Well that does it! For many many years now I have been a big fan of leasing my vehicals. It seems I get sick of or needs change forcing a different choice every 3 years or so.
Until the Excursion, that is.

I leased this one with the birth of child number 3. Thinking that if the truck is as bad as the liberal press says, then I am only going to suffer for 3 years. Wow! Were they wrong.

I intend to prove Ford wrong by purchasing a 2003 Limited especially if the new 6L Diesel is as good as the early reports say.

If they cancel it, well then I am covered for about 200000 miles! But I'm still not buying a suburban.

My 2 cents.
JJ

 

SO I wait 5 years for Ford to finally release the beast and now the liberals go ahead and get it killed. Up theirs, I got my 01 X with the PSD and enjoy putting 4-5 kids and the 8,000Lb trailer on the road very comfortably at 70-75 MPH so I can keep up with the rice-burning liberals. I get over 17 MPG without the load and 11 with it. (I have yet to buy a micro-tuner and replace the exhaust to improve these numbers) Stick it, you jerks. I hope Ford does extend the expy and put the mini PSD in it. I like the power to tow , I like the ride , I like having to re-fuel once a week . I like the entertainment system I put in for the kids (dual screen, kids can either watch DVD or hook-up for their game system to the rear screen and leave the front screen for the movie). I would like for the liberals to get a real job and let the consumers decide what's best.

After a few 100K on my X, I'll buy whatever Ford puts a PSD in and can haul a load. Suburban's not for me unless they put a real diesel in them. I did see a great look 650 made for hauling fifth wheels......hmmmm

 

Let's not give the narrow minded self interests groups so much credit for discontinuing a vehicle product line. In reality the big three don't respond to self interest groups if the product in question still makes good business sense to produce. Rush will never give the straight facts on topics like this because his whole career is founded on controversial subjects. There would be nothing to talk about if he reported the actual facts.

I have a used 2000 Excursion V10 4x4 that gets 13mpg on the highway, which isn't bad for a 7,600Lb vehicle. But I only bought it because I got such a great deal on it at the time. Its really more vehicle then I need but I'll keep it. I believe one of the reasons Ford is deleting the Excursion is that they don't want it competing for sales between the new 2003 Expedition and Navigator. The 03 Excursion is actually cheaper then a loaded 03 Expedition and considerable cheaper then a base 03 Navigator. Yes, deleting the Excursion from FoMoCo vehicle line up will help the company's over all fuel economy rating but not by much because the Excursion is a small part of the total truck sales.

Since the Excursion is built on the Super Duty chassis it can pull a 10,000Lb trailer but only a ball hitch type trailer. This limits the functionality of this product line because a F350 Crew Cab has four full size doors, large cargo area and can pull a 10, 000Lb ball hitch trailer or a 14,000Lb fifth wheel style trailer, which are becoming very popular.

The main purpose of the Excursion was to take over the Suburban market that's were it got the nick name "Suburban Killer" but it never really accomplished that goal. Although, that was an unrealistic goal to start with in my opinion.

No, I really don't believe the tree hugging, import car driving, special interest groups succeeded in pressuring Ford Motor Company into deleting a truck product.

 

The F350 cannot carry 8/9 people like the Excursion. That is why Chevy and Ford have crew cab pickups and full size SUV's. Plus the Excursion is the same size as a standard cab F350 pickup that seats only three people.

 

When the ex cam out GM was asked if they were worried. The answer was no the 2500 HD SUB only makes us less than 10% of our sales there is not a big enough market.
Yes I agree that ford could have done more but when you look at the #'s the market is not there, Chev supliments the 2500 sub with the 1500 sub for can not do that. Also they will have 100% of the market again which make it some what profitable. But both could not stay.
Dodge also pulled out of develpoing a Ram based SUV due to lack of market.

Is the ex better than the 2500 sub? I think so but when the #'s arent there they arent there, I have never seen a market report but I would say there are more EX's on the road than 2500 sub's just from what I have seen around here.

 

Ford stuck it to themselves by not knowing how to market the X. AS for the Sub's from Chevy. I talked with the folks I buy and service my travel trailer and they said don't believe the sub marketing Bull get a big Sub and it does not have the towing capacity of the X. My choice was the X or a 350 crew cab. Either way it was PSD all the way. I just love the room I got in the X for the 3 kids and their friends when we go traveling with the trailer. Also got plenty of romm for the dog (sorry not the rotten dog, but my personal pooch). ANyway Ford says they will stretch the Expy to equal the Sub size and drop the 6.0 Diesel in her. By 05/06 I should have 80 to 100K on my X and might be looking. They say the suspension and other options will make for a real nice package. But that we got to see. Till then I like my X.

 

sound like ford is going to take a page from the gm book an share some parts. Ford has made pretty good trucks so far so I do not see whay the next X won't live up to this one.

 

I'm not sure where Ford stand on Biodiesel but I live in SC and I can have the stuff shipped to me from Aiken SC for the same price as dino diesel and be the cleanest burning vehicle out there and it will keep my engine alot cleaner. I know the VWs are Bio friendly not sure about Ford or Chevy

 

Some very interesting and perceptive comments regarding the "demise" of the Excursion. My opinion is if they discontinue it, so be it.

I don't own one but probably will one day...right now I have a precursor of the Excursion, a 94 F350 Centurion conversion...basically a big Bronco w/ 4 doors. Centurion stopped converting these when Ford dicontinued big Broncos but my point is, I love it and will drive it as long as the diesel holds up (149k and counting). When I wear it out (maybe never) I'll get an Excursion.

If you have an Excursion now and take care of it, you can enjoy it for many years to come...FoMoCo isn't going away so parts and service won't be a problem. Enough have/will be produced so when I want one in 5 or 6 years, I think I'll be able to find a nice one.

As for who caused it to be discontinued...I wouldn't give the environmentalists that much credit...it was a financial decision to produce it and finances will dictate when they stop producing it.

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