Ford Excursion is dead.....

Zane · July 31, 2002

Like you couldn't see this coming...

DEARBORN -- Ford Motor Co. plans to phase out production of the Ford Excursion, the big, bold sport-utility vehicle that became the poster child for environmentally unfriendly vehicles.
Ford will stop production of the 19-foot SUV possibly after the 2004 model year, company and industry sources said.

Ford spokeswoman Sara Tatchio said the Excursion, which is assembled at the Kentucky truck plant in Louisville, would be available in a 2003 model but declined comment on its future.

The gas guzzler, once dubbed the "Ford Valdez" by the Sierra Club, was designed to rival the Chevrolet Suburban. Demand has slowed, however, since its introduction in 1999.

So far this year, Ford has sold 15,107 Excursions, down 16 percent from the same period in 2001. By comparison, Chevy has sold 66,882 Suburbans in 2002.

One product expert believes Ford will build a new "Suburban fighter" within a few years.

"They are going to kill the Excursion," said Dean Benjamin, president of AutoSource Inc. in El Segundo, Calif. "They'll build something off the Expedition line that will be sized more appropriately."

gmcjoe · July 31, 2002

I'm not suprised. That gas hog can't fit in the standard garage

99Silver6.0 · July 31, 2002

Away goes the G.A.L.Y.!!! (God Awful Land Yacht)

Greg · August 1, 2002

I liked the Excursion when it came out - lots of room and a Powerstroke option. Except the price tag made a Sub look like a bargain. I always figured that Ford saw Dodge back out of making a Sub-fighter and then stepped into the ring trying beat Chevy by super-sizing their offering.

CMNTMXR81 · August 1, 2002

This really isn't news. Ford announced that about a year ago that they were going to cancel it.

The Excursion was a good concept that was executed poorly. They figured they'd beat GM at their own game by using the "bigger is better" concept. Problem was, you could get a Suburban which may have fallen short in over size, but made better use of it's interior space, had better/stronger engine and drivetrain (sans the Powerstroke), still fit into most garages, and it all could be attained at a smaller price.

SnakeEyeSS · August 1, 2002

I hope this is why I haven't heard of the GM plans to make a "super-sized" suburban lately. In 1999 they said they were thinking of making an SUV BIGGER than the Ford Nightmare(err, excursion).