Jump LinksIt Could Be Had With A Huge V10 Under The HoodThat Wild V10 Is A Key Reason For The Excursions Hard-Working ProwessWhile most vehicles on the road today are designed to be as fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly as possible, take the range of hybrid and small-capacity turbo engines featured in most models these days as evidence of this, that doesn't mean you can't get around it. The used market is full of forgotten gems that feature classical and more appealing engines for gearheads, and a great example of this is a huge Ford that was built for just five years.Find [[default_name]] and more cars for sale on our MarketplaceShop NowThe thing came with a whopping V10 mounted out front, meaning it is just one of a very few production SUVs to be graced with such a powerplant. Happily, its forgotten nature now means that they're very reasonably priced on the used market, which opens up the chance for pretty much anyone to have a V10 SUV on their driveway. The Excursion Was The Heaviest SUV Ever Built Ford The model in question is the Ford Excursion, which was slotted onto the top of Ford's early 2000s SUV range when it was unleashed in 2000. Prior to the Excursion, the Expedition was the largest SUV on Ford's exhaustive menu, but it felt the need to match up against Chevrolet's plus-sized Suburban 2500 Series. Luckily, it had recently introduced the Super Duty line of trucks alongside its famous F-150 model, which was primarily made up of the F-250 and F-350. These larger trucks came with beefier underpinnings and bigger, more powerful engines than the F-150.They were built to work, and Ford felt that the F-250 would prove the ideal base for its largest SUV. The Excursion used F-Series design cues, and became the heaviest and longest production SUV on earth when it dropped. With a curb weight of 7,200 pounds, an Excursion driver wasn't the sort of driver you'd want to annoy. It Could Be Had With A Huge V10 Under The Hood YT: Shooting Cars Having been based on the F-250, the Excursion was also offered the Super Duty's range of engines. The smallest available was a 5.4-liter Triton V8, while a turbodiesel V8 could also be had, with 7.3-liter units being available in earlier model years before a smaller and more efficient 6.0-liter unit replaced it towards the end of the model's production run. Arguably the most eye-opening option was the 6.8-liter gas V10, which emitted its usual high-pitched soundtrack whenever you flexed the gas pedal.The massive seven-seat Excursion wasn't exactly fuel efficient as a result of its powertrain options and weight, which meant it only lasted five years before it was carted off to retirement. Ford was struggling to sell them due to how costly they were to keep running, given that the only real reason the F-Series Super Duty trucks were so big and powerful was so that they could excel when working in heavy-duty capacities. As an SUV carrying families most of the time, the Excursion simply didn't need that level of capability, and few could justify the extreme running costs and size. Ford's Forgotten Monster Is A Bargain On The Used Market Ford As a result, the Excursion has been largely forgotten in the minds of drivers over two decades after its production concluded. The upshot of this is that used examples of the mighty V10 variant are cheaper than you may think, especially given these vehicles were highly-specced. The V10 was never included as a standard option for any trim, and was only available as an option for the range-topping Eddie Bauer and Limited versions. These came with extras like a premium sound system, electrically adjustable pedals, parking sensors and automatic climate control.According to AutoTempest, the average value of a clean-titled Excursion V10 currently sits at $12,150, though you'll have to take on a high-mileage example at that price. Most Excursions have been properly used throughout their lives, given the kind of heavy-duty vehicle it is, so finding one with lower mileage is tough. Seeing as these are rare, this also pushes their values up considerably. A good example of the sort of Excursion you can get for below $15k is a 2000 Limited available via Cars.com, which has covered 99,000 miles during its life. It's currently listed for $14,995, which is a solid deal given its relatively low mileage. Opt for a later or lower mileage machine, and you'll be looking at a spend of closer to $30k. If You Want A Hard-Working SUV, The Excursion Will Prove An Effective Tool Ford Everything about the Excursion is heavy-duty. For starters, the SUV was very tough due to utilizing the same ladder frame chassis and leaf spring suspension setup as its F-250 sibling, which worked together to allow for huge amounts of weight to be loaded in. You could throw up to 1,865 pounds of cargo at the V10 Excursion, though if you went for a four-wheel drive version, this figure drops to 1,710 pounds.It's good at towing too, with the V10 variant able to deal with loads of up to 11,000 pounds. Ford even offered a heavy-duty tow hitch as an optional extra with the model, so seeking out an example featuring this is a good approach should you have this sort of work on your mind. That Wild V10 Is A Key Reason For The Excursions Hard-Working Prowess Ford These numbers shouldn't come as much of a surprise, given that the V10 pumps out 310 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque, while a four-speed automatic transmission busies itself away trying to channel the grunt to either the rear or all four wheels. You'll just have to watch the gas mileage though as, according to various owners who reported their experiences via Fuelly, you'd be lucky to achieve north of 10 MPG with the Excursion V10. Then again, it's a huge V10 SUV, so you already expected that, right? The Germans Offer A More Luxurious V10 SUV Alternative Volkswagen Should the Excursion feel a little too, well, utilitarian for your tastes, don't fear. Ford wasn't the only manufacturer experimenting with V10s in its SUVs in the early part of the 21st century, as Volkswagen was also having a play. The German marque slotted a 5.0-liter turbodiesel V10 under the hood of its Touareg, a model that was briefly offered in the US in 2004. As a result of coming with a turbocharger, the Touareg's unit produced about the same 310 hp as the Excursion's gas V10, though it was in the torque stakes where it really shone.The German beast pumped out 553 lb-ft of torque, which was easily enough for it to pull usual everyday objects, such as a passenger airliner. Sadly, its unclean diesel ways meant that emissions regulations soon forced it out of the US market, but used versions are still out there. Much like the Ford, Volkswagen's V10 SUV is also something of a bargain at the moment.Being a range-topping VW, the Touareg comes with a better put-together cabin and more luxurious furnishings than the Ford, making it a more refined and comfortable daily driver. Thanks to diesel being its drink of choice, the Touareg is also more frugal, with average MPGs of around 15 possible as long as you don't keep it pinned everywhere you go.Of course, buying an old V10 SUV is irresponsible and largely unnecessary for most drivers. They'll cost a fair chunk to run and maintain, and that level of grunt will likely get you in trouble with law enforcement at some point. But they're stupid, awesome, and crazy in one fell swoop, which is all that really matters with wild machines such as these.