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2000 Ford Excursion
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| Would You Like to Super-Size Your SUV? |
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| Updated |
Jun 10, 2004 21:20:27 |
| Rating |
 89 ( 2 +2.24% ) | | Author | Denise Caldwell |
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Description:
"My, what a BIG baby you have." That kind of backhanded compliment is OK for a while, but then you start to wonder, is my kid robust or a Butterball with a pacifier? Similar remarks seem to follow the 2000 Ford Excursion. "That's a big truck, lady." "Wow, that's big." "That's the biggest SUV I've ever seen." "Is that one of those new Ford Excavations?" Enough already, I know it's big; deal with it or prepare to get run over.
Maybe men enjoy references to their size (as long as they delude themselves into thinking it's about muscle, not abdominal mass), but I don't. Not only is the Excursion's size big, it seems to be an inordinately big deal. Local television stations did salacious features on the Excursion--"Monster truck moms! Details at eleven." People who seldom give cars or trucks a second look, talked about it. Newspapers wasted editorial space with letters fretting about the impact of the Excursion on the environment and traffic safety.
Sure, the Excursion is a very large truck, but the highways are full of large pickup trucks and full-size vans. We haven't seen any TV coverage on the environmental perils of 12-passenger vans or crew cab pickups. I routinely drive a 20-foot long, 1-ton crew cab dually pickup that we use for trailer towing and family outings. I've never heard a negative comment, yet the truck is over a foot longer than the Excursion and gets slightly poorer fuel economy. The Excursion carries 8 to 9 passengers; our crew cab is maxed out at 6.
The Excursion seems to be a victim of some slow news weeks. Ford went to great efforts to make the Excursion a responsible highway citizen. All three available engines are certified to low emission vehicle standards. Ford cites figures of up to 43 percent less tailpipe emissions than federal standards. The front bumper has Ford's BlockerBeam, which is designed to prevent smaller cars from sliding under the bumper. Out back, a standard Class IV trailer hitch serves double duty as barrier.
Few people need an Excursion-sized SUV any more than they need a 6,000 square foot home. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed to enjoy all the extra space if that's how they chose to spend their money. We found the Excursion's size to be both a blessing and a curse. Interior space and comfort were first class and then some. Lots of people and all their cargo fit with ease. Its height made for a commanding view of traffic. On the negative side, mall-parking spots were tough to come by, it was too big for our garage, and we had to stretch to retrieve the pneumatic canister at the bank drive-through.
People who haven't had much experience driving oversized vehicles will need a while to feel comfortable with the Excursion's imprint. Big mirrors and lots of windows help, but practice is necessary to instinctively know where you are in relation to the road and other traffic. Driving an Excursion demands your full attention; it isn't a vehicle for mobile multi-taskers.
Comparisons to Suburbans are inevitable. We're fans of the versatile Suburban. In our opinion, they're not all that different. The Excursion has the edge in luggage capacity and according to the specification charts, it can tow more. Since the Excursion is based on Ford's excellent Super Duty pickup, our experience with it leads us to concur about the Excursion's towing ability. In everyday driving situations, we think it's a toss-up between two fine vehicles.
The 2000 Ford Excursion is a big, versatile workhorse that serves double duty as a luxurious people mover. The smaller Ford Expedition would work as well for around-town driving, but if serious towing is part of your plans, the Excursion is hard to beat.
PROS:
Tremendous towing capacity. Can haul 8 people and all their gear in comfort. Security of a tank during inclement weather. Commanding view of the road. No one questions your right of way at uncontrolled intersections.
Easy to find at the mall.
CONS:
Tough to park, big gas appetite attracts lots of attention. |
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