No more Excursions?

[Bill Lins]

Channel 2 News (the Houston NBC affiliate) reported tonight that Ford will discontinue the Excursion after the 2003 model year. They also said Ford refused to confirm or deny the report.



It figures. If the report is true, they're cancelling one of the only two Ford vehicles I would consider buying (the Ranger being the other one).

 

[Peter Campbell]

Maybe they could not find another tire manufacturer to sign off on overloaded "P" ( passenger rated) tires underinflated on thier trucks just to pass the rollover test. l

 

[DarrellB]

According to the Louisville paper the plant has already quit making them so they can make more SuperDutys.



Darrell

 

[Koa Man]

Here is the story from the New York Times



NYT: Ford to Cancel Excursion

Wed Jul 31, 2:44 AM ET



NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Ford Motor Co. has decided not to build a second generation of the Excursion sport utility vehicle, the New York Times reported Wednesday citing people close to Ford's future product program.



The Excursion, seven feet tall and able to seat a softball team, was oft criticized as the auto industry's most visible symbol of sport utility vehicle excess, the paper said, and is expected to be discontinued at the end of the 2004 model year.



Introduced in 1999 as a 2000 year model, the end of production will mean the Excursion lasted just one generation.



Sarah Tatchio, a spokeswoman for Ford, declined to confirm to the Times whether the company would drop the 19-foot vehicle, which gets 10 miles a gallon, is too long to fit in many garages and takes up two conventional city parking spaces.



She did confirm the car was part of Ford's 2003 product range

 

[Shovelhead]

Specs on the Excursion: length 226. 7", width 79. 9"



Our Cummins (long WB 3500) length 240. 1", width 93. 8"



F-350 Crew cab length 262. 0", width 95. 5"





And they complain 'cuz the Excursion takes two parking spaces?





I wonder how much of the problem may be drivers who trade in a Honda Civic with all 4 corners dented from braile parking, and want to drive a "Safer vehicle".

 

[TboneMan]

I'm kind of glad to see it go. It is one of the few passenger vehicals on the road that I can't see over while driving down the road.

 

[illflem]

Another reason according to CNN this morning - Ford only sold 9000 of them this year.

 

[JConley]

Thank god I got one!!! This is typical of the media. My Excursion gets 18MPG on the highway, and about 15 city. That 10MPG crap is for those too stupid to buy a Diesel. My 5 foot tall 100 pound wife can park that thing in a single parking spot at the mall, so for those that say this is too big, come down to Texas and my wife will show you how to drive a truck. We had 8 people in the thing last weekend. We had plenty of room, and everyone was comfortable. As far as I can see, this is the best people mover out there, and the most economical since it is a DIESEL!! I do agree that this vehicle has a bad reputation, and that is thanks to the media. I dont think the market is too big for a vehicle like this, but in Texas, they sell a bunch of them. We put about 20K miles on each of our trucks a year, (or more) and there is no substitute for cubic feet!

 

[Pit Bull]

Sounds like a collectible

 

[bigkid59]

I read somewhere that they had also discontinued the Lincoln Blackwood pick up. Seem to remember that only about 2000 had been built and only a couple of hundred had been sold.



Another of Ford's "Better Ideas" ?

 

[bighammer]

A Blackwood might be a collector piece. Maybe put on the (useless) retractable running board option. Do they have some of those for our Rams yet? Can't wait!

 

[Oxjockey]

The Merc dealer by me has a couple of those Blackwoods in stock, and continues to have them everytime I drive by. What were they thinking?



Bryan

 

[Koa Man]

Originally posted by JConley

My 5 foot tall 100 pound wife can park that thing in a single parking spot at the mall, so for those that say this is too big, come down to Texas and my wife will show you how to drive a truck.

I don't doubt your wife can handle that thing, but I think most places don't stripe their parking stalls as big as Texas. Hawaii is the land of 6. 5 ft. wide, 16 ft. long parking stalls, approriately named "compact stalls". Guess which stalls get filled up first? Yep, the limited number of "full size" stalls, which are usually 7. 5 ft. wide and 18 ft. long..... usually all filled with sub compacts because their drivers cannot fit their cars in the stalls designed for them.

 

[work2muchplay2little]

Let's see we have the Explorer (Exploder), Expedition, and Excursion... . maybe they'll come out with the Expensive or Excessive next? Actually, when it's time to replace the Tahoe, I'd love to get into a PSD Excursion (or Equivalent ) or see a Duramax powered 'Burb. What do you say Detroit?

 

[JConley]

Good point Koa. We hardley ever see a compact parking space, and they are all empty most of the time since nothing can fit in them. Down here the average size vehicle is a suburban. A small car in Texas is called bait.

 

[Deezul1]

A small car in Texas is called bait.

LMAO

Good one John

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

This is what happens when conservatives sit back and let a liberal media dictate what is "best" for our society!



I used to be puzzled as to WHY it seems as tho the liberals are so visible and in control of what goes on in this country - and it finally HIT me!



Conservatives basically believe in minding their own business, taking responsibility for their own actions - and piloting their own destiny... And leaving others to do the same...



LIBERALS, on the other hand, believe in controlling EVERYTHING in our society, that NO one is smart enough or ambitious enough to do things on their own, and "big government" is an absolute necessity if our country is to survive - and THEY are the world's biggest busybodies - rushing around sticking their noses into EVERYONE'S business, and trying to dicatate how EVERYTHING "should" be done...



Naturally, conservatives stay to themselves and their own activities - while liberals actively PUSH their way into everyone's lives by every means available!



Us conservatives better get up off our hind ends, and take a more active part in our surroundings - before the liberals are telling and MAKING us live every aspect of our lives according to THEIR blueprint!



Today it's the Excursion - TOMORROW it could as easily be all diesel trucks used in RV applications - they'll take us out one-by-one!

 

[Paychk]

Gary



Too late on the pickup thing, hasn't it already started? Didn't Gov. Davis sign that legislation on reduced CO2 emissions? That applies to all types of vehicles, pickup trucks included? I bet that will bring about the extinction of trucks as we know them today!















(edited for Sp)

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by Koa Man





I don't doubt your wife can handle that thing, but I think most places don't stripe their parking stalls as big as Texas. Hawaii is the land of 6. 5 ft. wide, 16 ft. long parking stalls, approriately named "compact stalls". Guess which stalls get filled up first? Yep, the limited number of "full size" stalls, which are usually 7. 5 ft. wide and 18 ft. long..... usually all filled with sub compacts because their drivers cannot fit their cars in the stalls designed for them.

I just take two, my truck weighs more than two Compact cars. Seems fair to me

 

[Koa Man]

Originally posted by Pit Bull





I just take two, my truck weighs more than two Compact cars. Seems fair to me

I take four. My truck has a 9 ft. flatbed on it and is about 22 ft. long and about 9 ft. wide with the mirrors. I take up all the length in one row and half the length in the row across. Person who came up with the idea of "compact" stalls should be castrated.