yup, the right good tires are everything.
i cannot help but think a right hand drive transit would make a great rural mail carrier vehicle. it would also be a fantastic replacement for a small pickup in rural and ag situations. with proper offerings and marketing i think ford could do well in that segment. the transit with the rear bench could be used for work with it up, and it could still be used as family vehicle when it was needed. a small pickup that has as much room for people just does not have the cubic footage the transit offers. if played right, and with the right equipment it could make a good replacement for the ranger. but that doesn't mean it will sell that way.
still, the US is not used to using small vans. we use pickup trucks here for the stuff they use vans for in europe.
honestly i think hondas element would have survived here if marketed properly. it was marketed towards a group of people that did not have the money for it. how does that work?
the element would have been a great small business vehicle if tailored more for it, and marketed more for it.
people in the us like and trust honda. and i am sure a lot wanted what the element had to offer, just honda did not "sell" them it.
i really liked the first incarnation of the element, though i never understood why it had cup holders instead of a third seatbelt. that seems to be the trend these days, but do as many people really want slight convenience over versatility as the marketeers think.
i saw the video review on here showing how the back seat folds up, and the reviewer says he really would not want to use it for his family car then comments about the lack of mass cup holders.
to me that makes no sense. am i a monster because i will refuse to provide my family with gaming systems, TVs, and entertainment while they are in the car, and dont give them two cup holders each and a computer to plug into.
our nation has a debt problem, and on top of that people hem and haw over gas prices and better gas mileage and better emissions. so why the hell do we want to pay extra for unneeded comfort convenience and entertainment items like 30 way electric adjustable seats, sound deadening to make your car sound quiet as a library, technogarbage gimmicks, and junk that just make our cars cost more and weigh more. toss the crap and save your money on fuel and on your auto bill. everything is excess, and i guess excess sells.
an automakers products performance that applies to its function should speak for its self and sell the vehicle. i hate this war of one upping with tech garbage.
anyway, enough of my soap box.
does ford still plan to manufacture the transit here in 2013?
on the manual bit...
i am suffering while sitting in traffic no mater what, so i really dont mind the manual trans in that regard. in my opinion, at least the manual gives me something to do and keep me in the mindset that i am actually still in a motor vehicle, but im not sure that is the general consensus:) i wonder if more stop and go accidents happen with automatics, due to the fact that people kinda check out while behind the wheel.
with a 3 speed auto with overdrive, i am not surprised it gets the mileage it does.
its funny you say you are in the minority, as i had found reviews about the connect grinding on its low performance, and mpg.
for most buyers in this day and age, van or not, a vehicle as small as the connect, with an engine as small as it has, just looks fishy when its said to get 25 mpg. The connect looks super thrifty, but then you see 25 mpg and it is a shock.
any idea if the 16 valve 2.0 duratorq ("puma") will fit in the transit connect? that would certainly give it more grunt.
i understand the main issue with the diesels is that, ford just does not have service for diesels established here. is that correct? or will it not meet emissions either?
thanks for the reply.
while we are on it,
what are your main praises of the connect,
and what are your main complaints.
take care!
matthew
