Ford Excursion
Encyclopedia
The Ford Excursion is a full-size sport utility vehicle
that was produced by the Ford Motor Company
between model years 2000 and 2005 (2006 in Mexico
). Based on the Super Duty
pickup truck
platform, it served as Ford's largest SUV in its lineup during the tenure of its production and mainly competed against the smaller Chevrolet Suburban
. The Excursion was designed to be classified as a heavy-duty vehicle, as for commercial or rural use, with a GVWR
of over 8500 lb (3,855.5 kg), which exempted the vehicle from Corporate Average Fuel Economy
(CAFE) fuel economy regulations and quoting United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) fuel economy
estimates. Its position in the Ford SUV lineup was replaced in 2007 by an extended-length version of the Expedition. The last Excursion was produced on September 30, 2005, at Ford's Louisville
plant, although the last Excursions were sold as 2006 models for the Mexican market. Production was canceled to focus on Super Duty trucks, however, a similar SUV to the Excursion is manufactured in Brazil using the chassis of the Super Duty, and is sold as the F-250 Tropivan in both standard and extended length versions.
2500 and GMC Yukon XL 2500 SUVs, its chief competitors. Shortly before launch, the Sierra Club
awarded the Excursion an "Exxon Valdez
" award for its poor mileage. Sales were initially good, peaking in 2000 with over 50,000 sales. But as gasoline
prices rose, the sales gradually fell. Industry insiders expected Ford to stop producing the Excursion, but sales continued through the 2005 model year, for which it received a minor facelift, and production of the Excursion ended in September 2005. Ford needed to free up capacity at the Louisville
plant that produces the Super Duty pickup trucks
. A more fuel efficient, extended-length Expedition half-ton, named the Expedition EL (Max in Canada
and Mexico
), has replaced the Excursion in the company's lineup for the 2007 model year.
Engine options started out with the Triton 5.4 L V8 gasoline engine, the Triton 6.8 L V10
gasoline engine, and the International
7.3 L V8 diesel
engine popular in the Ford Super Duty
(Power Stroke
). The 2003 models replaced the 7.3 L
International
diesel with a more powerful (and more troublesome) 6.0 L International
diesel.
A 4-speed automatic transmission
was the standard transmission at first, but it was replaced by a 5-speed automatic in 2003. The 5.4 L Triton V8 put out 255 hp & 350 lbft. The 6.8 L Triton V10 put out 310 hp & 425 lbft. The 6.0 L Powerstroke Diesel put out 325 hp & 560 lbft. The rear axle for all Excursions was a Sterling 10.5 axle
. The four wheel drive
models got a NV273 transfer case
and Dana 50
front axle.
----
The truck uses code U4 in the 5th and 6th positions of the VIN
.
In 2003 the Excursion saw the availability of an upmarket Eddie Bauer
trim line.
Engines included the following:
The Excursion included a unique feature called the "BlockerBeam", which was an under-bumper rollbar-like device that helped stop smaller vehicles from sliding under an Excursion during collisions. The BlockerBeam concept is now widely used in the industry.
Sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. It is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle. Not all four-wheel...
that was produced by the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
between model years 2000 and 2005 (2006 in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
). Based on the Super Duty
Ford Super Duty
For the 1999 model year, Ford shifted the F-250 and F-350 truck lines to a design mechanically and cosmetically distinct from that of the F-150. The F-350 was not available for 1998, while the F-250 was available that year with the F-150's body...
pickup truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
platform, it served as Ford's largest SUV in its lineup during the tenure of its production and mainly competed against the smaller Chevrolet Suburban
Chevrolet Suburban
Chevrolet offered a station wagon body, built on the 1/2 ton truck frame. This model was specifically built for National Guard units and Civilian Conservation Corps units. Much of the body was constructed from wood, and could seat up to eight occupants....
. The Excursion was designed to be classified as a heavy-duty vehicle, as for commercial or rural use, with a GVWR
Gross vehicle weight rating
A gross vehicle weight rating is the maximum allowable total weight of a road vehicle or trailer when loaded - i.e., including the weight of the vehicle itself plus passengers, and cargo....
of over 8500 lb (3,855.5 kg), which exempted the vehicle from Corporate Average Fuel Economy
Corporate Average Fuel Economy
The Corporate Average Fuel Economy are regulations in the United States, first enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1975, and intended to improve the average fuel economy of cars and light trucks sold in the US in the wake of the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo...
(CAFE) fuel economy regulations and quoting United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
(EPA) fuel economy
Fuel economy in automobiles
Fuel usage in automobiles refers to the fuel efficiency relationship between distance traveled by an automobile and the amount of fuel consumed....
estimates. Its position in the Ford SUV lineup was replaced in 2007 by an extended-length version of the Expedition. The last Excursion was produced on September 30, 2005, at Ford's Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
plant, although the last Excursions were sold as 2006 models for the Mexican market. Production was canceled to focus on Super Duty trucks, however, a similar SUV to the Excursion is manufactured in Brazil using the chassis of the Super Duty, and is sold as the F-250 Tropivan in both standard and extended length versions.
Overview
Introduced in 1999 as a 2000 model year, the Excursion was immediately criticized for being too large to fit in most home garages and having poorer fuel economy (around 16-18 mpg highway and 14-16 mpg city) relative to the smaller Chevrolet SuburbanChevrolet Suburban
Chevrolet offered a station wagon body, built on the 1/2 ton truck frame. This model was specifically built for National Guard units and Civilian Conservation Corps units. Much of the body was constructed from wood, and could seat up to eight occupants....
2500 and GMC Yukon XL 2500 SUVs, its chief competitors. Shortly before launch, the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
awarded the Excursion an "Exxon Valdez
Exxon Valdez
Oriental Nicety, formerly Exxon Valdez, Exxon Mediterranean, SeaRiver Mediterranean, S/R Mediterranean, Mediterranean, and Dong Fang Ocean is an oil tanker that gained notoriety after running aground in Prince William Sound spilling hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil in Alaska...
" award for its poor mileage. Sales were initially good, peaking in 2000 with over 50,000 sales. But as gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
prices rose, the sales gradually fell. Industry insiders expected Ford to stop producing the Excursion, but sales continued through the 2005 model year, for which it received a minor facelift, and production of the Excursion ended in September 2005. Ford needed to free up capacity at the Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
plant that produces the Super Duty pickup trucks
Ford Super Duty
For the 1999 model year, Ford shifted the F-250 and F-350 truck lines to a design mechanically and cosmetically distinct from that of the F-150. The F-350 was not available for 1998, while the F-250 was available that year with the F-150's body...
. A more fuel efficient, extended-length Expedition half-ton, named the Expedition EL (Max in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
), has replaced the Excursion in the company's lineup for the 2007 model year.
Drivetrain
V10
V10 or V-10 may refer to:* V10 engine, an engine configuration* Ningbo Bird V10, a successful phone model produced by Ningbo Bird* ATC code V10 Therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, a subgroup of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System...
gasoline engine, and the International
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
7.3 L V8 diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
engine popular in the Ford Super Duty
Ford Super Duty
For the 1999 model year, Ford shifted the F-250 and F-350 truck lines to a design mechanically and cosmetically distinct from that of the F-150. The F-350 was not available for 1998, while the F-250 was available that year with the F-150's body...
(Power Stroke
Ford Power Stroke engine
Power Stroke is the name given to the diesel engines found in Ford Super Duty trucks, Ford Excursion SUVs, Ford Econoline vans, and Ford LCF commercial vehicles. Production by Navistar International Corporation for Ford Motor Company began in mid 1994, in Indianapolis, Indiana, Huntsville,...
). The 2003 models replaced the 7.3 L
Litér
- External links :*...
International
Navistar International
Navistar International Corporation is a United States-based holding company that owns the manufacturer of International brand commercial trucks, MaxxForce brand diesel engines, IC Bus school and commercial buses, Workhorse brand chassis for motor homes and step vans, and is a private label...
diesel with a more powerful (and more troublesome) 6.0 L International
Navistar International
Navistar International Corporation is a United States-based holding company that owns the manufacturer of International brand commercial trucks, MaxxForce brand diesel engines, IC Bus school and commercial buses, Workhorse brand chassis for motor homes and step vans, and is a private label...
diesel.
A 4-speed automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
was the standard transmission at first, but it was replaced by a 5-speed automatic in 2003. The 5.4 L Triton V8 put out 255 hp & 350 lbft. The 6.8 L Triton V10 put out 310 hp & 425 lbft. The 6.0 L Powerstroke Diesel put out 325 hp & 560 lbft. The rear axle for all Excursions was a Sterling 10.5 axle
Sterling 10.5 axle
The Sterling 10.5 axle is an automotive axle manufactured by Visteon at the Sterling Axle Plant in Sterling Heights, MI. It was first used in model year 1985 Ford trucks. The axle was developed to replace the Dana 60 and Dana 70...
. The four wheel drive
Four Wheel Drive
The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, more often known as Four Wheel Drive or just FWD, was founded in 1909 in Clintonville, Wisconsin, as the Badger Four-Wheel Drive Auto Company by Otto Zachow and William Besserdich.-History:...
models got a NV273 transfer case
Transfer case
A transfer case is a part of a four-wheel-drive system found in four-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive vehicles. The transfer case is connected to the transmission and also to the front and rear axles by means of drive shafts...
and Dana 50
Dana 50
The Dana/Spicer Model 50 was an automotive axle manufactured by the Dana Corp. for 25 years and was used solely in OEM Ford applications. Dana 50's were made as front axles only. The Dana 50 has a "50" cast in to the housing and is regarded to have more strength than a Dana 44, but not as much...
front axle.
----
The truck uses code U4 in the 5th and 6th positions of the VIN
Vin
Vin may refer to:*Voltage input, an alternative form for Vin-People:*Vin Diesel*Vin Scully*Vin Suprynowicz*Vin, the name of a character from the video games Jak II and Jak 3*a diminutive of the name "Vincent"...
.
In 2003 the Excursion saw the availability of an upmarket Eddie Bauer
Eddie Bauer
Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc. is a holding company that operates the Eddie Bauer clothing store chain, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, United States. EBH was formed after Eddie Bauer's former parent company, Spiegel, Inc., went bankrupt in 2003...
trim line.
Engines included the following:
- 5.4 L V8, 255 hp (2000–2005)
- 6.8 L V10, 310 hp (2000–2005)
- 7.3 L Diesel V8, 250 hp (2000–2003)
- 6.0 L Diesel V8, 325 hp (2003–2005)
The Excursion included a unique feature called the "BlockerBeam", which was an under-bumper rollbar-like device that helped stop smaller vehicles from sliding under an Excursion during collisions. The BlockerBeam concept is now widely used in the industry.
Yearly American sales
| 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 |