The massive 2004 Ford Excursion is not a vehicle you want
to run into. Scorned by environmentalist and feared by the
competition, the Excursion has a couple things in mind:
extreme roominess and extreme power. That's about all the
Excursion thinks about.
Of course, that's not entirely true. The Excursion is extremely
comfortable, and it can carry or tow very heavy cargo. For
2004, the XLS replaces the XLT Value as the least expensive
of all Excursions, and there is more optional equipment
to choose from. But it still won't win over any environmentalists.
Available Models
The entire 2004 Ford Excursion lineup consists of five models:
XLS, XLS Limo, XLT, Eddie Bauer and Limited. The Eddie Bauer
and Limited models are covered in a separate review.
Interior Features
The 2004 Ford Excursion is quite simply enormous. This means
space in abundance. The Excursion has three big rows that
seat up to nine adults, while both interior volume and interior
space are best in class.
The manufacturers at Ford know that people interested in
the Excursion want to be able to put its size to the test.
With this in mind, the full-size Excursion combines the
design of a tailgate and a lift-glass rear cargo into its
Tri-Panel door system. The door has a separate lift-glass
for convenient small-parcel loading and lightweight twin
swing-out composite doors with no visibility-blocking center
pillar.
Some of the available options for 2004 include an AM/FM
radio with in-dash 6-disc CD player, telescoping heated
power trailer-towing mirrors and power adjustable pedals.
Exterior Features
The 2004 Ford Excursion adds body color moldings on the
XLS model for 2004. Chrome running boards are now also optional
equipment on four-wheel drive XLT models.
Performance
As noted, Excursions come in four-wheel drive. They can
also be had in a rear-wheel drive configuration.
There are three different engines available for 2004. The
first is a 5.3-liter V8. To move the big SUV, it delivers
255 horsepower at 4500 rpm and 350 lb-ft of torque at 2500
rpm. The second is a 6.8-liter V10 with 310 horsepower at
4250 rpm and 425 lb-ft of torque at 3250 rpm.
The final engine is a 6.0-liter turbodiesel. Combined with
a 5-speed TorqShift automatic transmission, the diesel powertrain
delivers 325 horsepower and 560 lb-ft of torque-both best
in class.
Safety and Security
Dual front airbags and antilock 4-wheel disc brakes are
standard. A rear obstacle detection system is optional with
XLT models.
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