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The Ford Excursion is a heavy-duty (Class 2) full-size SUV marketed by Ford Motor Company from 2000 through 2005. At its introduction, the Excursion was the longest and heaviest SUV ever to enter mass production. The third Ford SUV was derived from the F-Series pickup trucks (after the Ford Bronco and the Ford Expedition), and the model line used a heavier-duty chassis and frame than the Expedition; both vehicles competed against the Chevrolet Suburban.
Developed as a competitor for the 2500-series (-ton) Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Yukon XL, the Ford Excursion was derived from the -ton F-250 Super Duty pickup truck (sharing its chassis with the regular cab, long-bed chassis). The model line was produced for a single generation; a shortened 2006 model year was offered exclusively for Mexico. Targeting the North American market, only a few were produced for export. The Excursion remains the second largest mass-produced SUV (matched in length by the 2023 introduction of the lighter Jeep Grand Wagoneer L, and beaten by the 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV); currently, only the GMC Hummer EV SUV is heavier.
The Excursion was assembled at its Kentucky Truck Plant (Louisville, Kentucky) alongside the Ford Super Duty line. The last example was produced on September 30, 2005. For 2007, Ford introduced the extended-length Ford Expedition EL/MAX (today, Expedition MAX), competing more closely against the 1500-series Suburban in capability.
For 1978, Ford released the second generation of the Ford Bronco. To repackage the model line as a full-size SUV, the Bronco was brought closer in design to chief competitors Chevrolet K5 Blazer/GMC Jimmy and Dodge Ramcharger. Along with sharing its chassis with the Ford F-100 pickup truck, the Bronco was offered as a three-door half-cab wagon with a removable hardtop. In contrast to General Motors, Ford did not develop a five-door wagon body for the Bronco (in line with the Suburban). During the 1980s and early 1990s, Ford marketed five-door Bronco wagons on a special-order basis as license-built vehicles from second-party manufacturers. To assemble the design, the rear body of the Bronco was mated to crew-cab F-Series bodywork. Examples used the 1-ton F-350 chassis (a first since the IHC Travelall) as a basis, contrasting with the ½-ton or ¾-ton payload series offered by the Suburban.
For 1997, Ford replaced the Bronco with the Ford Expedition full-size SUV. Again derived from the Ford F-150, the Expedition was designed with a five-door wagon body; the model line was typically fitted with three rows of seating. Sized between the Chevrolet Tahoe (introduced as a 5-door wagon during 1995) and the Suburban (offering three-row seating like the Expedition), the change followed a decline in demand for three-door SUVs of all sizes.
For 1999, Ford expanded the F-Series model range, adding the Super Duty F-250 and F-350 pickups (and all larger Ford trucks) with a heavier-duty chassis, suspension, and distinct body design. To create its first -ton SUV (competing against the -ton 2500-series Suburban), Ford created an SUV derived from the F-250 Super Duty pickup truck. Outside of the pickup truck range, the Excursion was the largest Ford passenger vehicle, outranked by the Ford E-350 Super Wagon 12-15 passenger van (in both body and wheelbase length and height).
The rear axle for all Excursions was a Sterling 10.5 axle. The four-wheel-drive models had an NV273 transfer case and Dana 50 front axle. Rear axle ratios of 3.73:1 and 4.30:1 were offered.
During the development of the chassis, Ford learned that its initial design caused smaller vehicles (such as a Ford Taurus) to become severely overridden in a head-on collision. In the test, the tire of the Excursion drove up to the windshield of the Taurus (reducing the chance of survival for its driver). As a response, Ford modified the chassis to include an under-bumper "blocker beam"; a safety device the French transportation ministry initially tested in 1971. A trailer hitch was standard equipment to help reduce underriding in rear-end collisions by smaller vehicles.
All four engines were paired with an automatic transmission. The 4-speed 4R100 automatic was fitted to the 5.4 L, 6.8 L, and 7.3 L engines, with a 5-speed 5R110W automatic fitted to the 6.0 L engine.
| Ford Triton V8 | SOHC 2V V8 | Gasoline | 2000–2005 | 4-speed automatic Ford 4R100 | ||
| Ford Triton V10 | SOHC 2V V10 | |||||
| Ford/Navistar Power Stroke V8 | OHV V8 turbo | Diesel | 2000–2003.5 | |||
| Ford/Navistar Power Stroke V8 | OHV 4V V8 turbo | 2003.5–2005 | 5-speed automatic Ford 5R110W TorqShift2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Ford Truck/SUV source books |
Sharing its dashboard entirely from the F-250 (though adding an "Excursion" nameplate badge), the interior was offered in either 8 or 9-passenger seating (with either a front bench seat or front bucket seats). As with the Bronco, Ford mounted the spare tire vertically in the cargo area (behind the third-row seat). For 2002, the instrument panel underwent minor revisions (receiving a digital odometer and a transmission temperature gauge); seating materials underwent revisions.
Coinciding with its design commonality with the Ford Super Duty crew cab, the Excursion was a mass-produced SUV with four full-length passenger doors. Along with the Chevrolet Suburban (and its GMC/Cadillac counterparts) and the International Travelall, the only mass-produced model lines with the design feature are the Ford Expedition Max/Lincoln Navigator L and the Jeep (Grand) Wagoneer L.
XLT: Included three rows of seating, leather-wrapped steering wheel with speed control, a security system, keyless entry, chrome steel rims or optional alloy rims, trailer towing package, an AM/FM radio with cassette and single-disc CD player with six premium speakers, and air conditioning.
Limited: Included same features as XLT, but adds a power driver's seat, rear audio controls, illuminated running boards, alloy rims, front-speed sensitive windshield wipers, five power points, ten cupholders, leather seats (with heated first row), and an optional rear entertainment system with DVD player.
The large size of the Excursion led to it being dubbed the Ford Valdez by the Sierra Club in 1999 (in reference to the Exxon Valdez supertanker). In 2007, Time selected it as one of the "Fifty Worst Cars of All Time."
As with all Super Duty trucks in Brazil, the Tropivan had a different engine selection throughout its production run, including a 4.2 L Essex gasoline V6 and two types of diesels: a 3.9 L Cummins B-series and the 4.2 L MWM Sprint 6.07TCA straight-6.
At the other end of the size scale, the Hennessey VelociRaptor SUV was created by mating the rear bodywork of the Excursion with the bodywork of the first-generation Ford Raptor (a practice similar to the creation of the 1990s Centurion Classic C350).
Because the Excursion shares significant design commonality with the 1999 through 2016 Ford F-250, the SUV has been customized by replacing the 2000-2005 front bodywork with the bodywork of 2008–2016 Super Duty pickup trucks.
The Excursion also has served as a basis for stretch limousines. Though Ford imposed a 120-inch length limit on body extensions (on full-frame cars such as the Lincoln Town Car), some Excursions have undergone longer extensions. One such stretched 2001 Excursion was involved in the 2018 Schoharie limousine crash, which killed 20.
| 1999 | 18,315 |
| 2000 | 50,786 |
| 2001 | 34,710 |
| 2002 | 29,042 |
| 2003 | 26,259 |
| 2004 | 20,010 |
| 2005 | 16,283 |
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