2015 Compact Van Options

[windguy]

My 2015 van is on order, produced and in transit, but with the recent reporting of transmission problems with the 2014 models, I decided to check to see what other van options are out there. Still not too many choices in this market sector. Below I summarized some thoughts regarding the available options and figured I'd share with the forum. I like the new ProMaster City because it's very similar to the TC in many respects so it's a viable alternative. The big issue is the unknown of how reliable it will be since it's a new design with some new components and a 9-speed transmission that's already having issues as noted in the Jeep Cherokee. The order window hasn't opened for this yet so realistically it could be 6+ months or longer till you can get one. Some pre-production models are floating around the US but probably you would be ordering it sight unseen but always have the right to change your mind later if needed.

2015 Nissan NV200 / 2015 Chevy City Express - The City Express is a re-badged NV200. To me the van doesn't look as good as a TC though my wife thinks "it's cute" so perhaps I'm missing something. Smaller 2.0L engine with less HP and Torque compared to the TC with better city gas mileage (24 vs 21) but not highway (26 vs 29). No trailer hitch option so you can't tow with it. Better drivetrain warranty at 5yr/100,000 miles. The TC is 5yr/60,000 miles. It's not a bad looking van and I've seen a lot of them on the road for fleet type use. If the NY City Taxis are using then they must be decent for city type driving, unless the drivers and mechanics have another opinion.

2014 RAM C/V Tradesman - Production has ended on this model a few months ago. No 2015's will be made in anticipation of its replacement, the ProMaster City. The C/V is a Dodge Caravan without seats and some amenities but with a beefed up suspension and transmission cooling. It looks very "mini-van" like from the outside if you get the optional windows on the sliders, rear quarter and back hatch. Because the C/V is 203" in length I thought I'd get a little extra cargo area length, but you need to have the seats positioned all the way forward in order to get that spec'd 99" of space, otherwise it's only about 87". The passenger seat does not fold forward so you don't get to use that area for extra long cargo. There is open space between the seats, no center console. The gear shifter is mounted on the dash, very strange location. The rear opening is a lift gate only, so if you have a low garage opening of 80" like I do, the hatch stands up to around 84", so that's a small problem. Lots of plastic around the rear hatch area reduces the height of the cargo area. The roof is sloped side to side and front to back so that reduces the cargo area as well. Seats were only two way on both sides, front/back and the seat back reclining somewhat. I had limited visibility at the visor at 6'-2, unlike the TC that has lots of head room with a nice big window view. The C/V has a V6 with lots of HP and torque but gas mileage is 18/26. Proven engine and transmission, hard to find these days with new vehicles. Made in Ontario Canada and priced competitively.

2015 RAM ProMaster City - The Tradesman is the cargo version. The RAM fleet manager at my local dealer was just told these won't be made until the March timeframe. It's a brand new van based on the Fiat Doblo from Europe. Everything about this vehicle is similar to the TC except there is no SWB version, only LWB. Made in the TOFAS plant in Bursa, Turkey and processed in Maryland like a TC having the cargo versions modified after import, which means probably a similar wait time to get one when ordering (4-6 months). Almost all the specs are the same or in some areas "one upped" so they can claim "best in class" bragging rights. Examples - HP - 178 vs 169 for the TC. Payload is 1,883 vs 1,620 pounds. Cargo Volume is 131.7 vs 128.6 cu-ft. Better drivetrain warranty at 5yr/100,000 miles. Some specs are still a bit vague but most are available. Gas mileage the same at 21/29. So how reliable is the new 9-speed transmission that it will have? If you search on this you'll find that this transmission was first used in the 2014 Jeep Cherokee and has had lots of mechanical problems. The bugs don't appear to be ironed out yet so not sure what the status is. The rear barn doors are a 60/40 split, with the bigger door on the driver's side. My preference is for 50/50 doors so it doesn't stick out any further than it needs to for tight parallel parking spaces. You can order windows for the slider doors and rear doors. The window panel on the ProMaster City appears to be not as wide compared to the TC. Not sure about the slider opening width between the two. Appearance wise it's a toss-up. Some aspects look better than the TC and others don't. I could live with either and be happy.

Link to a review http://www.allpar.com/trucks/ram/ProMaster-city.html

[robertlane]

I'm wondering when Ford will move some Transit Connect production to the U.S. - or when enough volume will trigger this?

Long wait times for customers obtaining their Transit Connects have been the norm since it was introduced here.