2003 Ford Excursion

Backed by a 5-speed automatic, the new 325-hp 6.0L Power Stroke turbo-diesel will be offered mid-2003.

Safety hasn't been neglected. The Excursion has the requisite front airbag combination, plenty of reinforcing beams under the skin, and a blocker beam under the front bumper (it's that high!) that prevents smaller cars from going underneath in the event of a crash. Limited Excursions also have standard front-bumper foglamps (very handy if you're a coastal dweller). Sorry, no side airbags in this model yet.


Now for the tradeoffs: Despite that handsome body laden with familiar FoMoCo styling cues (freshened for '03 with different grille colorings), under its skin, the Excursion never lets you forget its bone structure came from Ford's hefty Super Duty F-250/F-350 truck series. Putting it mildly, it's no sports car. Still, redesigned shocks are available across the board, and 4x4 models receive other ride-and-handling upgrades for 2003. You soon get used to the Excursion's size, you plan ahead a bit for stops, and you revel in the mini-Kenworth feeling. Standard running boards make entry and egress easy.


With the gas engines, you'll like the way the heavy-duty four-speed automatic's nifty tow-haul feature subtly adjusts the transmission's shift pattern to compensate for hills, load variations and altitude changes. The base 5.4-liter V-8 comes only with rear-drive; you have to opt to the bigger 6.8-liter V-10 or the 7.3-liter turbo-diesel to get four-wheel-traction and the full 5.5-ton towing capacity. (The 7.3 will be replaced by a more-powerful and more-efficient 6.0-liter Power Stroke turbo-diesel V-8 toward the middle of the production run.) The brakes—big discs in each corner—are very reassuring, as is the included ABS anti-lock braking system.

Excursion offers innumerable trim combinations and a plethora of options are available regardless of trim level.

The basic Excursion's standard sound system is quite acceptable; serious audiophiles ordering XLTs can opt for an AM/FM/CD stereo with 6-disc in-dash changer ($255) or go all-out for a $1,525 VHS-equipped rear-seat entertainment system with a fold-down screen. Be sure to pop for the heated seats ($290; they're included in the Ultimate and Eddie Bauer) if you go for any of the other models. New-for-2003 Eddie Bauer packaging also offers two-tone leather seats, cherry woodgrain trim, illuminated running boards and exterior badges.


If you live in wide-open spaces, and frequently tow palominos or bass boats, you'll enjoy the king (or queen) of the road feeling you get in this immense road warrior. We drove one for a week in Manhattan Beach, California, where we found ourselves instinctively ducking as we entered the town parking garage and then circling endlessly looking for a space wide enough for the Excursion's nearly seven-foot girth. But as a freeway cruiser, with kids, tons of gear, and nearly anything you could imagine hooked on behind, it was a delight. The only thing missing was a set of air horns. Really, I was certain that if I sat at a "truckers only" seat at the local truck stop, no one would object. If only the biggest will do, get one before they're all gone. (www.fordvehicles.com)