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In 1999 Ford launched the Excursion and coined the oversized sport utility the Suburbanator. The 19-foot long Excursion can tow 11,000 pounds and haul 9 passengers, but it can't pull Ford past the Suburban when leaving dealer lots.

The Excursion has been the butt of many jokes in environmental circles, often painted as the "poster child" of yuppie excess. Some garages won't even accommodate the 7,000-pound ride that the Sierra Club loves to hate. Ford Chairman and CEO Bill Ford Jr. has been noted for his environmental awareness and his commitment to raise fuel economy of Ford vehicles. The decision to possibly eliminate the Excursion in 2004 may have more financial motivation than environmental.

The Chevy Suburban has dominated its segment of the market, controlling 30% of the market according to a CBS.MarketWatch.com report. The Excursion has never been able to gain more than 10% of the market share. Sales as of July 2002 are down about 17% while the Suburban has only experienced a 3% decline. Couple this with Fords financial straits and the fog begins to clear.

Merriam-Webster defines excursion as: a usually brief pleasure trip. While Fords Excursion maybe brief, it certainly hasn't provided the pleasure most stockholders expected. If the Ford Motor Company "explores" what brought them to the forefront of the SUV market, future "expeditions" should keep profits from "escaping" the bottom line.