Sayonara

[madlock]

After two-plus years of absolutely satisfied ownership, it's with no small amount of wistfulness that I'll be saying farewell to my 2010 XLT Cargo Van tomorrow when I trade it toward a new 2012 E-350 SD XL.

As convenient and useful as my Transit Connect continues to be, it simply doesn't meet my present needs which now include the ability to tow a trailered vehicle. I wish I could keep both, but even if I had a place to park it among my 4 other vehicles, the trade offer was simply too compelling to ignore.

It's proof positive of both Transit Connect's intrinsic value and Ford's strategy of keeping itself on the right side of the demand curve to help reduce its dependence upon incentives and preserve residual values. It's also a reason why Ford, which was basically operating at an $85B handicap to GM at the end of 2009 has not only managed to achieve substantially higher gross margins despite the sector's highest labor costs but today received an investment grade credit rating before GM has even come close.

I can certainly state I've done MY fair share to support the Blue Oval's reinvention and resurgence from "worst to first".

Given the present cost of gas and what the current administration seems intent upon pursuing, I'm sure I'll be remembering fondly how much better Transit Connect's fuel economy has been versus the E-350's 5.4 L V8. Of course, it only took MY particular luck for Ford to announce the upcoming full-sized Transit will not only be available with AWD, but with the phenomenal 3.5 L EcoBoost V6 to boot about 2 days after my E-350 was assigned a VIN and scheduled to be built.

C'est la vie, I suppose. It at least gives me good reason to trade-up again in a couple of years - albeit far more expensively than owning my Transit Connect has been.

One particular aspect about the E-350 I will be enjoying is the traditional Ford factory navigation/infotainment system and SYNC - which is now common among EACH of my vehicles. In fact, I hope I have at least one more opportunity to refresh my fleet before Ford forces my hand into "MyFord Touch" across the board. Also, despite always finding a way to "make do" with Transit Connect's compactness, the E-350's sheer capaciousness opens-up an entirely new world of possibilities whether using it for its primary function or as a trailer puller/support vehicle.

Meanwhile, I'll have to re-learn how to drive a van, especially with an additional 7' of vehicle behind me - and another 27' when I happen to be towing.

I wish everybody the best of luck and similar success with their Transit Connects and look forward to reconnecting with many who are sure to embrace the full-sized Transit when it arrives late next year.

[103west43rd]

Sorry to see you go. You were one of the first forum members and your postings always had a quality content. One last question, are you the same "Madlock" that posts on Automotive News? Your third paragraph about Ford sounds very similar to the style of the "Automotive News Madlock".

[madlock]

Thanks for the kind words.

It was exciting times also to have been an early adopter and one of Transit Connect's first owners - even when the experience wasn't quite so smooth and I had to trade-in a weeks-old Wagon for lack of replacement parts after being rear-ended during the first week of ownership.

It's good to see Transit Connect gaining such strong acceptance among both fleet and retail buyers and Ford ahead of the curve in terms of product positioning - even if we don't get to enjoy all the additional choices available to Europe.

But if I'm going to start gripe about North American product availability, I'll keep my powder dry for the battle to bring Falcon and the FPV Australia vehicles stateside.

I wish I could keep my TC and am hopeful that circumstances may someday soon allow me to justify adding one rather than replacing something else. Hopefully, by then, both Ford and the aftermarket will have collaborated to bring to market some truly terrific upfit solutions and Transit Connect can begin sharing more of the feature options and consistency "One Ford" had brought about.

I'm both glad and fortunate to be able to support a business that's worked so hard to earn it at a time when the US otherwise seems to have little it can rightfully be proud about.

I'm not sure about the fellow over at Autonews you mentioned but it sounds like his head seems to be screwed on straight...

[Willie]

Gee, Madlock! Is it really too late to cancel your E-350 order and wait for the full-size Transit? I think I'd give it a try.

Edited April 26, 2012 by Willie

[madlock]

Believe me, I gave it some thought. Unfortunately, Ford not only announced the Transit will have the 3.5 L EcoBoost engine, but so will the Explorer Sport, either of which I could've made work for towing. :(

On the flip-side, the E-Series is about as bulletproof as a Crown Vic, and nobody REALLY knows what the Transit's full potential will be. So, apart from maybe needing to live with a somewhat archaic engine, all I risk is a little depreciation if I wind-up trading up to the full-sized Transit if the new global version turns out to be everything I hope.

Walking away would've been just plain wrong. The dealer ordered it for me at my request and used an allocation to get it, and I had already received a VIN when Ford made the other announcements. It also has SYNC and navigation, something very few cargo van buyers want, which is why literally none exist on dealer lots that way. I'm sure I could've bought my way out of the deal, but I'm sure the dealer would've rather had the sale. I do lots of business with these folks and didn't even need to place a deposit, so I'm going to enjoy my E-350... and maybe I'll get to enjoy a Transit too in the next couple of years if I'm lucky.