Driving Impressions
reviewed by
Cruising along in an Excursion gives you a secure feeling. It's smooth and quiet. The V10 is a delightful engine. It produces 310 horsepower and can propel the Excursion along the Interstate at high rates of speed. The V10 generates a very impressive 425 foot-pounds of torque at 3250 rpm. Tell someone you've got a V10 and they think you're driving a rocket. But an Excursion 4x4 weighs about 7,200-pounds, so its acceleration performance at high altitudes seems no better than an Explorer or Expedition. Still, it had no trouble passing other vehicles on two-lane roads near Yellowstone. It's rock solid at 97 mph where a governor keeps you from going any faster. The EPA doesn't even rate trucks this big, but you should expect fuel economy in the 10-12 mpg range and we've seen 14 mpg on the highway.
If you like diesel engines, you'll love Ford's turbocharged 7.3-liter Power Stroke. It seems unaffected by high altitude and I was amazed at its ability to accelerate past slower cars on two-lane roads. The diesel generates 500 foot-pounds of torque at just 1600 rpm, useful for pulling stumps out of your yard or pulling heavy trailers up steep ramps. Ford worked hard to reduce noise from the diesel both inside and outside the Excursion; but you still shouldn't expect to sneak up on anyone. The diesel gets 16-18 mpg, but adds $4,000 to the bottom line. It takes a lot of long-distance driving to justify that. All Excursions come with a 44-gallon fuel tank, giving the diesel a range of more than 700 miles.
A few Excursions will be available with 5.4-liter V8s, but I suspect they would struggle if you loaded six passengers and luggage and headed for the mountains. It's a big station wagon for the flatlands or an economical engine for fleets.
While the 4x2 comes with Ford's Twin I-beam front suspension and coil springs, the 4x4 uses a solid front axle and leaf springs. Differences in ride and handling between the two are subtle. The 4x4 rides and handles superbly, tackling corners with confidence and offering good grip on dirt roads. Strong crosswinds in the Madison River Valley and an 18-wheeler going in the opposite direction had little effect at high speed.
Of course, that long wheelbase means this is not a serious off-road vehicle. But the part-time four-wheel-drive system and 8.1-inch ground clearance should get you up some pretty gnarly dirt roads in nasty weather. The Excursion does not offer a system like GM's Autotrac, which distributes torque front to rear automatically, so you may have to slow down for slushy, inconsistent conditions. But Ford's clever vacuum-controlled hub-locking system quickly engages four-wheel drive on the fly by pressing a button. A low-range set of gears is ready whenever you need to tackle steep, slippery terrain.
Perhaps most important, the Excursion is rated to tow trailers up to 10,000 pounds, so six fishermen could pull a hefty boat behind them. All Excursions come ready to tow, with a Class IV receiver hitch and factory-wired seven-pin electrical connector; a four-pin adapter is also included. I like overkill when towing long distances through bad weather and the Excursion should pull a 6,000-pound trailer better than an Expedition. Unlike most SUVs, all Excursions come with D load range light-truck tires, LT265/75R-16D. You may want the all-terrain treads if you drive on muddy trails, but the all-season tires are smoother and quieter for towing long distances.
There's no getting around the fact that this is a big vehicle and it's size was a bit more apparent in downtown Portland. However, if you don't mind big rigs, then you'll find this one surprisingly maneuverable and easy to park.
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