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2003 Ford Excursion
Date Published: 7/31/08

2003 Ford Excursion
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MSRP:
$36,435 - 49,690

Invoice:
$32,049 - 43,449

Class:
Large Sport-utility Vehicle
2003 Ford Excursion
Expert Rating Summary
Category XLT 2WD, V10 Rating (See All
Ratings)
Large Sport-utility Vehicle Average Rating
Acceleration 3 4.1
Fuel Economy 1 2
Ride Quality 3 4.8
Steering/Handling/Braking 2 3.1
Quietness 3 5.4
Controls 6 6.6
Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (front) 9 8.6
Room/Comfort (rear) 9 8.3
Cargo Room 9 9
Value within Class 3 6.9
Total Score: 48 58.8
Ratings: Maximum 10 points per category
2003 FORD EXCURSION BUYING RESOURCES
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2003 Ford Excursion Review
Introduction of an Eddie Bauer trim level and a new diesel engine highlight 2003 for the largest SUV sold in America. Excursion is 7.4 inches longer than a Chevrolet Suburban, 6 inches taller, and 2000 lb heavier. It seats up to nine and offers rear-wheel drive or 4WD that must be disengaged on dry pavement but includes low-range gearing. Gasoline V8 and V10 engines return, while Ford at midyear switched turbodiesel V8s, from a 7.3 liter with 250 hp and 525 lb-ft of torque to a 6.0 with 325 and 550. All engines use automatic transmissions--the gas engines a 4 speed, the turbodiesel a 5 speed. Antilock 4-wheel disc brakes are standard. Side airbags aren't offered. The Eddie Bauer slots between the base XLT line and top-range Limited models. It's distinguished by front and rear body-color trim set off by beige accents. Power-adjustable pedals are standard on Eddie Bauer and Limited, optional on XLT models. Same goes for leather upholstery and rear-obstacle detection. Among other available features are rear DVD entertainment and a 6-disc in-dash CD player.
Competition
Our Best Buys, Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, are improved for 2003 with optional four-wheel steering and revised dashboards. These vehicles were new for 2000 and have improved with age. The all-new Ford Expedition gets bumped up to Best Buy status with revised styling, power 3rd-row seating, and the addition of an FX4 off-road edition.

Recommended are GMC Yukon and Toyota Sequoia. We love the size, comfort, and power of these big SUVs but wish sticker prices were a bit lower.
News
America's biggest SUV has been under fire from environmentalists since its launch as an early 2000 model. But that doesn't wholly explain why year-to-year sales have been declining: down 31.7 percent in calendar 2001 and another 16 percent in the first half of '02. Full-size Chevrolet and GMC rivals are down too. Ford marketers think demand for big SUVs in general is starting to shrink as aging baby boomers shift from a family lifestyle to "empty-nest" status and start moving to smaller, more rational vehicles. Drunkardly fuel "economy" is another likely factor in the downward sales trend.

Whatever the reasons, it seems Excursion may be dropped after model-year 2004, according to a recent Detroit newspaper report. Ford isn't commenting, but if the plug is pulled, it would save the company some money and also help Ford fulfill its pledge to double the average fuel economy of its SUV fleet by 2005. Early demise or no, Excursion's fate should not affect the planned redesign of the parent F-Series Super Duty pickups, now slated for 2006.
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