madlock

There's no issue of RFID performance with windows. It's just not an orderable option on the Wagon configuration because of the low potential usage among those with Wagon configurations that are also exempt from Dejana upfits. In fact, it's very similar technology to the keyless pushbutton start technology Ford uses on the MKS, MKT, and Taurus. Although I will be "plugging" the sliding door windows, (effectively turning a 510A into a 210A), it's neither because nor despite Tool Link. Thanks for the suggestion, though. The S.O.B. of a dealer is really going to catch their lunch.

Well, I just picked-up my TC tonight and drove it all the way back to NJ from Pittsburgh. I sure hope the rest of my ownership experience is far better than the first 9 hours have been, though MUCH of the horror is owed directly to the dealership involved.

As a TREMENDOUSLY satisfied Flex owner, and despite everything that makes the Flex so terrific, I can attest that the Transit Connect is a practical cargo mover that the Flex can just never be. While I'd never part with my Flex, the Transit Connect is essential for the work I need it to do. What astounds me is, once rebates and incentives are taken into account, a fully-tricked Transit Connect is only about $2,000-$3,000 less than the Flex SE, a family vehicle that ANY family would love to have. I'm not saying the TC is expensive or a poor value, because it clearly isn't. The Flex SE just happens to be terrifically cheap. Best of luck!

Hello! One of the first upfits I plan is to upgrade the existing rearview mirror to include either the Ford Accessories Auto-dimming mirror with compass, temperature and Homelink, or a more capable alternative. The aforementioned mirror is made by Gentex and includes a 6-pin connector that provides power and other information to the vehicle (presumably temperature). Does anyone know if the Transit Connect includes the correct wiring connection points in the headliner to support relatively straightforward installation? Gentex also makes other, more capable, Ford OEM mirrors, including those with embedded LCD rear view camera monitors (something I'd LOVE to add to the TC). While they're orderable from various independent suppliers as Gentex items, they're not covered by the same 3/36 warranty vehicle warranties as when ordered as OEM Ford Parts, (plus I happen to be one of those who is fanatically "brand loyal", preferring Ford-exclusive components when possible). Mirrors like this are orderable as replacement parts for the Fusion, Mustang, and other vehicles that offer backup cameras in vehicles without navigation screens. My question is this... has anyone upgraded their TC mirror? And if so, has anyone added a backup camera with one of the integrated mirrors? If so, what connectivity is provided under the headliner? Many thanks.

Yes, I understand. But that explains nothing about RSC presumably being part of every "Wagon", which subsequently must be either removed or "dumbed out" of Cargo Van versions that don't include it as an option. THAT's the unresolved mystery.

Thanks for sharing. One thing I decidedly did NOT like about the Cargo version was the unevenness of the substrate that seemed to be under the rubber liner. It was almost impossible to kneel on without serious discomfort. While the wagon's hard plastic isn't much better, I figured it would make a better baseline to work from; though it seems that both the plastic and the rubber are laid atop the base pan. I wonder how this process works during the in-port conversion. The Sortimo floor board seems to solve for many of the problems that exist with both, resulting in a flat, smooth, durable surface that offers SOME insulation. Before having it installed (which will probably require removing the plastic liner/and or seats), I will have as much sound-deadening noise insulation as can fit installed in the process. I'd love to buy lunch for one of the WWL employees and pick his brain. I'd especially like to know what, if anything, happens to RSC since every vehicle arrives as a Wagon and every Wagon includes RSC. Is it "dumbed out" at the port, meaning it's just software-controlled and always present, if not "activated"? I guess the bottom-line of what I want MOST is the XLT wagon with the 210A door/window configuration, something Ford just doesn't offer. Having just faxed back the signed contract, I've already locked-in my starting point, so I'm hopeful it will all turn out well. I'm going to start "slowly" by deciding upon an amp, sub, and speakers to pep-up the stereo and try to figure-out whether it's possible to retrofit the vehicle to use one of the in-mirror rearview cameras. From there, I hope to have the "structural" features done by the end of the year. Thanks for sharing!

What remains unclear to me is how they manage the matter of RSC which is standard equipment on all North American TC Wagons. Obviously, some Wagons are made without it, as they are converted to become the Cargo Vans without RSC, unless those arrive with the seats just laid in the back rather than being fully-installed. I surely plan to make a visit dockside.

Hello all. I've been eagerly awaiting the Transit Connect since reading of Ford bringing the TC to North America from Europe where I've driven several over the years while wondering to myself, "Why on earth hasn't Ford brought this terrific vehicle to North America?" Of course, such has been the case with Ford for decades. Even Ford's most ardent supporters would be disappointed to know the extent to which Ford Europe has been producing category-leading world class vehicles in Europe for the past 30 years while they've left their own "home team" to languish with decades of half-hearted "as little as we can get away with" product. Thank God for the Mulally era. He will have become the second most important person in Ford's history behind only Henry himself. But I digress. I needed/wanted a new vehicle that would serve as both my daily driver and capable hauler of light cargo since April. Given the incentives being offered at the time, and absent the availability of the Transit Connect, I decided upon a fully-laden Flex Limited with AWD. For everything terrific the Flex happens to be (and it's the best, most comfortable, vehicle I've owned by far), despite its ability to knock flat all three rows, it's far more suited for hauling larger purchases and sports gear than cargo. Plus, it's such a nicely-appointed passenger vehicle that I simply don't want to beat up the interior the same way I could (and did) with the HHR, a vehicle that was never meant to be luxurious and whose residual value is almost impossible to negatively affect. My Flex has officially become "beloved"; it's just not the work vehicle I need. But I digress... again. Fortunately, the Transit Connect has now arrived, so my solution is clear. The Flex is now (and will continue to be) my "daily driver", while the Transit Connect will become everything the Flex was intended to be (and so much more). Needing to place the vehicle "in service" during calendar 2009, too little time exists to accommodate the 4-month lead-time to order an ideally-configured TC, so I've been relegated to searching dealer inventories to determine where, if any, exist (a process made even MORE difficult by the fact that any up-fitted vehicles only carry a "DEJANA" entry on the vehicle sticker. None of the upfit information (type, cost, etc.) appears in any of the searchable information. Even dealers must call individual dealers to determine the upfits a particular vehicle may have. The "dealer trade" game dealerships play make them pretty-much without locking one's self out of aggressive negotiations, and even those who are willing to trade are usually far too lazy to do any work beyond punching keystrokes without having a deposit in-hand and an open-ended commitment to buy without having first agreed a price. The Transit Connect's newness to North America limits options further given how little dealers and their service departments actually know about the vehicle and/or what can be done to modify or retrofit features. Dealer after dealer either never bothered to answer the question or would give completely erroneous answers that would lead any customer taking their advice on faith to make entirely incorrect buying decisions or avoid buying the Transit Connect altogether because of inflated "shot in the dark" estimates that were 2-3 times what the actual cost would be. That made the number of possible vehicles I could choose even smaller. I'm not embarrassed to admit how capable a "car hunter" this process has made me; and when all was said and done, only ONE compatible vehicle existed within a 1000-mile radius. My only concern now is that I may have become too "close" to the process and have perhaps lost some perspective. While certain feature needs speak for themselves, I have a diverse set of needs. While I want the vehicle to do everything I'd like, I also want to be sure it can accommodate what I may want to do in the future. I'm hoping fellow forum members can read through my decision process and help validate (or refute) my reasoning. I first began by deciding to avoid any up-fitted vehicles. Despite the likelihood that I will eventually have certain storage and management tools installed, the dual-sided shelving units virtually eliminated any useful hauling capacity from the sliding doors back. Furthermore, those with bulkheads would preclude the possibility of carrying passengers or, to the other extreme, removing the passenger seat to extend the maximum cargo length. Because I also want the option to carry additional passengers, the Wagon seemed to be the better option simply because it offers a capability that the Cargo versions do not. The 2nd row can always be removed, but seat rows can't be conjured out of thin air (let alone at a reasonable price). Because I will also be carrying cargo, I would have otherwise preferred solid sliding doors (rather than the Wagon's windows), but doors (and more specifically, window glass and plugs) can be relatively easily swapped, so the XLT Wagon seemed to be the one starting "platform" that would do what I wanted most, but could also be made to do just about anything I might want. I also prefer the hard plastic floor of the Wagon compared to the Cargo's rubber liner that's effectively laid atop the uneven plastic surface, and will probably, eventually add a fully-flat rubberized floor like the one available from Sortimo. Note: Information in the "chicken tax" thread has been an absolute revelation that has helped to confirm that the Wagon is indeed the ideal starting point for virtually every owner given how easily every TC arrives in Wagon form and the "conversion" to Cargo is so easily accomplished dockside. While I may eventually need to hunt down a few parts, most notably the sliding door window plugs, the XLT Wagon is clearly the correct starting point for me). It also seems that the 2nd row takes-up relatively little cargo hauling space when knocked forward. In fact, they take-up about the same floor space as many of the solid bulkheads I've seen installed. Because I will be hauling some relatively valuable items, I will begin by adding the OEM wire mesh inserts to the rear windows (or perhaps even replacing the windows with plugs), and doing the same to the side windows. (Any passengers will just have to cope with the lack of windows by pretending to be FBI surveillance) I will then be adding a half-height bulkhead from the roof behind the driver's seat. This will preserve second row leg room and allow the seats to be folded forward while providing at least a modicum of security for the contents. (Any would-be thief would need to flip forward the front seats and crawl through to access the vehicle contents.) This seems to be the best way to maintain the best passenger carrying aspects and abilities of the vehicle (and convenience) by having a serviceable second row of seats while creating a cargo carrier that's virtually as capable as a dedicated cargo configuration. I hope I will have created a vehicle with "hybrid" functionality. It would have been much better if the "Cargo" configuration had been a dealer-installable option like so many others have become, as customers would at least have been allowed to keep their 2nd row of seats. Other enhancements I have planned are an integrated backup camera, amplifier and upgraded speakers, DeWalt Tool Link (for the FWS computer), and a wireless hotspot (in lieu of the FWC Sprint access). So, if you've been patient and interested enough to read all I've managed to write, I'd greatly appreciate any thoughts about whether or not I've chosen the right path to arrive where I want and any suggestions that might help me improve upon "getting there". I very much look forward to having my own TC and greatly appreciate any helpful advice.

The price for the unit itself isn't much more than the factory option. Ordering through one of the many parts desks who've embraced the internet can provide you with a very good relative bargain. The challenge comes in the installation and vehicle integration given that it also functions as a hands-free system and has additional antenna connections. And the problem is made worse by the how quickly Ford pulled-forward the TC to market in North America, as virtually no dealer knows more about any of its features or potential than a motivated customer. Given the price, it was a relative no-brainer. The challenge was finding one so-equipped that happened to meet all of the other specifications I wanted. About 1-2% have the FWS computer; and of all the vehicles available in the Northeast U.S., there was ONE that happened to have all of the additional feature content I wanted (I fly out to pick it up Tuesday. Hooray!!!). The only feature I had to forego (and will install later) is the DeWalt Tool Link. So little is known about the system (despite it being available for other E & F Series vehicles) that I was fortunate enough to actually speak with the product's developers (who fulfill orders on Ford's behalf) to obtain all of the necessary retrofit and integration information). Of course, this situation will improve with time, but it's essentially every owner for himself at this point. For me, one of the most compelling features of the computer will be how "open" the platform happens to be. Can it run other Windows CE applications? If so, that would be the ideal Sirius/XM implementation. I need to discover if it Sirius can otherwise be added to the FWS computer. I'm opting for Sirius over XM given that both of my other vehicles (Flex and MKS) include the Sirius Travel Link system, and Sirius XM remains unable to integrate owners of both systems under a single account. Otherwise, I may very well be listening to Sirius/XM over my iPhone while patched into the FWS audio. I'm very interested in learning what others have been able to do to upgrade their audio using the FWS head unit. I would think adding an amp and the wholesale swap-out of existing speakers in combination with a sub and pair of rear door-mounted 6 x 9's will give me a reasonably pleasant mobile audio experience. It's a shame that integration couldn't have been completed as far as supporting SYNC, but I'm sure Ford will correct this for MY 2011 or 2012 as one of the many feature discrepancies that exist throughout their entire product lineup as part of products being brought to market so quickly to capitalize on current conditions. (Perhaps then BLIS can be available to MKS owners who've paid $10,000 more than the so-equipped Taurus, and non-SHO Taurus drivers can enjoy an integrated backup camera because Ford chose to install the Taurus camera in the spoiler, limiting the option to SHO vehicles only). Having owned a Chevy HHR that I made the most of (and far more than Chevy ever envisioned) that I traded-in on my Flex (which I had intended to expand my cargo capacity, but have ultimately been reluctant given how nice a passenger vehicle I'd like it to continue to be), the Transit Connect is the absolutely ideal vehicle format for my needs; and I'm so very looking forward to finally making the most of it. Even so, it strikes me how little a price difference exists between a fully-equipped XLT and an entry-level Flex SE after all rebates and incentives have been taken into consideration. While the Transit Connect clearly remains the best vehicle for my many and varied needs, the Flex remains an incredible bargain given everything it offers, even in base SE trim.

Though I've heard from several local dealers that they've placed initial orders, none can confirm an ETA for the first units. Has anyone heard anything more definitive? Thanks!

What difference would it make if they made the Transit Connect "fleet only"? Just because you may not be able to appreciate it, why should that be reason enough that no other individual should be able to purchase it? The fact is that it's so affordable and versatile, especially with the many build-out options already designed for the T/C, it's without a practical rival and will undoubtedly be the ideal vehicle for many businesses and individuals alike. It's such a compelling value and so versatile that I am considering it over a fully-loaded Flex Limited AWD. Even so, if I didn't find the T/C such a good idea, I wouldn't begin to think that's enough reason that nobody else should too.