How Do You Like Your Ford Transit Connect?

[spywriter007]

Hi Guys,

I am looking to get a 2023 Transit Connect Cargo van... and convert it into a little camper.  I was wondering how people like their Transit Connects.

Have you had any problems?  What has been your impressions on its reliability?  Also do you feel that the standard engine has enough power for mountainous areas like driving in the Appalachians?

Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

[Chip]

Hi, I have a '21 and like some things about it, dislike other things. All vehicles are compromises, right?

 

After 20k miles, no problems. I like that it tells me when I need to change oil, only twice so far, so I'm saving compared to my old vehicle that I used to change every 5,000 miles.

 

Not a fan of questionable design choices: seats are low down yet the windshield is huge. Gets hot driving west in the afternoon. Why so much windshield?Why did they put the ignition switch behind the steering wheel where you can't see it? There is a paucity of storage space within easy reach of the driver. Side pockets are tiny. Very small bin between the seats. There is overhead storage, and a lot of empty space over the driver's head. What the heck, it's a tiny van and storage is at premium and there's all that space over my head that is useless. And then there's the 6+ cubic feet hidden under the deck immediately behind the driver. All they had to do was install a hatch door in the floor and you'd have about half a sedan-trunk of storage in there. These are largely knit picks, right? 

 

It's a very noisy van. Road noise. It's got a good, stock radio, but you need to turn it up to hear it over the road noise.

 

The engine is tiny but the tranny will find a gear to get you over the hills. Another knit I have is the transmission shift is always looking for the most efficient gearing, generally a good thing. Sometimes, I just lightly touch the gas and it drops a gear and takes off. Sometimes I'm just trying to idle along in traffic and the transmission seems indecisive about what gear it should be in and you get a little clunk before it figures out the gear. But, overall, it's okay.

 

Fuel efficiency is, IMO, just okay, I usually get 28-29, although I've gotten 30+ on long highway drives at 70mph. Mileage quickly drops if you up the pace.

 

My first choice for a van would have been a Toyota Sienna. They have more power and get better mileage. They are quieter. They have storage and  cup holders all over. They cost 10 or 20 thousand more, and if one had been available to buy when I was looking (they weren't) I would have bought one and proceeded to rip out the back seats and dark tint the rear windows to make it more camper like. It bugged me that I would have paid a premium price and then started ripping things out.

 

So, I have gripes but like my TC well enough. It's doing what I need it to do and cost $20k less than if I had bought a Cienna. In all, I think the compromises come out on the positive side. And, I love camping out in it!

[BBJ]

I bought my '16 new in Nov '16 and have 48k on it now. Only problem was with the fuel injection system at 2k and Ford fixed that. I used it to transport my race motorcycles for 3 years, sometime pulling a small trailer. Average mpg since new had been 26.2mpg, per the computer. I did upgrade the sound system and added Focus 17" rims but no other significant mods. For the $20k price, there's no better bang for the buck out there. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.

[Fifty150]

6 hours ago, Chip said:

It's a very noisy van. Road noise. It's got a good, stock radio, but you need to turn it up to hear it over the road noise.

 

And on a hot day, the air conditioning fan adds to the noise.  This is not a quiet car.

 

On 8/30/2022 at 12:10 PM, spywriter007 said:

Also do you feel that the standard engine has enough power for mountainous areas like driving in the Appalachians?

 

It's worked fine for me, going over steep hills in San Francisco.

 

6 hours ago, Chip said:

I like that it tells me when I need to change oil, only twice so far, so I'm saving compared to my old vehicle that I used to change every 5,000 miles.

 

The oil change message also notifies you once you are close to a year since the last oil change.  Even if you have only driven 3,000 miles.  I think that my oil is fine.  The van's computer feels otherwise.

 

6 hours ago, Chip said:

Why so much windshield?

 

It's necessary for those huge sun visors.

 

6 hours ago, Chip said:

Fuel efficiency is, IMO, just okay, I usually get 28-29, although I've gotten 30+ on long highway drives at 70mph. Mileage quickly drops if you up the pace.

 

Mileage is subpar with short trips, idling in stop and go city traffic.  As a service vehicle, where you go less than a mile, or only sometimes 2 city blocks, from 1 call to the next, and you are stuck sitting at green lights with AC at full blast -  I've seen as low as 15 miles per gallon.  Still better than the pickup truck which only gets 10 MPG in similar conditions.

 

6 hours ago, Chip said:

I have gripes but like my TC well enough. It's doing what I need it to do and cost $20k less than if I had bought a Cienna.

 

The only reason that I bought a Transit Connect was pricing.  Every other van offers better bells and whistles.  But I wasn't going to pay double, for basic transportation of 7 people.  With the seats folded down, the Transit Connect wagon is an efficient cargo van.  That was the selling point for me.  It goes from people mover, to cargo mover, without having to unbolt and remove seating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[WorkVan 2022]

2022. Less than 10k miles and it lurched randomly and a wrench came on. Seemed to fix itself after cycling the key. 

Ford dealer here sucks. Service dept never answers and sucks at troubleshooting. 

[Jmrkav]

2020 XLT. Great van. Does what I need it to do. Haul my bicycle. Carry people. Driven conservatively, I see 29 to 32 mpg, highway. Really hate to see Ford discontinue these. Only a couple of issues. Windshield leaked. Problem with rear wiper. Yes they are noisy. Yes could use a little more power but it's adequate. I have 29,000 miles.