Extreme F650 Ford Pick-up!  

Do you have to have a special license to drive this monstrosity or can any J6P get behind the wheel and terrorize drivers in more sane vehicles???

Jumpin Jesus on a poggo stick.


What the hell in the wild world of sports does anyone need a friggen truck that big.


WHY WHY WHY??????????!!!!FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WHY.

Sounds like blue oval is maybe sweating the thought of International stealing away some of it's "Biggest SUV" sales (The excursion) with the 7300 CXT Commercial Extreme Truck

Buying one will make Honda civic hybrid owners 400% more likely to egg your house in enviromental protest

Based on the URL (it's neither something.ford.com nor www.ford.com/something) and the various pictures on the site, as well as its [complete lack of] design, I think that's a custom conversion job and not a stock model you can buy.

You mean for $84,000 it doesn't come with a set of these
I've actually seen these on actual trucks on the actual road.

do you have to submit the size of your ... you know ... member ... when buying one of these?

so women who are 5'3" can pick up their groceries in it, why else? their ford excursion just doesnt have enough space for 10 bags of groceries and the 3 kids. the kids' hockey gear takes up so much space too, hopefully that will fit in this truck. does this have a cell phone holder?

CJ

What do you need a cell phone holder for? It's not like you actually put it down.

Dammit, Ricardo. You took the words right out of my mouth. Hopefully, whoever gets one of these unesscessary monstrosties doesn't get the F Series.

I appreciated all the java runtime errors on that page.

absolutely delightfull.

I'll say the same thing about these that I do about people that buy Hummers.

A person buys a Hummer for two reasons:[list=1][*]To announce they have a large penis.

or
[*]To make up for a small penis.[/list=1]

No, but I think you do have to show your redneck membership card at time of purchase.

LMAO! So true!

Kind of on topic: My work parking lot is shared with other businesses. One of the businesses is a movie theater. I left for lunch at noon and my car was practically the only car in the lot, when I returned, the lot was FULL of SUV's. And these aren't your typical SUV's, they are the BIG ones since this is a rich area.

Well, there was like a wall of SUV's and was like "WTF?" - Then I realized that school's out and all the soccer moms brought their "clans" to the movies

It just angers me so much to see all of these unnecessary monstrosities crammed together in the parking lot and neither one of them can fit into the spot, so it's virtually IMPOSSIBLE to get in and out of your car

Sorry to rant, but it just absolutely pisses me off when I see these damn things getting bigger.

MarkHastings: I read somewhere that Ford was discontinuing its Excursion line, the largest SUV it builds. It seems like nowdays a lot of smaller SUV/wagon type vehicles are coming out, instead of the huge SUV tanks.

Brian

I wish they all would. I ran into the same scenario after returning from lunch today. The big problem is, these people can't get out of these things without a ton of space, so they over park the lines

RANT ON:
Here are a few photos I took - all within a dozen spots of each other:




How the F*** is someone else supposed to park in the spot next to you if you park OVER THE line???? I don't care if your truck is too big to get out of...don't freakin park there! The world doesn't owe you 2 spots just because your car is too big. This is a paying parking lot and these people need to be charged DOUBLE since they are taking up 2 spots!

I've got so many damn dings in my car doors because people are cramming these giant monsters into these spaces without any concern of the rest of us - And you know these SUV's are full of kids who just throw the doors open without anby care who the hell they hit.

You are so right Mark, though I think many of these SUV's aren't filled with kids. Too many people buy these and then drive them alone, with no passengers or cargo. They just love the feeling of self-importance they derive from driving such a large vehicle. Damn SUV's, they just drive me crazy!!!!!

I don't mean to generalize and bash every SUV owner, but my anger is out of the majority of people I see and speak with.

The thing that REALLY irks me is the people who think that buying an SUV will make them "safe". Instead of taking the responsibility and drive safely, they buy the biggest vehicle they can find and then drive like they are invincible. Their recless actions may not cause THEM harm, but they end up causing the rest of us harm and inconvenience.

One scenario that always comes up is when it snows out. I have friends who go out (when it's dangerous out), and I'll say "I don't want to go out because it's dangerous out there" and they'll say "so we'll take the SUV" Like this makes it safer??? Sure, you may get out of a ditch easier, but on icy roads, you're better off in a lower-to-the-ground vehicle that isn't as heavy. So, when there are those times where you HAVE to go out in the snow (like to the hospital or to help someone out), you have to battle all the "joy riding" SUV owners who have no fear of the dangers because of their SUV's.

The other thing is the WAY they drive. Since they feel so safe, they don't realize how much MORE hazardous their mistakes can be. A mistake is incredibly magnified by an SUV over a smaller car. I've seen it thousands of time. You just CAN'T (and shouldn't) drive an SUV like it's a "road griping" sports car, yet so many do.

Another thing is the fact that they take up way too much room (as noted in the above parking lot scenario). I was driving on a 2 lane highway and there was a Hummer in front of me. We were both in the left hand lane...when we got to some jersey barriers (and a bridge), the Hummer had to drive in the middle of the highway because he was afraid of being so close to the barriers (and the bridge) if he stayed in the lines. So needless to say, he blocked BOTH freakin lanes of traffic!

And you can't see around them, so it's so hard to navigate traffic. I hear SUV owners always saying "I like how high up I am" - Well, that;s because there are so many SUV's on the road! If there weren't so many SUV's, you wouldn't NEED to be so damn high up. You don't solve a problem by ADDING to it.

And (as Phil pointed out), it would be one thing if people used them to transport kids, but I ALWAYS see a single driver behind the wheel of these SUV's. I realize that these people probably DO have a bunch of kids and they are just driving their vehicles to work, but this is what I mean by a bad thought process. You should really only be using these things to transport your kids, they shouldn't be used as "everyday" vehicles. Kind of like driving with snow chains, on a road with no snow . And if you can't afford to buy 2 different cars, then PLEASE rethink the SUV choice. People survived LONG before these things were invented.

And besides, how many families have more than 3 kids? Families used to be BIGGER years ago and they didn't need these SUV's. Most SUV owners only have 2 or 3 kids tops. I think it's laziness and a selfish attitude that drives them to buying these things.



p.s. Can you tell how much I DESPISE these things? Try driving 500+ miles per week, on the worst traffic-jammed highway in the North East, for the past 10 years, and you'll see why I have this attitude.

Amen Mark ... I agree with all you say. Although I think we have seen the peak thank God in the SUV craze.
I have this feeling all this backlash is not making it "cool" anymore to buy an SUV.

What exactly started this SUV craze anyway?

Well Im going to play devil's advocate here and side with a few of the SUV owners. Not to say that some of them don't buy them out of ego,trying to prove something, but in my opinion its simply safer.

When the wife or myself hop into our truck we feel safer than we did in her old 98 escort. And with good reason. I don't know what your areas are like, but mine is full of fast&furious wanabees. These a-holes whip in and out of traffic, cut people off, and drive at insane speeds. I like knowing should god forbid, they cross me, they'll be under me instead of on top of me. Just the other day some punk was speeding down the street in my area and hit an small suv( nissan ???) so hard he flipped it! Luckily no one was hurt,but imagine if he had been driving a compact car instead. Who knows what could've happened.

Some of us do get piece of mind from these vehicles.I rather be in my 6000lb truck than a 2000lb tin can. I agree people should be safer drivers. But thats in a perfect world and its wishful thinking . In the end only I can do what is necessary to protect myself and my loved ones.Its a responsibility thats mine alone. If some jerk is driving recklessly and takes themselves out by getting in an accident with a truck or large suv, so be it.

And as far as paking spaces go. To an extent I agree, but I must also blame poor planning during construction of some lots. When these new plazas go up around here they try to cram as many spaces they can. Some of the spaces couldnt even accomodate a mini cooper. Now when I go to older malls and so on, I find the spaces can fit anything from a Honda Civic to a Chevy Suburban. No problems whatsoever. Just another angle to consider. Unfortunately its simply becoming a necessary evil these days to own a larger vehicle.

Later,

Luis S

Oh and the wife and I are very cautious drivers.

'04 F-150 (GVW 6080lbs)
And my next car will be just as big...

Oh and blame musicians and movie stars "pimping theyre rides" for starting the craze. Just IMHO of course.

Later,

Luis S

But that's like carrying a loaded gun with you (everywhere you go), in order to feel "safer".

While, true, there may be times where you can defend yourself better in a dangerous situation...carrying a weapon should not be the way to make things safer. This is my plea. While you are protecting yourselves with SUV's, you are putting the rest of us at greater risks. This selfishness is a scary sight to see on the roads. Everyone does that...Cars, Trucks, Vans, SUV's. The point is, it sucks that people feel the need to buy "More Dangerous" vehicles to protect themselves. And heaven forbid you should lose control of an SUV...I've seen a LOT more destruction done by SUV's than with cars.

I am not saying that it's not dangerous out there, I am saying I hate that people need to fight danger WITH danger. I've driven a small car on the highway (500+ miles/week) for almost 10 years and have never felt that an SUV would make me "safer" - that's because I know how to avoid dangerous situations.

If a car is driving near me like an a-hole, I'd rather be in my agile "low to the ground" car so I can outmaneuver better than the SUV's. As I said, I drive 500+ miles per week, through MAJOR traffic, and I've noticed how most cars react to dangerous situations...and believe me, the SUV's have the hardest time controlling their vehicles in these situations. Every accident I've seen, involves an SUV. So whether the a-hole is driving like an a-hole is kind of moot because you are always going to run into these drivers. The point is, most cars can handle sudden braking, swerving, handling of corners, etc. to avoid these a-holes and the incidents they cause, while the SUV owners are the ones slamming on their brakes, sliding all over the place, and just plain not being able to handle highway driving, and they are the ones causing the secondary accidents.

Sure you'll be safe, but the solution isn't to buy something to survive the accident, the point is to buy something that avoids getting into the accident in the first place. Defensive driving is the best way to avoid ANY incident on the highway. Believe me! Sorry, but I gotta comment on that again, yeah maybe that'll be fine for the a-hole, but heaven forbid you are the one to make a mistake and CAUSE something like that (I've seen it all too often). That's just a horrible, horrible, horrible attitude to have about the safety of the other drivers on the road.

SUV's aren't necessarily any better for avoiding accidents, in fact, your chances of avoiding someone whipping around in traffic are probably worse in an SUV. The manueverability of an SUV is far INFERIOR to that of most passenger cars. People that drive them to be safer are only adding to the problem because the more SUVs there are on the road, the more people feel the need to be "safer."

I have a good example of how big vehicles aren't necessarily safer. I have been in two accidents, neither of which were my fault. BOTH of which involved me getting hit by a Dodge Ram. In the first accident I was hit nearly head-on by a Ram in my Honda Prelude. My car was able to drive away......the Ram had to be towed. It is pretty damn scary to see a huge grille of a car coming at you at eye level. Think of that when you drive your 6000lb monolith! Won't be so nice if you hit a driver in a normal vehicle, will it? You prepared to pay the medical bills of someone you paralyze? (I know that's extreme but most drivers are underinsured and can be held personally responsible for damages) I was also rear ended in a Maxima by a Ram driver who just couldn't stop in the snow. His SUV didn't make him any safer, it made it more difficult for him to stop his ridiculously large vehicle. (I realize that some people need trucks for work but he was a cop, not a contractor).

It just drives me crazy. They are such IRRESPONSIBLE vehicles and their drivers are SELFISH. They waste our natural resources at a greater rate than most passenger cars, and they are rarely used for the true capabilities, as they are more often used as kiddie mobiles. (What happened to the station wagon, my fam got along just fine with a wagon when we were kids.)

MORAL: SUVs do NOT make you safer. They are harder to manuever and take longer to stop. I can out-manuever any SUV driver in my TL. All SUVs do is endanger other vehicles and their occupants. If you want a really safe car, buy a Volvo, but I guess those don't feed the ego and the need for a status symbol.

Rant over, now returning to happy, serene, sport sedan driving, DVD loving Phil.


PS: Did you know they have 8 year car loans now!!! That is part of the reason every j6p is driving a $40K SUV. Can you imagine how stupid it is to go into debt for 8 years on a vehicle???? You'll always owe more on it than it is worth. And the people that do this are the ones who still live in rented apartments instead of buying a home. Fantastic financial logic. These are the people on the road driving SUVs people, so beware.....


Rant really over now....

I can understand your point. But as I mentioned peace of mind is a big reason for us. And believe me the way I baby my vehicles theres little chance of me endangering anyone.



Never disputed that. Again, speaking for myself, in my area, Im better off with my truck. Theyre only dangerous depending how you drive them. If you lose control of your truck or SUV its likely because of extreme circumstance. Weather, tire blowout, or someone cutting you off suddenly causing to swerve sharply into traffic can do it. What your worried about is people who drive recklessly. And quite frankly there are to many around here to take chances with. In fact if Im not mistaken I travel some of the most accident prone streets in the country. Believe me, it would be alot cheaper to have a smaller car. But that aint going to happen here.



I can avoid them also,we all can. But we cant avoid them all. Im not trying to fight danger with danger,Im looking out for my own. Selfish? Damn straight. How many times have you seen an accident on the news where the person who caused it walks away without a scratch? Meanwhile the poor family who was on their way to dinner gets creamed? If I can better my odds I will. No two ways about it.



Again, your assuming youll see them in time to react. You may be very careful most of the time,you may even be the safest driver in the world, but it only takes a second to happen. You could be sneezing, changing stations on the radio, or picking your nose when all of a sudden, BAM! Game over. As far as highway accidents are concerned, if anyone car or truck has to stop that short its the fault of "a-hole" no one elses. Idealy everyone would be as vigillant as some of us are and see the accident happen with plenty of time to react. Unfortunately this is not always the case and cars and trucks alike swerve as you describe.Then all hell breaks loose. The ones on the highway that frighten me are the 18 wheelers doing 90mph whipping in and out of traffic :O

Im not disagreeing with you really. I just feel what you ask out of all who drive is wishful thinking. It would be nice if everyone drove safely, but its very unlikely you can count on it happening.



Using the example of the gun, if I were a cop, are my odds good that Ill survive any confrontation because I am trained better with my weapon? Yes. Now do my odds get better if I use body armor as well? Of course.

My point is you can be a defensive driver in a large vehicle AND enjoy any added safety or peace of mind. Smaller cars do not give you any special abilities to avoid an accident. If that were true Id own a motorcycle. Paying attention while driving is what saves lives. I may hurt others with my own vehicle but it wont be by me driving recklessly. That I can promise you.



Its highly unlikely, given my driving habits, but should it somehow happen of course I would feel remorse. I always respect the people driving smaller cars on the road. Even the punks that dont deserve it. I make it a point to just let people pass me/cut me off or whatever. I dont want to be responsible for killing someone out of road rage by running someone else off the road. Ive had accidents happen right in front of me. Trust me I try to be as safe as humanly possible. Im probably the exception and not the rule, but hey, one less truck to worry about right?

Again, Im not trying to really disagree or argue, just throwing some my own points out there.

Later,

Luis S

"Peace of mind" is psychological, intangible. It is of no use in the real world and it certainly won't keep you from having an accident. And you can cause an accident without driving recklessly, that's why they're called accidents. I drive carefully and have been in 2 accidents that weren't my fault. You can still cause an accident no matter how much you baby your cars.

We need to be considerate of ALL the people on the road, not just ourselves. You can be mad at other drivers for being reckless or driving fast. They are inconsiderate, thinking only of themselves. But isn't that what we do when we drive a large and dangerous vehicle for peace of mind? We are being inconsiderate and selfish and it is no different from the "other guy" on the road who cuts you off or drives too fast.



Every guy thinks he's a great driver, it's part of our nature for some reason. That doesn't make it true or relevant when traffic accidents are concerned. The most cautious of drivers can be in an accident. Even if someone has a momentary lapse of judgment on the road, does that mean they deserve to be creamed by a huge hulking vehicle being driven for "peace of mind"?

We can keep buying more and more of these things for "safety" but then we will be a nation of SUVs. Bigger is better.....more more more. That is the glutonous attitude that will be our downfall. We need to practice some RESTRAINT here people. Let's not give in to our baser instincts. THINK through this SUV purchase. You can be as safe or safer in a more socially responsible vehicle. Being selfish isn't something to brag about, it is something of which to be ashamed. Instead of only looking out for yourself, think of others too. Maybe that family that got creamed on the way to dinner got hit by a careful SUV driver who slumped over at the wheel from a heart attack or diabetic shock. Driving a large vehicle is dangerous.....period. No excuses or rationalizations can change that.

We should also remember that Ford put faulty tires on the Explorer for year without telling anyone. They certainly weren't safer then a passenger car. The tires alone didn't cause the fatalities, it was the tires coupled with the nature of the vehicle.....food for thought.

Rant II is now over.

Phil L,



Absolutely true. Manuverability stinks. No argument there. Theres absolutely nothing wrong with people driving them to be safer. The problem is HOW do they drive them.



Now without knowing the details this doesnt tell me much. Glad you drove away from it though. Lucky for you it was a Dodge.



For one when I drive my "monolith" Im doing everything I can to avoid other cars. Secondly, if someone jumps lanes and barrels down at me head on then they better have the good insurance. I imagine the Ram was at fault correct? The Ram that rea ended you probably didnt now how to handle driving in the snow. Again, its not what you drive, its can you handle it? Oh and a truck is always handy. For some more than others of course.



Your grouping an aweful lot of people there. Irresponsible? Only if you dont drive like your supposed to. Selfish? If thats what being concerned with myself and my loved ones is than absolutely. Economical? No, that would be my one complaint. Station wagons? I wish. Manufacturers are just now starting to revive them.

To address the kids mobile comment Ill say this. If any member of my family were to be involved in an accident,god forbid, I would rather them be in the larger vehicle. If some punk kid is speeding and hits their car, again,I rather them be in a larger vehicle. The hell with the kid speeding as long as they are okay. I have no sympathy for reckless drivers or what happens to them. It absolutely infuriates me to see them walk away unharmed while some poor families lives are ruined.

I wish I could afford a nice Volvo (wife loves them) but this will have to do. You guys are saying its socially irresponsible. I disagree with that. Your asking or hoping that drivers everywhere will be responsible and drive safely. Thats all well and dandy but I dont trust those around me period. Saying someone could cause an accident from having a heart attack or going into diabetic shock is silly. Honestly thats like an act of god, there is nothing anyone can do to help that. In that case its no ones fault. You could only hope for the best.

Im very considerate of those around me when I drive. However should another driver not offer the same courtesy than I wont pity them should they hurt themselves. I do my part by trying to be a safe driver. Thats all I can do. However there are to many immature and irresponsible drivers on the road that I simply dont feel safe around unless Im driving my truck.

I belive restraint needs to be shown in peoples driving habits, not necessarily what they drive. Though knowing what you can and cant handle would help. I dont consider it rationalizing. For me in my town, its simply a fact of life. The moment they install speed limiters in all cars and not give out licenses till about 25 (seems ridiculous I know, but I was a stupid driver once...) I will GLADLY give up my truck. Till then I hope all of us drive carefully and hope you all have a safe comute wherever you go.

Later,

Luis S

Luis, sorry that you're having to take the end of my rants. It's good to see you can argue sensibly and this doesn't get into a name calling match. True, but this is why I get so irritated (well, more sad than anything). It sucks that this is the only way people feel they can make the roads safer. They are trying to avoid the a-holes by 'over protecting' themselves, which makes the roads less safer for ME! That just makes my flesh crawl that I have to deal with this attitude on the road.

Like Phil has been saying, yes, major accidents (where someone gets creamed) are bound to happen, but those aren't the 'norm'. Sure, your chances of surviving one of those types of accidents in a regular car may be less than with an SUV, but my point is, it seems like the 'other' accidents (i.e. the everyday type of accidents) are increasing in their destruction because of SUV's. Yeah, I'm not saying that every SUV driver is going to drive recklessly, I'm saying that since you can't avoid danger, there's no way to guarantee that your SUV won't be put into a dangerous situation, and that's my fear because you just can't avoid those situations like a nimble car can and with the types of I see everyday, maneuverability is the best method in avoiding them. But without maneuverability, you just end up creating an accident instead of avoiding it altogether.

I mean, what if every single person owned a Hummer. Imagine the destruction?

Again, yes, the BIG type of accidents where the a-hole (going 100mph) cuts everyone off and causes massive destruction, are better faired in an SUV and if that is the type of traffic accidents you encounter everyday, then I guess you have to stick with your SUV, but I can't imagine that this is the same for every person out there 'joyriding' their giant truck.

For them, they are apt to cause the accident rather than avoid them and that scares the crap out of me when I drive, but I've vowed never to buy a giant truck and wish some others would do the same.

Mark,

Now theres another really interesting point. People who "over-protect" themselves are indeed VERY dangerous. When a person reacts to a situation on the road,not knowing the capabilities of thier vehicles, its a recipie for disaster.

This is really what I was getting at. Not that we should fear the bigger cars, we should fear the ones driving all cars. We cant be sure that they know how to manuver or handle a large truck/suv or even a compact. Ive driven a big pickup since I first got a license (10yrs or so). I know very well what a truck is capable of and what its not. So Im not likely to cause an accident as much as say a 17 year old girl whos first car is an Escalade. They have NO experience and are bound to cause an accident driving such a large truck for the first time.

Its always been my belief,and this is only my opinion, that there are truck people and there are car people. Sometimes a "car person" gets it in thier head to buy an suv or truck. Now what you have is a untrained person essentialy waving around a loaded gun. Driving to me is a skill. Some understand this and have total control of their cars. Others that dont abuse it and take it for granted and in the long run wind up hurting someone.

Sadly I do have alot of these 90mph speedsters where I live. If I could erase a movie(s) from history it would be The Fast and the Furious. Since its release Ive only seen more reckless driving from the younger generation. Sad part is you always hear of an accident where two idiots decided to race and wind up killed leaving thier loved ones devastated. THAT to me is selfish. You want to race? Maybe kill someone, or be killed yourself? Stop for a moment and think of your family and friends and what they would feel should the worst happen. To top it of we have a designated area in Homestead to race. Too bad not enough of these kids take advantage.

See its not selfish (IMHO) to want be be in a big vehicle for safety. It is selfish however to drive ANY vehicle recklessly. There lies the problem, HOW we all drive not what.

I thank you guys for the great discussion. Its definately an interesting topic, And very important to many of us apparently. On a personal note my brother was in an accident not long ago and suffered injuries to his back. Nothing servere thank goodness, but enough to affect him the rest of his life. He was coming to a stop at an intersection when a van plowed right into him and pushed him into another car. His car was a hyundai and it crumpled like a tin can. The driver of the van was driving like an idiot during a rainy day, lost control, and hit him. Minimal damage to the van and its driver of course. The guy in the van got the ticket at least.

To sum it up, be careful out there everybody. Dont trust anyone on the road but yourself. Have eyes in the back and sides of your head. You need it these days.

Be safe,

Luis S

Yeah, that's what I was kind of getting at too. Around here, most people (not all), instead of learning to drive safe, they buy a big SUV and figure they'll let the giantness be their safety.

SUV's would be fine if they all drove under the speed limit (because the speed limit is too fast for them), but they don't. They all drive WAY over the speed limit because they feel "safe". This is why I don't want people buying them.

If there was a way to single out the "responsible" drivers (as Luis has noted), then I'd even be happier, but around here, every teen, new mom, and joy rider feels they NEED an SUV and not only won't accept the responsibility of the bulk they now have (over their former cars), but feel the need to bully people around who are smaller than them

p.s. The highway I drive (everyday) is a 2 lane/extremely winding road, and I was doing about 60 mph, when this Chevy Suburban flies by me like I was standing still.

p.s.s. I was watching "Mythbusters" and they had a show about gas mileage (i.e. which is better, A/C or the windows down). They had 2 big SUV's on a race track to see which one would run out of gas first. They had an expert who warned them not to go over 50mph because their tires would blow out since SUV's aren't built to race like that. As they were driving around the corners, all you heard was this LOUD squeeling of the tires. Talk about scary, when I encounter SUV's going around those same types of corners, doing OVER 70mph. If only these drivers knew that the safety they are feeling is translating into even more of a dangerous situation that they think.