I've seen it mentioned a few times about how these are so great in collisions due to their size and bulk but I have not been able to find any collision related safety reports or testing on these trucks. The NHTSA has in fact never conducted any testing on any Excursions and neither has the IIHS. No crash testing information or videos and the one I came across actually looked pretty ****ty with major driver compartment intrusion.

Has any one actually seen any data or witnessed first hand incidents or is every one just regurgitating feel good favourable anecdotes?

 

and then there is this...

Safest SUVs - Forbes

 

Had a buddy that worked at a huge scrapyard. Usually got the cars from accidents. He said of commercial passenger vehicles only the Hummer H2 and the Excursion had consistent survivals when colliding with a train.

 

It is classed as a 3/4 ton truck, like the F250. They were not crash tested, as well they were exempt from EPA ratings and emissions, unless you are unlucky enough to be in California. They fair pretty well in front and rear end collisions, as well as side swipes. They fare no better than any other body on frame crew cab 3/4ton + truck in a t-bone. Rollover is it's weakest point.

 

Death rates vary widely by model

"There are exceptions to the general rule that bigger is safer. For example, the driver death rate is higher in midsize sports cars (115 per million) than in mini (107) or small (71) ones.

Another exception is very large 4-wheel-drive SUVs. This group is mostly Ford Excursions, which have a driver death rate of 115 per million — higher than the death rates in large 4-wheel-drive SUVs and higher than in all but 4 of the midsize and small counterparts.

Excursions so dominate the group of very large 4-wheel-drive SUVs that they push up this group's average death rate to 76 per million compared with 47 in large counterpart vehicles and 59 in midsize ones. About half of the deaths in 2001-04 model Excursions during 2002-05 occurred in rollover crashes."

 

Would any of you know or have pics of the rear crumple zone in effect and to what extent the rear of the cabin is crushed?

 

This is about all I could find.


2000 Ford Excursion Drop Test
An inverted vehicle drop test is used to test cabin intrusion and roof stability in the case of a rollover. Roof intrusion being a cause of head and neck injuries during a rollover.


Ford Excursion destroyed after Semi-truck
Forces of the collision aside and what they would do to occupants' necks and backs, rather minimal cabin intrusion.


The only thing remotely similar being the F250 vids

2006 Ford F-250/F-350 IIHS-Style Frontal Offset (40 Mp/h)

2006 Ford F-250 Vs. 2002 Ford Focus NHTSA Full Frontal Impact

Another thought... The fact that you might be more likely to survive an accident in an SUV needs to be balanced against whether or not you’re more likely to get into one in the first place. And considering handling and braking characteristics of these vehicles and their propensity to rollover, the odds of becoming involved in a collision and even more so a roll over while actively attempting to avoid a collision are not favourable.

Here's a segway. Remember the Firestone tire blow outs? Testing with a professional driver what was found was that the blow outs themselves did not cause roll overs and should not have been responsible for the associate death toll. It was the drivers poor over reaction to the blow out who with their own steering inputs induced rollovers which due to poor vehicle design then lead to the injuries and deaths.

 

It almost seems as though you are trying to make a case against the Excursion. Looking for the worst in things. Probably won't go over well around here. And the Firestone thing, As a tire tech at the time, poor maintenance and under inflation was a major contributor, along with poor driver mods as you stated. Some people just shouldn't drive.

 

I have thought of how to mount an internal roll cage. Short of that, where is this going? Anyone who drives a 7-8 000 lb suv and expects it to handle like a Matia deserves what they get. This comes up every so often. Seems like it is usually someone who hates the existence of the Excursion. Who knows.

 

Wait a second, you guys DRIVE these things??? WTF? I bought it cause it looked awesome in my driveway...

 

They are GUARANTEED to take out a Chevy Volt at any speed.

 

Ha, Mine usually just sits in the driveway anyway. I drive a company car during the week, and the Mustang has been coming out more since I did the manual swap.

 

Oh no. Nobody told me if I get in an accident with a Semi and go off the road there will be body damage. That should be in the Tech folder.

 

Since he (MOTO) has not been able to exceed the MPG/KPL of a Tundra...

Bottom Line = He wants to sell the EX and his justification for selling will be "SAFETY".

Maybe these statistics Death rates vary widely by model are skewed because the drivers feel invincible and drive over their capabilities or their vehicle's capabilities?

This video:
is most likely the single-most-lame-attempt to warn the dangers of Excursion ownership.

Six minutes of a sausage-puller loading an EX on a flatbed.





Moto, it's okay you want to sell your EX, that's fine.

 

Statistics can be presented in all kinds of ways to support whatever conclusion you'd like them to.

Deaths per accident vs deaths per miles driven. A high mileage vehicle (truck) vs smart car (for example).

4x4 with higher center of gravity vs honda civic's lower cg.

Towing with a large suv increases chance of accident.

There have been lots of pictures on FTE of minor damage to rear/front of Excursions with the other car all smashed up, so when hitting something smaller our size helps.
Rollover, hitting a concrete poll at 70mph, etc a smaller/lighter/lower cg vehicle might fare better.