I bought a hot Turbo'd...

[Gil]

Ford Excursion.
Yes, it's freaking HUGE.
Yes it's hard to see around.
But now I can see over all those "tiny" Suburbans and Expeditions.

It's a 6.0 Liter Turbodiesel.
IT gets better fuel mileage than the Expedition that we looked at first. (almost 20MPG on the Highway).
It has more room for my over 6-footers.
The only downside is its behemoth size.
It's also every bit as quick as the fancy Surburban we looked at.

 

[xcsti]

I once passed one of these on the highway. It dwarfed my little saturn. I couldn't imagine driving one of those.

 

[ND4SPD]

Wow, nice buy. You better watch out from now on, you'll be getting miniature protests in your driveway everyday from now on.

 

[VIPFREAK]

 

[Gil]

I once passed one of these on the highway. It dwarfed my little saturn. I couldn't imagine driving one of those.

It's not so bad after you get used to it.
And let me tell you a 7,000 lb. SUV feels pretty stable.

 

[1X83Z]

A guy at work drives one. It's funny because at work we mostly have cars - there's two old Land Cruisers, two 4Runners, two Grand Cherokees, and the obligatory five or so Nissans, but this thing absolutely towers over all of them. It doesn't help that the guy has a rocketbox on top of it; it just looks even larger. Everyone talks about how big his car is.

Anyway - this thing sounds like a school bus when accelerating, and drives like one too. Body roll is classic, but the really funny part is turns to lock - you turn the steering wheel maybe nine times before it's done. The mirrors are also the size of my brake lights. I cannot think of a more offensive vehicle, save for perhaps Dualie pickups. Incidentally, today I saw a 94-96 Chrysler New Yorker... limo. What the hell? It was green.

 

[Joey D]

Wow you bought the biggest thing on the road, at least you won't have any problems getting through things. You might have to pick the random Civic off your grill but other then that I think the Excursion is pretty cool. And 20mpg? Damn my truck only gets 16 and maybe 22 on the highway.

 

[Gil]

The Beast only turns about 1800 RPM at 65-68 MPH. Redline is at a whopping 4100 RPM.
It gets about 20 MPG because it's just a titch above idle at cruising speed.
I know it's an "offensive" vehicle, but I try not to roll over little stuff, like Suburbans.

 

[1X83Z]

The cool part is that the tach only goes up to like 5000RPM.

EDIT - by the way, I think you and I own the only two turbocharged domestic SUVs ever built.

 

[Gil]

*goes out to check*

I'd only noted where redline started. It does only go to 5000.
Award for the biggest tach with the least numbers...
Ford Excursion 6.0 Power Stroke Turbodiesel.

 

[retsmah]

*goes out to check*

I'd only noted where redline started. It does only go to 5000.
Award for the biggest tach with the least numbers...
Ford Excursion 6.0 Power Stroke Turbodiesel.

I rode in a Ford whose tach only went to 3000rpm... although that was an F650. 2700rpm redline, with a fuel cutoff at 2500rpm

 

[Joey D]

The cool part is that the tach only goes up to like 5000RPM.

EDIT - by the way, I think you and I own the only two turbocharged domestic SUVs ever built.

With the GMC Phoontang being the other one I assume. But GM needs to make a turbo diesel and put it in the Hoe's and Burban's so they can sell the damn things with gas prices so high.

 

[Delirious]

just dont parallel park it or try any nice parking maneuvers unless yer feeling confident about your car and driving skills

6.0 liter/363 cubic inches
325 horsepower (25 more than mustang GT) at 3300 RPM
560 (!) foot pounds of torque at 2000 rpms...
226.4 inches long...137 inch long wheelbase...
7162 curb weight in pounds (!)
146.4 cubic feet of cargo volume...
and a towing capacity of 11000 pounds
http://auto.consumerguide.com

sounds like a tank when reading this, or a winnebago

 

[Joey D]

Jesus Christ its about a 100 inches longer the my Blazer and weighs double!

 

[standard235]

Holy jebus! WOHOA!

 

[Gil]

just dont parallel park it or try any nice parking maneuvers unless yer feeling confident about your car and driving skills

6.0 liter/363 cubic inches
325 horsepower (25 more than mustang GT) at 3300 RPM
560 (!) foot pounds of torque at 2000 rpms...
226.4 inches long...137 inch long wheelbase...
7162 curb weight in pounds (!)
146.4 cubic feet of cargo volume...
and a towing capacity of 11000 pounds
http://auto.consumerguide.com

sounds like a tank when reading this, or a winnebago

It's also nearly 7 feet tall!!(And Red!!!)

As for parking, It has the rear "proximity" alarm so you don't back over stuff.
It starts beeping at about 3 feet, and beeps faster as you get closer to the object/obstacle.

I don't mind the many turns lock to lock. That makes it more stable to drive, and not so very twitchy. However, the turning circle is freaking huge. But it parks nicely in the Wal=Mart parking lot, between the lines. It is a little long...but I've taken to parking a bit further from the door. (my bid to be nice and responsible.)

 

[Firebird]

Incidentally, today I saw a 94-96 Chrysler New Yorker... limo. What the hell? It was green.

As far as I know the only Chrysler New Yorker/LHS limousines built were for former Chrysler Corporation majority shareholder Kirk Kerkorian.

A fleet of four or five were built, and every single one was painted Emerald Green.

EDIT - by the way, I think you and I own the only two turbocharged domestic SUVs ever built.

I can think of at least three more.

The Chevrolet and GMC Suburbans had the Detroit Diesel 6.5L V8, with a turbocharger, beginning in 1994. The original AM General Hummer, the HUMMER H1 as it's known today, has had the same 6.5L turbodiesel since 1993.

The oldest I can think of is the '84-'01 Jeep Cherokee (and '84-'90 Wagoneer), which had a Renault 2.1L turbodiesel available as an option from 1985 to 1987 in North America (it continued until 1991 overseas, where it was replaced with a 2.5L VM Motori turbodiesel).


The GMC Yukon and Chevy Tahoe also had the 6.5L turbodiesel from 1994 'til '97 or '98.

 

[slowman]

Wow. That is a heavy, heavy vehicle. Amazing it gets the gas milage it does! I'm not going to protest your vehicle choice, as long as you're not one of those people that likes to drive huge SUV's 4 feet off my bumper with their brights on. Having driven a semi, I can attest that you get the feeling that you have no idea where you are on the road. Does the excursion feel the same way or is it not that big? And btw, kudos on the torque rating! 👍

I've got a BMW 325e. It doesn't show very many numbers either. Shift at 4250 or so... its all good. It's kinda slow but it'll brush off the occasional Civic. Redline starts at 4500, and the last number that shows on my tach is 5K but it shows where the fuel cutoff is... 4750. Gets good gas milage and churns 1700rpm in 5th at 60 mph.

 

[a6m5]

People who drives Expeditions are amazed by how much bigger the Excursions are. It is HUGE(I'm sorry to repeat it again ) Be careful out there, Gil.

 

[Azuremen]

My freaking GAWD that thing is HUGE. Its things like that that get me worried when I drive my MR2 :scarred: Not only does my MR2 only weigh 2100 lbs now.. its lowered... I pull up to "normal" sized SUVs and see door panel... thats it. Maybe if its a smaller one.. teh door handle

Seriously amazing to see that it gets that kinda gas milage still... I only get like 25 MPG in the MR2 now... and my engine is almost 1/4 that things size... I think its wheel base is longer than my car...

BTW, how big is fuel tank on that thing??

 

[Bahbo]

6.0 liter/363 cubic inches
325 horsepower (25 more than mustang GT) at 3300 RPM
560 (!) foot pounds of torque at 2000 rpms...
226.4 inches long...137 inch long wheelbase...
7162 curb weight in pounds (!)
146.4 cubic feet of cargo volume...
and a towing capacity of 11000 pounds

So he's basically driving a dolled-up school bus?

 

[Jay]

Congrats on the purchase.

So... you got some pictures?

 

[Gil]

NO pics yet. my son's server is down, and he seems to be in no hurry to get it back online. Studying for finals and all that.
It's no school bus. It isn't even for running errands, unless those errands happen to be several hundred miles away and all eight of us have to go.
It'll be going to Colorado twice this month, and Atlanta in July, but it may get two or three trips into the city (KCMO) to stretch its lets in between the long trips.
It has a 44 gallon tank and about a 650 mile range according to the computer. So I expect to see 17MPG on the highway with the cruise control on.

 

[Duke]

Nice, Gil! One of the largest vehicles on the road for one of the largest (and I mean, physically largest) families on the road!

It must make the Tonka look even more like a Toy.

Congratulations!

 

[Gil]

Nice, Gil! One of the largest vehicles on the road for one of the largest (and I mean, physically largest) families on the road!

It must make the Tonka look even more like a Toy.

Congratulations!

Thanks. It does indeed make the Ranger look even more like a compact/mini truck.

We're still looking for a "mom-accepted" nick name for the Beastie.
DIABLO (as an acronym for Damn It's Awfully Big! Look Out) was summarily rejected by the maternal unit.
I thought it was pretty good.
My submission it BiTS. For Bigger Than Suburbans.

If I had the ramps, the rear seat out and the front seat folded forward, not much of "Tonka" would be hanging out of the barn doors out back.
The roof of my "baby" truck is almost level with the bottoms of the windows on the Big 'un.
My son's metro would fit with just the rear seat out.

 

[Azuremen]

44 Gallons... thats almost 5 times larger than my MR2's... I'd cry filling something that big up... would take too much

Well, at least its justified if there are 8 of you. Now if it was for like... one or two people

 

[Gil]

Wow, nice buy. You better watch out from now on, you'll be getting miniature protests in your driveway everyday from now on.

Sorry I waited so long to reply to this but I got to thinking.
The "protesters" can bring it on.
There's 8 houses on this street/cul-de-sac. One is sold but un occupied, one is not quite finished yet. So really only six houses count.

Between my neighbors and I there are 9 trucks on the circle.

2 F-250's
1 F-150
1 Excursion
1 Expedition
1 Ranger
1 Chevy 1500
1 Chevy Colorado (4-door)
1 Izuzu Rodeo

One of the unoccupied houses (the sold one) has been sporting a Dodge Dakota in it's driveway of late.
And the boyfriend of the girl next door (dad has the Colorado) drives an F-150 4 x 4.
The boyfriend of the girl in the house across the street (dad drives the other Chevy) drives a Mazda pick-up.

This is Kansas. There are more trucks and SUV's, both foriegn and domestic, than just about any other type of vehicle. Heck, the bigger the truck in some counties the more likely you are to find a cute, teeny, but tough, girl driving.
Let Arrianna Huffington come on down to get laughed at. Possibly rolled over.

 

[Der Alta]

All I can picture is the look on someones face as they getting upset at you at a stop light, and you and the "little boys" all climb out to discuss it further.

I'd say any vehicle that large is overkill for anything, but knowing who you cart around, it borders on a tight fit. Can the guys actually sit shoulder to shoulder in the back seat?

Congrats Gil! sound like you really enjoy it!

AO

 

[TwinTurboJay]

When you go on long trips, you should put one of those Mercedes SMART 4-2's in the back for short errands !

 

[Gil]

All I can picture is the look on someones face as they getting upset at you at a stop light, and you and the "little boys" all climb out to discuss it further.

I'd say any vehicle that large is overkill for anything, but knowing who you cart around, it borders on a tight fit. Can the guys actually sit shoulder to shoulder in the back seat?

Congrats Gil! sound like you really enjoy it!

AO

Of all the vehicles we tried the Expedition and the Excursion are the only ones the guys didn't complain about the fit.

The Excursion being bigger and getting better mileage won out.
For just running around the KC metro, we have kept the Chevy Venture.

As my mother in law has recently re-married and they are keeping the house here and one in Colorado Springs, we will be traveling quite a bit. It just made sense to get something that was reliable and big enough for the whole crew to be comfortable.
Western Kansas would be completely unendurable in an uncomfortable vehicle.