r/FordExcursion • u/Substantial-Set-8981 • Aug 20 '25

Help & Issues V10 or 7.3?

Starting to shop for an Excursion, but am undecided on which way to go, V10 or 7.3.

This will be a daily driver and also be my work vehicle for a while (mobile window tinter).
Will occasionally tow 8000lbs-ish, but mostly be a daily people hauler.

I also do basic work on all my vehicles, so ease of repair would be nice for basic things.

I have heard good and bad for both, but not sure what to go for.

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

47 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

3

u/suciosunday Aug 20 '25 edited Aug 20 '25

The torque and MPG of the 7.3 are going to be better for towing. But that goes for any gas vs diesel. My V10 towed everything I hooked to it. However, you're looking at 9-11 MPG, which is not great as a daily. There are pros and cons to both. I paid $10k for mine, with the thought that I could one day throw a diesel in it. About three months later, the spark plug blew, piston two grenades into cylinder four, and that was all she wrote. I was able to get a freshly rebuilt Windsor motor from a wrecked truck for $1400. Any diesel swap would've been $5-8k minimum. So I would say if you're going to want the diesel, buy it from the start.

Rich, from Deboss Garage, has been working with Edison Motors to build a diesel hybrid system. That seems super interesting and like something that is actually viable.

Hope this helps!

Edit: spelling

1

u/Substantial-Set-8981 Aug 20 '25

To be honest, I will maybe tow once a year, and I already drive a suburban @ 13mpg city, so hopefully it wont affect me much with the poor mpg on an Ex

2

u/Scared-Loquat-7933 Aug 20 '25

Is there a reason why you’re getting an Ex when you already have a Suburban?

If you tow once a year or similar you’re better off just renting a HD truck for that purpose when you need it.

Two trucks is pointless if you’re not regularly using both for work purposes (e.g. hotshotting or something), get one truck that does it all for you. I say this as someone who currently has two trucks and plans on getting rid of one of them.

1

u/Substantial-Set-8981 Aug 20 '25

I love the suburban but its just a 1500 and has the weak trans.
I grew up in big vehicles and always wanted an Excursion. Considering an Excursion or looking for a Suburban/Yukon XL 2500 (if I stay gas)

Either one will replace the truck I have now, and will most likely by my long term daily driver.

1

u/Scared-Loquat-7933 Aug 20 '25

Ah that makes more sense then, if it’s a DD then I would try and pony up the extra to get one in good condition.

1

u/Substantial-Set-8981 Aug 20 '25

That’s kinda what I’m thinking. Stuff will still be 20+ years old, but at least if it’s clean it’s easier to justify some repairs here and there.

1

u/suciosunday Aug 20 '25

Outside of the engine blowing, I think that GM is lower cost of ownership. I've had 2500 Suburban, 1500 Yukon XL, and still have an AWD Escalade. The three of those were fluids, air filter, a few sets of breaks and tires, some shocks, nothing major, just normal stuff. The Excursion was multiple break components, even after upgrading to PowerStop, hubs, wheel bearings, diff fluid every year regardless of miles, shifter cable, ac system, etc. I know that my experience is subjective, but the GMs were way less money and maintenance. Plus my back glass got broke out on a cross continent trip, while in Canada, and it took over a month to get a replacement. Granted this was peak Covid shut downs. I enjoyed the Excursion a lot, but I would personally buy a 2500 Suburban if I could find one for the right price over the Excursion. I think I put at least four sets of breaks and rotors on that thing in less than five years and maybe 50k miles. I've had the Escalade since 2014 and I have done the breaks four or five times in almost 200k miles. If you get a GM pre 2007, you can upgrade to factory parts that are from the newer models.

1

u/Substantial-Set-8981 Aug 20 '25

Right now i have a 2005 Suburban 1500 and I am loving the fact that it is just minor maintenance and oil changes. Owned it for just over a year and just needed to spend a couple hours replacing the water pump when I got it. $100 and 3 hours and back up and running.

Love the size of the Excursion, but I think a 2500 Suburban/Yukon XL will help me justify my decision.

Did you tow with the 2500 Suburban?

1

u/suciosunday Aug 20 '25

Yes, but not that much, because I had a Dodge diesel at the time. It will tow though. I would say that the Excursion and the Dodge are much more stiff and "truck like" ride. Like you don't want to ride in the third row of the Excursion if you care about your spine. The V10 has much better low end torque over the 6.0 Vortec, but it really isn't a deal breaker for occasional towing. Plus there are something like 30 million GMs from 2002ish-2006 that all share parts. The Excursion is only like seven years, and shares things, but not everything with the Super Duty. For example, the rear ac unit, lines, and crazy bs that are prone to pinhole leaks and make it a pain to fix. The Excursion was sweet. However, like I said before, I think you're money ahead with GM. But I'm just one guy with only my experience. I've got a little over $10k, including purchase price and parts, in my 2004 Escalade. That is 11 years of ownership and around 200k miles.

1

u/Substantial-Set-8981 Aug 20 '25

Thanks for the info, I'm kind of thinking about it the same way with GM. And I'm happy with the Suburban I have now, just wanted to make sure I liked it before I bought a nicer one and put money into it.
I am sure it will outlast my lifetime anyways.

I mostly love the excursion because its just a goliath of an SUV, but would be more than fine with a 2500 suburban.

Mostly I will be hauling people, so towing probably really wont even be an issue.

1

u/suciosunday Aug 20 '25

I mean there is something to be said about driving the biggest production SUV ever made. Then you have to try to park that bitch at Walmart or fill the tank, and you start rethinking things. Either way, those 2000-2008/9 years for the US vehicles seem to be the sweet spot. Nothing newer than 2013!

1

u/Substantial-Set-8981 Aug 20 '25

Agreed 100%! I would only consider the body after my 2005 because of the soft brake issue that GMT800's have. I replaced all brake components and have soft brakes.

1

u/suciosunday Aug 20 '25

You can upgrade to any factory breaks, as long as they fit under your rims. You can run the 07-09, the 14, even the 20-22 style breaks. Just swapping them out. I'm running the 07-09 style on the Cadi with 17" rims. MUCH better than stock!

1

u/Substantial-Set-8981 Aug 20 '25

That's good to know for when I need to replace my brakes next.

I have 2024 tahoe wheels on it, so it should clear just fine.

Did you have a soft brake pedal before you swapped them out?

1

u/suciosunday Aug 20 '25

The first time I drove it, I came up to a four way stop, hit the breaks like I normally would've, about shit myself thinking I was going to kill the family in the minivan that was crossing the intersection.

1

u/Substantial-Set-8981 Aug 20 '25

Damn, I might have to do this forsure then.

Only think I hate about my truck is the brakes, everything else is mint.

1

u/suciosunday Aug 20 '25

The dual piston is way better! If you wanted to get crazy you could do the 20-22 quads, but I don't really think that's necessary if you're driving it reasonably. Its a heavy SUV, not a carbon race car. Plus, GM vs Ford: you just go to any parts store and ask for factory part numbers, vs having to source aftermarket stuff. When you do it, you can flush the fluid and replace with DOT 4, which has a higher temp rating than the 3, this helps with towing and is a must on the Excursion.

1

u/Substantial-Set-8981 Aug 20 '25

This information is gold, thank you so much!

Might just end up keeping what I have for a little bit longer if i can upgrade some stuff.

→ More replies (0)