It's HUGE ! The v8 is averaging 13mpg. We have a family of 7 so we need a large vehicle. Tree huggers, beware. We can drive this and average 13mpg or we can drive 2 cars that average 24 each, the net result is 12mpg any way you slice it.

Compared to our fullsize van the ride is outstanding. A lot less roll. Yes it kind of rides like a truck but that's because it is. It's not a car and we understand that. We did not by a mamby-pamby mini-van.

Reasonable 3rd seat access.

Still have room for stuff, unlike anything smaller.

3rd seat access is a little tough for the kids to pull off on thier own. They will soon master it.

I would recommend this to anyone that needs to seat 5+ adults comfortably. Or anyone who just want's to tower above anything else :) even full sized vans.

The market for these vehicles is soft at the moment because of fuel prices and the SUV market is somewhat saturated. We were able to pick this baby up for below market value. 12,000 miles, Out-The-Door for the above price with a 7 year, 1000k premium warranty. (Meaning everything except fluid and consumables, yes the freon (or what ever the cooling agent is) is covered if the air conditioner breaks. WooHoo !

Similar Products Used:

Suburban: Larger, more roomier inside.
FullSize Van: better Ride, easier to park.

PREFACE: I have lived with my Excursion for over a year. In addition I am in the car biz and have the opportunity to drive em all. Further, I am privey to alot of consumer input, pro and con. Hence, I think I'm in a position to make a very objective comparison.
I love my Excursion's UTILITY, POWER, LOOKS, COMFORT, SAFETY and HANDLING.
YES, handling..not to be confused with RIDE. Are there shortcomings or things I would change? Absolutely. Would those defer the purchase of another? NO.
GAS MILEAGE: Anyone who buys a vehicle of this type expecting economy
is in need of a pre-frontal lobotomy. This is a 7,000-7,700 pound truck!
(depending on which powertrain, 2 or 4wd). That said, I'm AMAZED by the mileage I'm getting: Never less than 12mpg, as much as 16mpg, averaging between 13 & 14mpg. If you keep this truck at a constant (highway) speed of 55-60 you will get 16. Over 60-70 will drop you to 14.5. It's all relative. Interstate speeds in excess of 75mph will set you back to almost city driving numbers. Makes sense..it all depends on how you drive.
I should add, however, that I've had 2 351 5.8L V-8s, one in a full-size Bronco, another in a van and NEVER got more than 9mpg! Didn't matter if it was city or highway, A/C ON OR OFF, towing or not. This 7000lb V-10 delivers comparitvely great gas mileage without compromising power and performance.

My only regrets are:
I was forced to go with the 1st-year out
Didn't get a 4x4.
Yes, there are "known" problems with this truck. Make no mistake about it, you don't need to speculate, FORD KNOWS about ALL of them. For most of the minor things such as sticky electric rear vent window (s) and a staining drip from the rear wiper, there are already easy fixes.
For the more significant and annoying problem of vibration/audible droan on acceleration (at certain RPM's), I'm still screwing around with various dealerships and will advise on my progress. I believe that this problem, along with alot of creaking and popping in the cabin on local winding roads have been addressed in later models.
As for FEATURES: FORD will continue to add luxury type amenities with each subsequent model year. In 2001 they've added power pedals, power signal mirrors, fog lights, rear backup sensors, etc.
What I would really like to see addressed is the folding second row seats.
They should fold down flat for maximum use. I'm also hoping that the side mirrors will eventually be self-adjusting as is the rear-view mirror, to eliminate headlights from cars behind or alongside being reflected back to the driver. The sun visors need complete redesign.
These are small but annoying things that wouldn't disuade me from buying.
I will address the RIDE issue in my summary.

SIZE: I don't understand all the broo-hah-ha about how behmoth this truck is. A full size van is higher, wider and longer. A SuperDuty supercab or crew cab is WAY bigger. This truck is the exact same length, bumper-to-bumper, as a Ford F-150 Supercab. The F-150 has a 139 inch wheelbase but shorter overhangs. The Excursion has a 137-inch WB but slightly more overhang. My '98 F-150 4x4 supercab was higher! My Excusrion fits in my dinky garage, but with no room to spare.

RIDE:
The highway RIDE with this puppy cannot be beat. I prefer more positive handling at high speeds and the Excursion holds the road as if it owned it. The Suburban and Expedition have a cushier ride but far less positive road feel. YES, on local bumpy roads the ride is punishing. I'm hoping new shocks & tires will help.
HANDLING:
EXCELLENT for a vehicle this size. I had shoulder surgery a week after I took delivery & had to drive it with one hand for 6 weeks. No problem.

HEAT & A/C: Beats the competition hands down. I have large dogs and bought the Excursion because of the rear air. In AZ temps reach 200 degrees after being parked for a while. Need I say more?

FUNCTION: The TRI-DOOR system (in the rear)is a real plus..another deciding factor me me. Great control with a nutcase dog and ease of use for shopping.

POWER: Plain & simple, the V-10 is a kick butt power plant. Plenty of torque (evenly distributed over the band) with surprisingly decent mileage.
Don't underestimate the Triton 5.4 V-8 either..it will do the job!
The PowerStroke is in a league of its own. If you need to PULL and can justify the additional cost, you'll get it back at resale.
In my opinion, the Tritons are the best gasoline engines Ford has ever come up with. The failsafe cooling is unbeatable, especially in the desert..I can leave my A/c cranking, while idling, to keep the pooches cool, for an hour and that needle doesn't move!

TRANS: Smooth and accurate, uphill or down, with overdrive on or off.

INTERIOR: On a recent return trip fron the AZ NORTH COUNTRY, I coersed my passenger into driving the 100 miles back home so that I could be a passenger. What a treat! T'was like sitting in a living room.
I have factory leather in my XLT; handsome, BUT, all factory leather sucks.
It doesn't hold up well as most factory leather is 3rd grain. I would get cloth and do AFTERMARKET LEATHER which is usually TOP GRAIN.

ROOM: I keep a large dog crate in my cargo area. It leaves plenty of room
for my loose dog to wander..just wish those folded 2nd-row seats folded flatter. On a recent camping trip I concluded that I probably couldn't have taken everything I needed in a Suburban.

VISIBILITY:
Better than a car or van. Beats the competition all around (pun intended.)

I considered a van because I have dogs to transport..I really don't need the passenger capacity. I chose an SUV for the following reasons:
Even tho the initial cost is far less, the depreciation on Vans is FAR greater.
I wanted doors and access on both sides.
Wasted volume to Air Condition 10 months out of the year (in my climate)would have actually resulted in poorer gas mileage.
Van wouldn't fit in my garage and is even more challenging with respect to in-town driving and parking.
STABILITY is far superior in the Excursion.
TOWING capacity is, well, you know.
CONCLUSION:
I would buy another EXCURSION, assuming all of the little things were
tended to by Ford.And they are, overall, little things.
It's unfortunate that the debut of this vehicle happened to coincide with the gas crisis. The bottom has dropped out of its market value. Had this not been the case I would have considered doing another in 2002. Instead,
the one I have is a keeper.

Again, interior amenities will improve as Ford conducts its' Focus groups.
The suspension will be improved, no doubt. The creaks will be addressed.
Yes, it's a TRUCK. It's TOUGH. It's sometimes ROUGH. It's FAST, SOLID AND COMFY. I feel incredibly SECURE in it. The dogs love it!
If only FORD were more responsive to inquiries and complaints, they would have NO COMPETITION in this market!

SUGGESTION:
If you are experiencing a shimmy or vibration thru the steering wheel (not the accelerator) IT IS PROBABLY QUITE FIXABLE. I had alignment then shimmy problems that were not eliminated after several dealership adjustments for the 1st 15k miles.
I had occassion to chat with a tech at the dealership who advised me to bring it back to HIM. "It's what I do", he said.
VOILA! Problem GONE. TRACKS straight as an arrow, NO SHIMMY at all!
Like so many other competency issues these days, this was simply a matter of inexperienced techs. Find someone with know-how..it makes all the difference.

Similar Products Used:

Suburban (Yukon XL) and Dodge Durango.
The new Suburban has a better around-town ride. Period. It is not as functional nor does it have the cargo or passenger room the Excursion does.
The powertrain cannot touch the Excursions! The visibilty is not as good as in the Ford. Reliability...the jury is still out. The NEW Suburban hasn't been around long enough, however, previous models had brake, tranny and A/C issues. The Dodge Durango is a piece of crap. No comparison is justified. Period. Dodge has A+ designers and a fabulous advertising agency, for which I applaud them. I wouldn't own one.

Size, strength, power and safety. Also - tree huggers and liberals hate it, but it looks great on hunting trips!

It takes a long time to fill that 44 gal tank - gulp, gulp, gulp.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Before I purchased a 2000 Limited Excursion I looked at Mercedes, BMW, and of Course, Chevrolet/GMC. My goal was to buy the best of breed – the category leader and I used the criteria of safety and utility. Economy, resource allocation, and other factors were not considered although I understand that the pollution level for this vehicle exceeds federal levels and that much of the vehicle is manufactured from recycled material – icing on the cake I suppose.

While looking at the Mercedes and BMW I thought great quality, but simply under powered and under sized carrying (realistically) only 4 people with minimal luggage – as compared to 6 people with massive luggage – yes the Excursion sits 8 legally, but 6 would be comfortable on a really long trip. The Chevrolet had better capacity than the German SUV’s but suffered in my opinion from poor manufacture (e.g. cheap welds where bolts should be, light doors, and an overall disturbing sense of cheapness).

I am unconcerned about its size and the fuel it consumes. I opted for the 7.3-liter turbo Diesel which I routinely get 13MPG around town and 22MPG on the freeway – this with 500-ft/lbs of torque, the Excursion is simply the most fuel-efficient and powerful SUV on the market, and considering it seats 8, with one of the smaller SUV’s – you would need to take two vehicles (eating up more fuel) which defeats the argument of fuel economy and still not have the towing capacity - that incidentally I need – albeit, not all 10,000 lbs as this Excursion can pull.

In so far as commuting in and out of a city – that is where the safety concern is paramount. With the ever increasing number of drivers increasing the potential of an accident that I and my family are exposed, I want to have size and power on my side. This comes at a price of maintenance and fuel – but skimping on a few dollars which would put my family at risk is simply not an alternative. Perhaps others can put such a value on their loved ones- I cannot.

Inside Out

It is large, roomy, and comfortable, in every seat including the 3rd-row, which I cannot say the same for any other vehicle. I really liked the little German SUV’s, and did, very much, but it came right down to space, where the Excursion again is category leader. With 4 power-points (plus the cigar plug) are well placed, as are the cup holders – never get enough of those…

The Limited came with leather seats and wood grain trim that is just enough luxury in a nearly 4-ton beast. I have to hand it to Ford that they did not go over board here. The second row of seats folds in a 60/40 manner with the third row seats either folding or removed.

Well, I suppose the outside looks is of personal taste – I like it, even if I was cool about the looks the two major criteria – space and safety – would have weighted higher than looks in my buying decision. I value substance over form in this regard. The rear door is the best of both worlds as you are protected by rain from above and you can easily reach in to the 3rd seat if need be without leaning over a tailgate. This is not a problem in the German SUV’s as they have so little space it is not an issue. The fact that the Excursion is built on the same platform as the world renown Super Duty trucks is most comforting as trucks are designed for a higher set of standards. Sure, they are not the cheapest in 5MPH bumper tests- but in a 7,400-LB SUV does one really need to be concerned about the bumper being dented?

Driving Impressions

My diesel is louder than a gas driven Excursion – but it gets roughly double the fuel economy and with 50% more torque, a fair trade in my opinion. I don’t even hear it any more – Ford did a great job in this regard and with the radio on low, I don’t even know it is running. It has sufficient get-up and go around town and on the freeway the turbo diesel does its job very well.

I was shocked at the mileage truth be told. I knew it would b higher than my neighbors Suburban that gets about 6 in town and 10 on the freeway, but double that? I should not be surprised – my brother has a F350 Crew with the same engine and gets good mileage although he never closely tracked it (the Excursion has an on-board computer that calculates mileage, direction, temp, and miles to empty). Chevrolet used to offer a diesel – but pulled it as they had a considerable number of problems – according to the dealer where I test-drove the Suburban after test driving the Excursion. That was like going to Knott’s Berry Farm AFTER Disneyland – your setting yourself up for disappointment based on a previous high expectation. The door on the Ford is heavy and substantial – the Chevy door could have been on a Honda.

I have driven all over downtown San Francisco and San Jose, up to the mountain in Mendocino, and throughout the Central Valley and I have no complaints. I even survived the parking lots of local shopping centers and have yet to be in a position where the Excursion’s size became a factor. Imagine that.

Parting thoughts

The Excursion is not for everyone - expense and cost aside, it requires a competent driver simply because it handles very different than a car and quite honestly, not everyone needs this space and power, or wants the corresponding safety and security. I have commuted in it and it was a pleasure.

Okay, the one thing that drives me crazy about the Excursion is this - the design of the rear window is in such a way that it leaves streaks of water residuals on the lower barn-doors – and since my Excursion is black, it really sticks out.

Some suggest it is too big, drinks too much fuel, and is dangerous to other drivers. And they may be right if they drive small, relatively unsafe cars that trade weight (steel) for fuel economy, but then again, size DOES matter (for hauling and safety), the fuel economy of a single diesel Excursion is better than two little cars (on a per person basis), and as for being unsafe for OTHER drivers, I think the same thoughts when I drive with an 18-wheeler or a tank truck close by - regardless of what I drive.

Similar Products Used:

Suburban, Landcruiser, and Land Rover

The size and stature of the truck provides plenty of room.

The ride is terrible.

I sincerely think that Ford is aware of a design defect in the Excursion. When crossing short steep bumps such as those encountered on rural roads with intersecting railroad tracks, the truck will "violent porpoise". I found this description on the web page of an advanced manufacturer of shock absorbers (don't know if I'm allowed to mention products). Their product was designed to minimize the front to rear rocking in situations such as an overloaded trailer. Even without a trailer the Excursion will porpoise. Application of the brakes during one of these episodes resulted in a loss of control and we wound up in a ditch. Concerned for my families safety, I purchased the product and am pleased to say that the rocking has stopped. The ride remains overly stiff and all road surface irregularities are immediately transferred to the driver via the steering wheel. I am very dissapointed in the truck, more so because Ford did an incredible job with the F250. I am baffled by the inconsistency. I have contacted Ford several times, and their only response was to contact my dealer. They spent 15 or so minutes driving the truck and stated that although my trucks rode completely differently, they had no explanation.

Similar Products Used:

F250 Crew Cab. Although it is almost the same truck, our Excursion rides like a completely different vehicle. Almost all road surface is transferred to the driver in the Excursion, where none is in the F250.

The 2000 Excursion Limited is a world-class package! It's very comfortable on the highway - in fact, it's easy to forget how fast you're going! The V10 power is worth the investment. The interior is - well - hugely roomy. There's more than enough storage for people, luggage, and pets!

The V10 will consume the fuel with city driving. I get a little under 11 mpg in the city.

This is a world-class SUV. Solid, beautiful, and priced right!

Similar Products Used:

Pathfinder, Expedition, Explorer, Suburban - they are a distant second to the Excursion.

Classy looking vehicle inside and out. Nice styling, pleasing lines. (Mine is pure white with grey interior.
Beautiful leather interior.
Luxurious, spacious and comfortable interior.
Mega space for everything!
Excellent air conditioning system. Lots and lots of vents!
Automatic "pop out" windows for ventilation in the third row of seats.
Great in-dash CD/AM/FM/Cassette AND 6 CD stacker conveniently located.
Commanding view/feel of the road and good visability throughout windows all around.
Great handling, turning radius for its size.
Mostly a smooth ride except for really bumpy country roads.
All doors are extremely easy to open and close, especially nice for the kids.
Easy entry and exit.

Would have liked the option of a Navigation System.
The gear shift is a little stiff/awkward for me between Park and Drive. (Maybe that's just me.)
Plastic grill, (but everything is plastic these days.) I am going to upgrade to a real chrome grill.

Overall GREAT value for the dollars.

I am now an "SUV Mom" and really loving this vehicle. (My other car is a BMW 7 series. I never thought I would be saying all of this!) I feel I can "go anywhere and do anything" in my Excursion. I can't wait to go to Tahoe and hope for snow on the road. No chains! Yippee. I feel very safe and secure transporting my 3 children in this vehicle. They can jump in with backpacks, musical instruments, sports gear etc and go! It's great for transporting my Real Estate clients in style and comfort. The swinging back doors are very convenient for grocery shopping. This vehicle gets MANY compliments. I have NOT found it to be extremely difficult to park like some say. The gas mileage is decent for its size. I am not disappointed about that in the least.

I had a Flow Master Exhaust System installed (only $158.00) and have to admit I like the better "Vroom Vroom" sound it makes. It also gives it more pep on the exceleration. I am going to add a K and N air filter as well for even better "breathing."

I highly recommend this for busy, active and growing families. It is great for business as well. I am getting a wonderful tax write off due to its weight being over 6,000 lbs. Can't say this about any other SUV out there. We could NOT pass up the 0.9% financing.
My husband has a 2000 Diesel, Ford F250, 4x4. We love both of these rigs!

Similar Products Used:

Chevrolet Suburban, Jeep Cherokee. (Superior to these)

The Excursion is large and easy to drive. Rides like a truck and is ready to handle any task.Gas mileage is the same as an Infiniti QX4.(but nobody says anything about that). Looks 10 times better than the light-weight suburban which weighs 1500+ lbs less.

None

This was the vehicle choice of my wife who is 5ft 3in 125 lbs. She has no problem parking it and has never once complained about the ride. The 5.4 litre engine has plenty of torque and gets 13 mpg in the city and 17+ on the hwy. It has alot of window vision and large mirrors and the reverse back up sensor make it easy to manuver. If you dont want a solid riding vehicle buy the car-like, gentle, low-riding suburban. If you want to feel like king of the road buy the Excursion. By the way how did GM come up 1500+ lbs lighter than the Excursion? Think about it.

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None

I just got done running the Excursion around my property in 4X4 and 4X4 Low, and I think I've discovered where this truck really shines! As a 4X4, with stock A/T tires, it is the most amazing ride I've been in!

You have to be in neutral to shift into 4x4 Low.

Well, I was still studying the front suspension and its street woes (see my other post on this list) this week, when, after church, we were pulling up the driveway when my wife pointed up the hill and said, you wanna? We opened the gate to the back acre and scooted up the dirt road to the horse pad above. There was no hint of excessive vibration in those low frequency bounces up the rough dirt/railroad tie road to the top. The true test for my 4x4's comes when I wind down around the pad to the base of a dirt slope back up which varies from 20degrees to near 40degrees in steepness. I threw the box into 4x4, and attacked the mild section (20degree section). We sat amazed as the Excursion marched without complaint OR scraping bottom right up and over the crest. (The GMC 4x4 Sierra just does scrape center over that crest, and sometimes has to try twice to get up--i.e., looses traction on a wheel, and then goes nowhere. The GMC does NOT have A/T tires. It has L/T tires. Keep this in mind) Well, I had no intention of taking it up the steep face until after we made such short work of the easy section.

So I turn the mighty beast around, head to the base of the hill again, and stop--4x4 Low time. We stare up at the steep section. We take a deep breath. Often, on dry days like this, the dusty dirt totally defeats the GMC 4 or 5 times before finally making it up, scraping hard on the crest at the midline of the truck rails. We start up smoothly and hit the steep dusty bank. Front wheels up, over, rear wheels up! One try, no slipping...suspension feels GREAT! Way better than the jimmy! Furthermore, the belly of the beast never scraped. I would post a photo of the truck doing this, but when my wife stood up there to take it, our horse, bodie was going a bit crazy, jumping around and bucking excitedly, so she jumped back in the car and we went down without a photo.

So--to sum up, the Excursion is an AMAZING hill climber. Its 4x4 potential from the showroom floor is top of the line. This is where the Excursion SHINES. I am much happier today than I was yesterday, and full of plans for this beast! I think my previous ratings were low, so I'm gonna up-em by giving fives in both now.

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1997 GMC 4X4 Sierra Pickup--mine. 1967 International Scout 4x4

You can't beat the roominess, comfort, and towing capacity. Our 6'2" son sat in the third seat with leg room to spare and the storage space behind the third seat is fantastic. We thought the gas mileage would be much worse, but got 13-14 miles to the gallon of the lot on a trip from Mass to Florida. Pulling our 9600lb trailer is a dream. We have not experienced an especially rough ride, but we traded up from an Explorer that was too small to pull the trailer and we find the ride better in the Excursion.

Not an everyday car. We leave it parked for normal commuting and use it for pleasure.

Used Mass Buying Power and paid 3% over factory invoice so got this great vehicle for $34,500. We would recommend it to anyone who needs a heavy towing capacity and travels with four or more adults on a regular basis.

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The price value compared to the Suburban (the only other vehicle that came close without being a pickup truck) was superb. For the options we wanted, be feel we got the best deal.

the gas milage is great compared to the GM 454 engine
it is very roomy (I am 6'4 and 241lbs and i could fit in the back seat with leg room to spare i cant even dream of doing that in a suburban

it is hard to park

i would recamend this product over the suburban because it's cousins the superduty pickups have proven them selfs time and time again.

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93' 454 3 quarter ton 4x4 suburban