The last Ford Excursion is rolling off the assembly line at Louisville Kentucky today (still time to make the funeral).

The Dodge Neon also passed away last week.

Being this is an enthusiast site, one can only imagine how much these 2 vehicles will be missed.

 

The excursion... nice idea but GM has the market secured and gets better mpg doing so.

I think the neon did fairly well, I have personally heard alot of complaints about the quality but thats what you get for $10-15K. I'd take one over any korean car. Will the SRT-4 turn the way of the beloved Grand National and DSM cars? I bet it will return.

 

Are the aztec and the astro dead yet? I think the astro still has a place in the market, especially with diesel power like the dodge sprinter. I have seen alot of sprinters spring up lately here in nashville. DHL has jumped on and I hope the postal service is next.

 

(bows head)

let us pray the oversized SUV and practical Chrysler Horizon/Reliant replacement that lay before us.

may Ford never think "Bigger must be better" again.

and may Daimler Chrysler never build such a head gasket plauged vehicle again.




so is there gonna be free drinks at the wake???

 

Hopefully the announcement of third quarter results will mark the end of Rick Wagoner's reign.

 

The Diesel Excursion is a nice cross country towing alternative (to a pick-up) for our race cars...... Maybe it will be missed SRT-4 will be missed.

 

In Louisville there is always free drinks at the wake.

 

Aww dang.

To the Excursion and Neon:
You'll be missed....................................NOT!

 

As much as I thought the Neon was a rolling POS, I think DC is making a terrible mistake trying to replace it with the vehicle they're intending to replace it. They just seem WAY too apples to oranges IMO.

 

Aren't you being a bit harsh. A rolling POS is much nicer than a Neon.

 

The Excursion might be gone but its legacy lives on! Ford has not given up on giant SUV's. The replacement based on the expedition is on its way.

The Neon was not a piece of ****. I have driven probably 50 of them as rentals. I even owned one from 95 to 2001 as a commuter car. It went 60 to 120 miles a day during that time. It never had one problem. It took an Explorer ramming it in the back at around 50mph while the Neon was stopped to end its life. The car still ran (although the trunk was almost entirely compressed) and neither my wife or I were hurt. The car did it's job and went out protecting the occupants. Cant ask more then that from a car that cost 11k brand new. I waxed that thing one time in the 7 years I owned it and I still had people asking me how I got it to shine so much. The clear coat never dulled or wore. It was a great little car for what it was.

 

Hey I think we finally agree on something. I thought DCX already had the compact tall wagon-thingy market covered with the PT Cruiser.

 

Good, at least I am not the only one who is thinking this.

 

Oh noes! You mean the the guys who get 6 MPG in town and rule the road with their 3+ ton beasts are gunna have one less option to add 30" spinning wheels to so that they look like the biggest pimps on the block? What a horrible week for auto enthustiasts indeed.

 

Excursions are THE most awesome long-range tow vehicles on the market - if not the planet. The diesel version gets 20mpg, and can pull like an F350 SD/Silvy 3500 SD, but with the most pasche interior you'll find anywhere. For fishing or serious racing - the stuff is all in the boat or trailer, so you don't want a pickup bed... at all. The additional row of seats to haul 6 to 9 friends is far more useful.

Many friends use them to pull offshore fishing boats and race cars from NC to Texas, Kansas, Jersey, and all over the country.

I guess the problem is that too many bought them just to take the kids to school and go out for dinner, giving them a bad wrap for running around town instead of what they are really capable of doing. I guess if you gots da money...

I do not contest that the behemoth was huge, and unpractical for daily buzzing around town - not at all. It's like when people break a screwdriver using it to pry things apart... ya just kinda say - duh.
But it was THE BEST at doing what it was designed to do - bar none.

PS - I have personally been in a 2003 Excursion pulling a 35' Donzi with three 275 Mercury Race Engines on the back of it. Boat = 8000lbs dry. Engines = 900lbs each. 260 gals fuel = 1950lbs. Trailer = 1800lbs. Coolers, 3-40lb bags of ice, gear = ???lbs You do the math. It pulled that rig like a raped-ape, and I just busted smiles one after the other as we passed Toyota trucks, Nissans, and the like running 80mph down highway 220 South!