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I should have noted that I don't know any details about the new 2.0l engine. Check the owners manual to see if you need to reset BMS with a new battery.

There you have it. Compared to my F-150, the Transit Connect is like driving a Smart Car. But if you drive small cars, a van like the Transit Connect could be like driving a truck. As a commercial vehicle, the Transit Connect turns and handles better than any 1/2 ton or larger pickup truck, or full size van - Econoline, Express, Ram, Transit, Sprinter, et cetera.

I put 5 years on each of three new (2-wheel drive) Nissan Frontiers prior to purchasing my TC. They had incredibly large turning circles. Countless parking spots were passed up because they just couldn't swing tightly. I think the TC virtually turns on a dime. Because the rear axle is so close to the back end, I can swing it sharply into tight parking slots and do u-turns on just about any road - things my pickups could only dream of.

@drh14 - Welcome to the forum. Hopefully you'll be part of the TC family soon. Take your time finding the right van for you. It will happen. You've received some good personal experiences from other TC owners on this forum that I agree with for the most part. I do have to say that regarding the Turn Radius for a LWB model, it's not very good when you need to make a u-turn in the road. It may be just a function of the long wheel base, not sure. I have to do a u-turn often off a coastal highway from the middle turn lane and I need more than two lanes of road to turn around, so if there are cars parked on the shoulder, I need to swing it wide first or I won't make it. It needs to be a fast and clean maneuver. Not a show stopper but just a detail you need to be ready for if it's part of your driving routine. Parking is pretty easy if you have the front and rear parking assist sensors and a back up camera. Windows all around on the wagon model will also help you. There are lots of threads on this forum discussing camper mods to wagon models with some really unique and cool designs and craftsmanship. Plenty to get your started on your own design. Please keep us posted on your search for your TC. Looking forward to seeing your new van. Good luck.

I had radio issues initially, the head unit being completely mute occasionally regardless the source and needing an ignition cycle. The dealer replaced the radio which cured the mute issue but introduced a Bluetooth phone whine (instead of the call voice) every few times used. IE several times a day, sometimes once but not less than a few times week. They failed to find a fix (I doubt they ever tried). Now I replaced the battery a few weeks ago. Have not had the whine anymore. Not once. Hope it stays that way.

Had my 2015 TC Connect Wagon LWB for 2 years now. Purchased it from a dealer, At the time it was 2 years old and had around 30k on it. Now it's over 60k. It's our only vehicle. Bought it because I realized we needed more space for family and friends and I was not going to drive a traditional minivan. I wanted and it delivered: -7 Passenger seating -Flat folding surface for hauling big stuff. I wanted to be able to haul -if necessary- my wife, 2 kids, music gear and luggage. -Cheap -Didn't look like a regular minivan. -Plenty of Headroom. I'm over 6 feet and am tired of my hair (or head for that matter!) hitting the ceiling. -Affordable maintenance. So far so good. Sharing most parts with Focus has proved to be a good thing. I had to go to Indiana from Chicago to get one that had the features I wanted and I saved about $4k doing so versus the ones that were for sale here. All the statements above from 5150 about the spartan finishes and utilitarian features are completely true. It's actually part of what attracted me to the vehicle. Also-as-mentioned, it's not the quietest vehicle or the smoothest riding, but I guess we have low standards as my wife and I have found it very comfortable on quite a few trips including Chicago-to-Denver. Being able to sit straight up for long distances has been a welcome change from our previous vehicle, a 2009 Prius. I don't know if it pertains to you, but this is a fantastic city vehicle. The all-around beepers, rear-view cam and narrow width have gotten me into some really small parking spots and enabled me to slip through some very tight traffic. I wasn't aware that this vehicle might have transmission issues until reading about it recently. I haven't had any issues with mine but I'll look into having the transmission fluid flushed now. The only issues I've come into are these three: -A radio that would randomly attack me with FULL VOLUME static, even when turned off. An aftermarket radio has fixed this (a used OEM probably would have too...) Doesn't seem like this is a super-common problem, but I have seen various references to it on the internet. -Replacing the battery is quite an operation due to it's location. Thank goodness it was my repair guy and not me having to do this. -The plastic housing around the rear liftdoor release is getting loose. Had the same problem on my Prius. I fully expect to have to install a couple of toggle bolts to keep it in place soon. Annoying but an easy fix.

I knew the TC was the perfect fit for my needs as soon as I saw one. A first gen model was turning into Lowes as I was leaving and I said to myself "That's what I've been looking for!" then turned around and found where they parked so I could see the make and model. The first gen was a bit too commercial with not enough daily driver comfort features so I waited until the second gen came out with those extras and got a 2015 LWB Wagon. Took the 2nd and 3rd row seats out since it's just me. I'm so satisfied that I'm starting to look at getting a second one now that the wagon is paid off. I'm starting to do the research on special ordering a van so I can get the wagon features I like (liftgate, tow package, etc.) since dealer stock vans typically are still stripped down commercial models. And I plan to keep the wagon and put the seats back in, unless they offer way too much as a trade in. That way, I've got a backup and I can just leave the seats in and switch back and forth as needed. Unless something drastically changes in either my life situation or in future vehicle offerings, I see myself sticking with Transit Connects from here on out.

That is true for every car which is sold with a "lifetime fill" or "maintenance free" automatic transmission. Any car you buy with an automatic transmission: exchange the fluid regularly.

Transit Connect was the lowest price people mover that I could find. No other car offered 7 passenger seating at this price point. Air Conditioning and heater fan are loud. No way to overcome this. Your loud kids could drown it out. Maybe turn up the radio. Ride is not smooth. You feel bumps. There is road noise. Don't drive with the front windows up, and the 2nd row windows down, at freeway speed. Powertrain is sufficient for GVWR. I can safely merge into freeway traffic. Maintenance is easy if you let the dealer do it. Oil change isn't bad. I've been able to jack the van up and remove the underbody shield without problem. Oil fill cap is under the cowling. You will need a short funnel or offset angle funnel. Spark plugs are under the cowling, so you will need the right tools. Transmission drain plug is very easy to access. Transmission vent comes right out for easy filling. Water pump, drive belt, and timing belt cover are tucked against the passenger side fender, but can be accessed once you remove the wheel well. Good turn radius for parking. Front end is low. Front fascia and air dam will scrape into curbs and wheel blocks. Fit and finish......spend more money, and you'll get better. Rubber trim on sliding doors keep coming off because they are held on with tape. Look for the plastic plugs on the roof to leak years down the line. Owners have already complained of water leaking into the doors, which were engineered to compensate for leaking with drainage holes at the bottom of the door. Plastic parts of interior will break years down the line. For this price, you get a budget people mover. Commercial feel. Acceptable as a company shuttle or taxi, meant to be retired and replaced after 5 years. It's not a luxury car. For you, building the passenger wagon into a camper, it's a good choice.

89000+ on the 2014 LWB I have, no major issues yet.Tran has had no issues yet, it gets flushed every 25000. The worst thing is checking the fluid level in the trans. The northeast winters are hard on the brakes. Pulls a properly sized trailer nicely.

Mercon LV/Dexron VI lifetime on the oil spec sheet is 80K miles for regular cycle and 50K miles for severe cycle so that’s your good lifetime of the transmission if you skip service. I had mine completely flushed at 50K hoping no damage was done.

We love our 2014! We bought the SWB model (had to hunt high and low to find a low miles used one) because we never plan to sleep in it and I prefer the maneuverability of the shorter vehicle - It is much more like driving a car than a van Specifically wanted a '14 or newer just to get the 2.5 with the 6F35. It is a very efficient combo and the trans shift points are well mated to the engine's torque band. Even pulling a 1200 pound trailer has been no problem. We have electric cars for around town use, so our TC sees maybe 95% or more freeway duty and we typically get between 29 and 30 mpg so long as we keep it to 65 mph or less - We're both well past the age where we're in a hurry to get anywhere . . . . we just leave earlier if we have a long way to go There ARE horror stories concerning the 6F35 and I think much of that is due to Ford's 'lifetime transmission' advertising. Since Ford's definition of what constitutes a 'lifetime' is so very different from my own, I've decided to do some routine maintenance on ours - A complete drain and flush of the trans every 25,000 miles. Since there is no filter you can change, like in an ordinary transmission, I feel it's important to keep clean fluid in it at all times. Since a complete drain is nearly impossible to do, (no way to drain the torque converter, like in an 'ordinary' car) a 4 quart drain with a brief run and then another 4 quart drain, 4 times in total (16 quarts) gets you about a 95% change - Worth the time, trouble and cost in my book Every time I even think about selling the TC (mainly because we don't drive it all that often, only when we make longer trips than our EV's can do) I remember that it's about the most comfortable thing to drive I've owned in a long, long time and I would really miss it, so we'll keep it, probably for another 10 or 15 years - We're only at 30K on it now. The gas mileage ain't too bad either and for someone who very seldom buys any gas, that's pretty important to me Don