A Very Comfortable Drive

[Beta Don]

We hadn't taken our TC out of the garage for the past 3 or 4 months and were even talking about maybe selling it  -  We do currently have 5 cars between the two of us, so garage space is getting to be a premium.  We bought the TC for traveling and we usually take 2 or 3 Segways with us and it's just excellent for that purpose . . . . but I was thinking maybe if I built a little trailer to tow behind our '17 Volt, we maybe wouldn't need the TC any more  -  The TC gets 28 to 30 mpg on trips and the Volt gets 45 . . . . even higher when you average in the battery power for stop and go in town use  -  But then, it probably wouldn't get 45 towing even a small trailer.  Also, we use the TC for occasional trailer towing (trips to Lowes and Home Depot, etc) and the Volt probably wouldn't do that so well

 

Anyway, I needed to take my CBX up to Birmingham, so we got the TC cleaned up and on the road again.  I really DO like owning the 'perfect car' for whatever the current need is, even if it means owning 5 cars.  I had forgotten how comfortable the TC is on a long trip  -  Better than the Volt actually, so we came to a mutual decision to keep it . . . .  for the time being at least.  It's a 2014 and only has 26,000 miles on it, so it should last us a lifetime if we keep it that long

 

It's just such a great 'road car' that we would both miss it if we were driving anything else on road trips,  Quiet, handles like a sport sedan and not a van, hauls and tows whatever we hook it to . . . . within reason  - Does a great job with my enclosed motorcycle trailer.  I'm preaching to the choir, I know, but this last trip just made us realize how indispensable it is to our fleet, even if it does frequently sit unused for 2 or 3 months at a time.  If only it were a hybrid, or better yet, and extended range EV like the Volt.  Guess you can't have everything . . . . yet

 

Don 

[windguy]

Good story Don. Thanks for sharing.

I think the TC is great for road trips as well. The large front window is great for viewing and the endless cargo space is priceless.

I too wish the van had a hybrid option since my use is mostly short 35 mile trips to the beach. 

Edited October 6, 2018 by windguy

[Fifty150]

2 hours ago, Beta Don said:

Quiet, handles like a sport sedan and not a van, hauls and tows whatever we hook it to . . . . within reason  - Does a great job with my enclosed motorcycle trailer.  I'm preaching to the choir, I know,

 

 

 

Really?  You think a Transit Connect is quiet?

 

I've driven noisy.....medium duty trucks, Jeeps with a soft top, motorcycle......and I've driven well insulated luxury cars built for comfort......

 

Transit Connect is just about as noisy as my pickup truck, minus the noise from MT tires & glasspack mufflers.  Transit Connect is not insulated well enough.  You can still hear a lot of noise.  And the A/C system does not do a very good job with cooling such a large interior space with less than adequate insulation.  Speaking of A/C, turn it up to 3 or 4, and tell me how quiet the car is.  My grandmother is deaf.  She doesn't notice.   I get it.  It's a commercial vehicle.  And after years of "living" in commercial vehicles for 10+ hours a day, I know what to expect.  But as for comfort, this is not a comfort car.

 

I do agree with you on how you can do so much with a Transit Connect.  I sacrifice on payload and hauling compared to a truck.  But the ride, handling, and passenger capacity cannot be matched.  Pricing is another strong suit.  Most of my friends have $40K+ Toyota, Honda, et cetera.....all for being able to seat a large group.  With my frugal ways, Transit Connect was the least expensive passenger vehicle on the market.  Nothing else with equivalent seating capacity can be found at this price point.

[PhotoAl]

Mine is not the quietest vehicle I've had but way from the loudest.  I can tell a difference in the noise depending on how I have it configured.  If all of the seats are folded it noisier or if the back seats are out it makes a bit more noise but certainly not loud.  As for the AC it is fine, haven't noticed any problems here in the hot humid south.  The rear AC does get loud if I turn up the fan speed but it's only been a few occasions and not for long that Ive needed to do that.  It does ride and handle well and IMO Ford did an excellent job balancing cargo capacity and ride comfort.  Compared to the Dodge commercial van I rented 

 

As for loud that would go to my Kawasaki Ninja with the shortie exhaust.  It sounded fantastic particularly at high RPM but did I say loud!I  I always wear earplugs when riding any distance or on the interstate but with that bike earplugs were a necessity.

 

Edit: Did you take your CBX to the Vintage Festival?  Ive been there since Thursday.

Edited October 6, 2018 by PhotoAl

[Beta Don]

16 hours ago, Fifty150 said:

 

Really?  You think a Transit Connect is quiet?

 

Transit Connect is not insulated well enough.  You can still hear a lot of noise.  And the A/C system does not do a very good job with cooling such a large interior space with less than adequate insulation.  Speaking of A/C, turn it up to 3 or 4, and tell me how quiet the car is.  My grandmother is deaf.  She doesn't notice.   I get it.  It's a commercial vehicle.  And after years of "living" in commercial vehicles for 10+ hours a day, I know what to expect.  But as for comfort, this is not a comfort car.

 

Ours is not a long wheelbase work van, nor is it a 'commercial vehicle'  -  It's a short wheelbase leather equipped passenger van and it's insulated well enough that even on 95 degree days we never need to turn the A/C up beyond fan position 2 and usually we don't even keep the cool knob turned all the way counter clockwise.  I guarantee you our van is much quieter than your pick-up.  We still have the OEM Continentals on it and when it needs new tires, we will buy the same ones again, as they are very quiet too . . . . unless you are driving on some of the washboard asphalt, and no tires are quiet on those surfaces.  Few cars are as quiet as our Volt, but for a gas powered vehicle, our TC comes pretty close, IMO.  The road noise is quite acceptable, the Pioneer stereo we installed sounds very good and we both enjoy traveling in it much more than we recalled before we bought the Volt  -  This was just a post telling you all how happy we are, comparing the two for long distances

 

Don

[Fifty150]

On 10/6/2018 at 12:55 PM, Beta Don said:

 

 

  -  It's a short wheelbase leather equipped passenger van and it's insulated well enough

 

 

 

 

Don,

 

That probably makes all the difference in the world.  If the trim level has leather, it's probably insulated a lot better than what some of us are driving around in.  Your seats are probably superior in ride comfort and ergonomic support.  

 

I have no room to complain.  I knew from taking several test drives, that the van I was buying was not a Cadillac.  I bought it anyway.  

 

I do wish that they would sell a "heavy duty" package.  A little more power.  More load capacity with the suspension.  But then again......you could buy a Transit or F-150.  

 

Overall, I'm satisfied with my purchase.  Some cars, you end up disappointed after the purchase........like a 70's Mustang II, every model of Hyundai & Saturn, or 80's Chevy S10 Blazer.  With this car, I fell like I'm getting return on investment.  Nothing broke yet.  Everything still works.  It is doing everything which I expected to do with it.  Did I ever mention that I'm still pissed at Ford about the Mustang II?