I think there's a lot of truth in this. For many families, buying the biggest SUV on the lot is considered a gesture of love: "Look, honey, I love you so much that I'm gonna buy you a truck that will help you and the kids to survive even if you're dumb enough to run it into a semi." And the ladies are delighted, because the big SUV is such a status symbol: "Look what a successful husband I have and how much he loves me." Unfortunately the ladies are blissfully unaware that they are driving TRUCKS, with all the attention and control and responsibility that demands. They have no training at truck-driving, and they drive around the same way they did with the little Volvo: simultaneously trying to control the kids, talk on the phone, put makeup on, and sip coffee. As you note, they can't park the bloody things.
And so, with the biggest SUV off the market, the enviros may think they have us cornered. For those of us who really do have big trailer to haul and aren't buying SUVs to display success, exercise vanity, vent testosterone, intimidate others, or manipulate our spouses, we will simply buy Ford F-350s, hook up the horse van, and go merrily on our way. But we'll be fueling the F-350s with diesel, and the enviros won't like that a single bit. Talk about unintended consequences!
Will they come after our duallys next? Let 'em try! The kind of people who drive trucks are unlikely to be intimidated or impressed by a bunch of Alan Alda greenies who lecture them about fuel consumption. We have work to do.
I agree, we bought one, at my wife’s insistence, in 2001. To pull the boat long distances etc. After 3 months of driving it she just plan hated it and I began driving the thing to work, she just couldn't see around it well enough at 4' 11 inches tall. She now drives the 1998 mini-van, that she once loathed, and I drive the behemoth to work, a total of 8 miles a day. At least at the current rate, it will last until the next millennium before its worn out.
Does pull the 21 foot boat like it was a 12 foot aluminum row boat though.
Actually, the real reason the Excursion died is that Ford put independent spring suspension in the back of the Expedition. This allows three-across seating (for a total of eight) in the smaller Expedition and a higher towing capacity. With the improvements to the Expedition, the Excursion became redundant.
Realistically speaking, the Excursion was just a stop-gap way for Ford to get into the beyond-full-sized SUV market while the improvements were made to the Expedition. The elimination of the Excursion had nothing to do with the enviroweenies being upset.