.

Drive 'em while you have 'em.

 

This is very misleading, Ford was in the same downward spiral throughout the same years chosen by Mecdac on total sales of all Fords! Also, in 2004 and 2005 excursion years ford did sell a few excursions in Canada and a few other countries that are Not on Mecdac's list.

Ford was pressured by people that drive Prius cars to take the Excursion Valdez off the market as our Excursions had no point. The rest is history

 

I chose those years because they happened to be the only years that the EX was sold.


FORD US sales:

1997 3,877,458
1998 3,922,604
1999 4,163,369
2000 4,202,820
2001 3,971,364
2002 3,623,709
2003 3,483,719
2004 3,331,676
2005 3,153,875
2006 2,901,090
2007 2,507,366
2008 1,988,376
2009 1,620,888
2010 1,935,462
2011 2,143,101
2012 2,250,165
2013 2,493,918
2014 2,480,942

Explorer:

1999 428,772
2000 445,157
2001 415,921
2002 433,847
2003 373,118
2004 339,333
2005 239,788

Expedition:

1999 233,125
2000 213,483
2001 178,045
2002 163,454
2003 181,547
2004 159,846
2005 114,137

Escape:

2000 42,635
2001 164,184
2002 145,471
2003 167,678
2004 183,430[73] - (inc. 2,993 hybrids) 7,171[74]
2005 165,122[73] - (inc. 18,797 hybrids)

Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Suburban/GMC Yukon XL/Total US sales:

1999 138,977 44,886 1,857 185,720
2000 133,123 4,776 47,016 184,915
2001 154,782 94 70,706 225,582
2002 151,056 - 67,556 218,612
2003 135,222 - 70,887 206,109
2004 119,545 - 65,917 185,462
2005 87,011 - 53,652 140,663


Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon/Total US sales:

1999 122,213 53,280 175,493
2000 149,834 56,297 206,131
2001 202,319 77,254 279,573
2002 209,767 76,488 286,255
2003 199,065 86,238 285,303
2004 186,161 86,571 272,732
2005 152,307 73,458 225,765

Hummer H2:

2002 18,861
2003 34,529
2004 29,898
2005 33,140
2006 17,472
2007 12,431
2008 6,095
2009 600

All large SUV's had declining sales over the same period, just not as drastic. I wish I could find 'Burb 2500 sales and not include the 'Burb 1/2 ton.

We (in this country) had the dot.com bust in '99-'00, 9/11 in '01, a WAR in '03 all of which helped spike oil prices which contributed to people downsizing their vehicles (just not you and I).

Hence, the Ford Escape actually saw an increase in sales.

BTW, I agree that "pressure" was brought on FORD to kill the EX.

 

I have to disagree on some of your points. My 4wd Excursion sits a lot lower than the Silverado 1500 I had before it. I just changed my oil this week and it was pretty cramped. Those sway bar links hang LLLOOOOWWW. Cracked my head on it last week while looking for exhaust manifold leaks.

And as for off roading it... Mine got stuck in my own yard two different times this past winter. Buried up to the frame in a spot we normally use to park cars when guests come over.

For me, 4wd is for boat ramps. Stay out of the mud with it! lol

 

A 2WD Ex will bury itself in the mud faster than you can say Jack Robinson.

 

Wow. Those concept trucks are nice

 

I've done s lot of off roading/4 wheeling in the past but not much with the ex yet. I would imagine that stock it would be horrible off road and a royal pita to get out of almost any sticky situation. Modified mine is probably somewhat capable but i would never have the confidence to push it without fairly massive winch support. A lighter shorter wheelbase 4x4 would be my choice if that was still my thing, but I'm glad i have the capabilities to handle some pretty bad "off road" conditions camping even while trailering heavy.

 

The EX is what I use to pull the trailer with the jeep on it to where we're going to wheel. I also use it as a (very capable) recovery vehicle. These used to be the jobs for my 250 but our family grew and 4 seats isn't going to cut it anymore if everyone is going in one vehicle. This is a point that I don't think anyone is making. The EX covers two rolls that a Superduty or Expy never will. It can tow 11000 lbs and it can do it with 8 (realistically 6) people on board. Ford will never make another vehicle that can meet those two needs at the same time. I wish they would now that they have the aluminum body tech down seems like they could make a Superduty based suv light enough to get better mileage than the Expy el. I would actually buy an aluminum body in an suv (where I never will in a pickup).

 

Sometimes I think about a new 6.7L Dually but then I remember, on trips our dogs ride in their cage in the back of the Ex when we are pulling the TT, they couldn't do that in a pickup (my dogs are spoiled, they need heat and air)

 

The fact that GM is limiting the HD 'burb to fleet sales only shows how ****ty retail sales were...unless the government and other users of HD Suburbans express significant interest in something other than the Suburban, Ford will have no business interest in the market.

 

The biggest reason Ford dropped the Excursion was because they needed the additional capacity in the Kentucky Truck Plant to build the Super Duty.

Why build an Excursion that will sit on a lot for months when you can build a Super Duty that will clear out in a matter of weeks. It's all about opportunity cost...simple economics.

An argument can be made though that sales dropped because of environmental pressure but even then, I would counter that it was simply the market reacting to high gas prices.