FordExcursions.com Forums
thy lantyr
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• san jose, CA, USA |
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• Registered on 12/10/2003 |
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• 9 posts |
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 Posted:12/10/2003 21:37 |
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I've been entertaining the idea of buying an Exursion but I don't know anything
about these vehicles. If I chose to buy a used one, which model years are the best/worse?
Are there big changes from each model year or is the overal design the same ?
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monsta
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• The Big Island, HI, USA |
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• Registered on 1/5/2002 |
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• 1,056 posts |
• 2
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Posted:12/10/2003 22:54 |
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If you're looking for a 4x4, late 2002 and above is the year to get. It's got a Dana60 up front. 
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E. Long
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• Subscriber since 1/1/2001 |
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• Atlanta, GA, USA |
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• Registered on 1/23/2001 |
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• 2,229 posts |
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Posted:12/10/2003 23:13 |
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The exteriors, for the most part, have remained very similar. Other than paint colors and trim colors, the major differences are in the interior creature comforts starting at 2002 and newer. Engine performance is relatively the same across the board with minor improvements from year-to-year. 2003 was the first year for the 6.0L Powerstroke diesel and 5-speed transmission. If you can afford to wait, your best bet would be a 2004 with the 6.0L powerstroke as the first year of the 6.0L was rather buggy.
It all depends what you are looking for. You can pick up 2000's and 2001's for a steal as most of them are off lease by now or nearing 50K+ miles.
Bottom line, you will be happy with any of the years but if you could list out what specifically you like in a vehicle, we can all help steer you in the right direction based on what years your desired features were offered. The #1 choice you will need to make is which engine: 5.4L V8, V10, or the Powerstroke Diesel (7.3L or 6.0L).
-Eric
'67 Galaxie 500 - 390 FE, .030" over, FE to AOD adapter, disc brake conversion. The Daily Driver.
'00 Excursion - 7.3L PSD, LANDYOT Gen-II Radius Rods, Factory Tech Valve Body, 200K+ miles and going |
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thy lantyr
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• san jose, CA, USA |
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• Registered on 12/10/2003 |
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• 9 posts |
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Posted:12/10/2003 23:42 |
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I like large vehicles, the Excursion fits the needs, but more important,
I was hoping that my next vehicle purchase would last 10 - 15 years
with only routine maintenance.
I'm not familiar with diesel engines, are they easier or more difficult on
maintenance and longevity ? How many miles can you put on them
before they are dead?
The V8 gas engine sounds like it would stuggle considering the large
weight of the X and if I were to tow a trailer in the future. Towing may or
may not happen looking forward.
Is the MPG better with the 7.3L vs. V10 engine?
Does the Excursion offer electronic bells and whistles like
traction control and other vehicle stability stuff ?
What about the locking rear differential ? Is it optional or standard.
If optional, how does one find out what type of rear end it has if
you buy used ? Is there a code ? |
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monsta
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• The Big Island, HI, USA |
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• Registered on 1/5/2002 |
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• 1,056 posts |
• 2
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Posted:12/11/2003 00:48 |
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| Quote: | I'm not familiar with diesel engines, are they easier or more difficult on
maintenance and longevity ? How many miles can you put on them
before they are dead?
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More intensive, more costly to mainain, better mileage (most of the time). louder, easier to hot rod. Long engine life if maintained properly.
Doesn't like short trips (for the most part) Will drag a house behind it. Well...actually it [i]is[/i] a house!
Diesels can easily go 300K before a rebuild but rebuilds are costly and the rest of the truck will probably need a bunch of stuff too. (Depending on how many miles you drive a year)
| Quote: | The V8 gas engine sounds like it would stuggle considering the large
weight of the X and if I were to tow a trailer in the future. Towing may or
may not happen looking forward. |
It's all about gearing. The 5.4l with 4.10s and a 2WD drivetrain would probably be adequate in acceleration and light duty towing. I have actually considered it because of that lovely V8 sound! And Superchargers are plentiful!
| Quote: | | Is the MPG better with the 7.3L vs. V10 engine? |
Do you really have to ask??
| Quote: | Does the Excursion offer electronic bells and whistles like
traction control and other vehicle stability stuff ? |
No it is designed for people who actually know how to drive. 
| Quote: | What about the locking rear differential ? Is it optional or standard.
If optional, how does one find out what type of rear end it has if
you buy used ? Is there a code ? |
Optional.
Door jamb code, rear diff tag or raise the rear end and spin one tire, if the other spins with it, you got an LS. If it spins opposite, it is and Open diff.
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thy lantyr
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• san jose, CA, USA |
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• Registered on 12/10/2003 |
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• 9 posts |
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Posted:12/11/2003 12:06 |
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>>It's all about gearing. The 5.4l with 4.10s
Driving 85 mph with the above engine/gearing, what rpm do you estimate the engine operates
with no towing ?
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E. Long
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• Subscriber since 1/1/2001 |
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• Atlanta, GA, USA |
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• Registered on 1/23/2001 |
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• 2,229 posts |
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Posted:12/15/2003 19:58 |
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| Quote: | I like large vehicles, the Excursion fits the needs, but more important,
I was hoping that my next vehicle purchase would last 10 - 15 years
with only routine maintenance. |
The 7.3L Powerstroke Diesel (PSD) engine is a proven engine. The 7.3L PSD has a 3,200 redline. For this reason, the longetivity of a diesel is naturally better than a gas engine because it doesn't have to rev as high to produce the same amount of power to move the vehicle. Lower RPMs = lower stress on the engine. This is the nature of diesels.
As far as large vehicles go, there is no other like the Excursion. I can't count the number of times where the flexibility of the seating in the Excursion and the amount of hauling space (in the interior) it provides has saved me from taking multiple trips or from not being able to haul something at all. I have made a handful of trips over the last three years of owning my X in which I have been able to have 6-7 adults seated comfortably with all of our gear inside the vehicle. This combined with my aftermarket DVD entertainment system makes for one pleasant roadtrip.
| Quote: | I'm not familiar with diesel engines, are they easier or more difficult on
maintenance and longevity ? How many miles can you put on them
before they are dead? |
As far as maintenance goes, it's pretty much the same type of stuff but it costs more. The PSD takes 15 quarts of oil during every oil change. But, oil change intervals are 5,000 miles. There are also a few different things that can go wrong on a diesel, but all of that is relative now in these days of electronically controlled engines. The gas engines are just as susceptible to electronics gremlins.
As far as how many miles you can put on them...lots. A couple hundred thousand is not out of the question at all. I purchased my X new in August of 2000 and have about 98,000 miles on it now. I originally leased my X and then bought out the lease, so I still have a few years of payments left. I sure as hell hope that it'll last until 300K or more, but I am not worried about that. As with any other Ford with an automatic transmission, I just wonder how many times I'll have to replace the tranny in the next several years. I replaced my first tranny on this X at 87,000 miles.
| Quote: | The V8 gas engine sounds like it would stuggle considering the large
weight of the X and if I were to tow a trailer in the future. Towing may or
may not happen looking forward. |
All I can say is that there is no simply no susbstitute for torque. I simply cannot stand not having enough power and I would not recommend the V8 for anything other than city/highway driving. The Excursion is a very large and heave vehicle, you just want to have enough muscle to pull around a trailer and any gear you're hauling without having to really work the engine. It's like having an flat acre of land that you have to mow each week with a 22" pushmower. Can it be done? Yes, of course. Will it be easier, quicker, and more convenient with a riding mower with twice the span of the pushmower? Most definitely -- but it will cost you more up front.
| Quote: | | Is the MPG better with the 7.3L vs. V10 engine? |
Yes, without a doubt MPG is better with the 7.3L. City driving, highway driving, and towing will all be better. My X is my daily driver and daily driving for me is a combo of city, highway, and rush hour driving. My average MPG is about 16.8 MPG. Highway driving it is 18-19 MPG. This simply cannot happen in a V10 or V8-powered Excursion.
| Quote: | Does the Excursion offer electronic bells and whistles like
traction control and other vehicle stability stuff? |
No, it does not. The Excursion is more like a truck in this regard than a traditional SUV. It does have ABS, but that is about it. 4-wheel drive is simply that, 4-wheel drive. No auto-sensing when the wheels are spinning, etc. When it's on, it's on. When it's off, it's off. Simple, yet still effective...these things are great in the snow or on muddy hunting trails, etc.
| Quote: | What about the locking rear differential ? Is it optional or standard.
If optional, how does one find out what type of rear end it has if
you buy used ? Is there a code ? |
Limited Slip was offered in all Excursions in the rear differential. See the above post for tips on how to figure out if the X you're looking at has it or not.
A few miscellaneous thoughts on the diesel...
To truly appreciate the power of the diesel, you must drive one for a day...drive it on the same roads, hills, turns, etc. that you do your normal vehicle. The biggest difference you will notice is the power (torque) this thing has. Highway cruising is an absolute breeze, particularly when going uphill. Where the gas engines will need to downshift, the Powerstroke will hold its gear and keep on chugging. It's also really cool to hear the turbo increase in boost when the PSD is under load (i.e. up hill or accelerating).
The diesel is certainly louder than the gas engine, but at highway speeds, it purrs quite nicely and you don't even hear it when you have the radio on. It will take some getting used to, but boy do the advantages for outweigh the cons of the loudness of it. The power is really, really nice.
So if you're the type of guy that can justify buying a riding lawnmer for that large plot of land you have instead of going with the pushmower, you will definitely be able to justify the purchase of a diesel over a gas engine.
As a side note...in the 98,000 miles I have own my PSD X, I have towed 3 times. Just because you don't tow doesn't mean you can't reap the benefits of a diesel Excursion. Diesel fuel in my area (MN) is cheaper than 87 octane gasoline, so in addition to the better mileage than a gas engine, the steeper up-front purchase price begins to offset itself quicker here than it would in some other states where diesel is more than gasoline. Just another thought.
-Eric
'67 Galaxie 500 - 390 FE, .030" over, FE to AOD adapter, disc brake conversion. The Daily Driver.
'00 Excursion - 7.3L PSD, LANDYOT Gen-II Radius Rods, Factory Tech Valve Body, 200K+ miles and going |
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thy lantyr
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• san jose, CA, USA |
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• Registered on 12/10/2003 |
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• 9 posts |
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Posted:12/15/2003 20:33 |
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Thanks for the tips......... |
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neilc88
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• Cleveland, OH, USA |
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• Registered on 8/13/2003 |
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• 53 posts |
• 1
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Posted:12/16/2003 06:29 |
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| Quote: | | If you're looking for a 4x4, late 2002 and above is the year to get. It's got a Dana60 up front. |
How can I tell which front differential I have? Mine was built in March 2002.  |
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XDAWG
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• Atlanta, GA, USA |
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• Registered on 12/22/2003 |
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• 5 posts |
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Posted:12/22/2003 15:06 |
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| Quote: | >>It's all about gearing. The 5.4l with 4.10s
Driving 85 mph with the above engine/gearing, what rpm do you estimate the engine operates
with no towing ?
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Having just taken a trip, it operates right at or just below 2500 rpm. |
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