2014 Transit Connect = Goldilocks Van?

Sure looks better with fewer doors windows. Better color helps too. Lets hope they can be had this way too.

Vigo, is your Caravan still turbo?

Yes, still turbo. I took it to the track recently and saw boost up to 20 psi on those non-turbo pistons everyone says not to even bother with, but the old, worn out stock clutch was having none of it. Cant blame it, since my $2009 car with basically the same motor was making 350 lb ft at "only" 16psi, and i had turned it down to that because it was slipping the 4-puck ceramic clutch with 1-2 more psi...

Havent decided what to do for my next clutch. I think what i really want is a ~2500 lb pressure plate and a 'stock-type' full-face organic clutch disc with an unsprung hub.

Gearheadotaku wrote: Sure looks better with fewer doors windows. Better color helps too. Lets hope they can be had this way too.

It seems Ford is pretty good about letting you order exactly what you want if you are willing to wait for it. However these vans are shipped over from yurp I think...Might be a longer wait....

Ian F wrote: In reply to Hal: I want one because they are the largest vans you can get short of a box truck.

Not sure about that. From what I have seen on the road some of the big Nissan vans look to be bigger than a Sprinter.

For those who are interested: The commercial manager at the local Ford dealership just sent me a pdf of their "packaging guide" for the 2014 Transit Connect and said "Pass it on".

It seems to have all the info about the different models and option packages. If anyone wants it, send me a PM and I will e-mail it to you.

It does seem like the high roof version like I have has been dropped and there are 2 models. One shorter than mine and one longer.

I just got the PDF from Hal and looked through it. Honestly, i didnt see a whole lot of new info, but:

It says the long wheelbase accepts cargo up to 87.3" long, which is only 7.25ft. Great for sleeping, bad for 4x8s.

On the other hand, the pdf does have a picture with all the seats folded down, and it looks like a truly flat, fairly low, and pretty huge cargo area.

But, the pic is tiny and i cant tell if the fold down seats are cloth backed or plastic backed. I prefer hard-backed seats for a more durable, easier to clean cargo configuration.. I'll have to search google for a better pic to verify.

eagerly awaiting an email from Hal. I am srsly interested in one of these.

already having dirty thoughts of what to do. get a no window model, with the middle seat for practicality (future kids and what not) add a small type bay window on the slider (if you can even find something that works with the body lines), with screened window for ventilation. portholes on the rear corners. possibly a roof vent in the rear for camping purposes. dual battery setup with deep cycle in the rear. insulated walls and ceiling, some sort of throwback paneling overtop. like button tucked leather or something. misc. lighting and electronics. probably lower it a bit all around somehow, get some focus takeoffs with spacers or just wider wheels. maybe add one of those airbag load setups in the rear for when its loaded down. oh god maybe do something crazy like get some vinyl..throwback style to the crusing van/wagon

ok maybe not that extreme with the exterior. I already have another old van and truck for dirty work, this would just be a DD. somethings wrong with me, dont tell my wife.

bastomatic wrote: I'd love for my Mazda5 to have the storage and seating arrangement of the new Ford TC. Alternatively, I'd love it if the Transit Connect came with similar driving dynamics to the Mazda5.

What you, and I want was the C-Max that Ford original promised in 2010 as a 2011 model.
Ford sells it in the UK as the Grand C-Max

Vigo wrote: I just got the PDF from Hal and looked through it. Honestly, i didnt see a whole lot of new info, but: It says the long wheelbase accepts cargo up to 87.3" long, which is only 7.25ft. Great for sleeping, bad for 4x8s.

So it's smaller than the Chrysler? Fail.

Briefly, this window configuration was offered on the Astro where there is a driver's side window to match the door window.
I always wondered why this offering never became popular in vans.

It also seems that the van market misses out on "the contractor who drops his kids off at school."
Why is it that you can not get a van with just one row of removable seats?

In reply to JohnRW1621:

You can, but they need to be ordered through the commercial process.

I noticed in the first post the photo showed a woman (not wearing a utility company uniform) driving said transit connect. So I showed the photo to my wife, who commented that there is no way in hell any woman would be caught dead in it.

And she likes most minivans (though doesn't want one for herself)

I think it has cool features and interior, but I'm not big on the outside of it as a personal vehicle either. The panel one in black is pretty cool if you are an NSA surveillance team, however.

For personal use, things like the Odyssey or Previa are much better-looking. And yes, I know it's not the Previa anymore, but I can't think of what the new ToyoMinivan is called for some reason. Brain fart.

Sienna. The van is as unforgettable as the name

In Nevada i've been seeing these weird Fiat vans around with manufacturers plates. Not the 500l but I mean the Fiat equivalent of the transit connect.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Ducato

dangit. according to the PDF from Hal, no 2nd row seat option on the new transit connect work van. wonder if the seats and seatbelts would just bolt right in if acquired later.

failboat wrote: eagerly awaiting an email from Hal. I am srsly interested in one of these. already having dirty thoughts of what to do. get a no window model, with the middle seat for practicality (future kids and what not) add a small type bay window on the slider (if you can even find something that works with the body lines), with screened window for ventilation. portholes on the rear corners. possibly a roof vent in the rear for camping purposes. dual battery setup with deep cycle in the rear. insulated walls and ceiling, some sort of throwback paneling overtop. like button tucked leather or something. misc. lighting and electronics. probably lower it a bit all around somehow, get some focus takeoffs with spacers or just wider wheels. maybe add one of those airbag load setups in the rear for when its loaded down. oh god maybe do something crazy like get some vinyl..throwback style to the crusing van/wagon ok maybe not that extreme with the exterior. I already have another old van and truck for dirty work, this would just be a DD. somethings wrong with me, dont tell my wife.

Don't forget to add some taps and a sweet wrap around couch http://newlondon.craigslist.org/cto/3846402976.html

It looks good except the Ford-required Aston Martin nose. Other than that, it's a great looking van.

Hal wrote:

Ian F wrote: In reply to Hal: I want one because they are the largest vans you can get short of a box truck.

Not sure about that. From what I have seen on the road some of the big Nissan vans look to be bigger than a Sprinter.

Not even close.

The Nissan cargo area is 120" from the rear doors to the back of the front seats (which is actually no better than a standard length E-series; know this from my old van).

The longest available Sprinter is 185" - more than 5' longer than the Nassan.

The Nissan is a fraction of an inch wider overall and a little more than an inch wider between the wheel wells comparing std SRW versions (DRW Sprinters lose a considerable amount between the wheel wells).

The overall length is a little closer, but the Sprinter still has the Nissan by about 3'-9". All of this bearing in mind I'd only be interested in the longest Sprinter available for a RV conversion. M-B does sell smaller Sprinters.

failboat wrote: dangit. according to the PDF from Hal, no 2nd row seat option on the new transit connect work van. wonder if the seats and seatbelts would just bolt right in if acquired later.

Probably. I have looked at a number of the current vans and the holes for seat mounting, etc. are there. Actually all of them come into this country with some type of second row seating to avoid excise taxes. Also the piece that covers the foot well to make a flat floor all the way can be unbolted.

So it's smaller than the Chrysler? Fail.

Smaller than a Caravan, you mean? Well, we already knew it was ~10" shorter than the current crop, and it had to come out of somewhere. Wasn't gonna be the front row! Personally i dont see the 4x8 thing as a big hangup. 4x8s will fit in almost anything (that isnt tiny) with a tall hatch if you leave the hatch open and dont lay them flat. Or if you have a roof rack, there's that, or if you have a hitch and a 4x8 trailer (which is what i've used to bring them home). I hauled 4x8s in my Magnum iirc.

Im really curious how effective the torque-vectoring is in this thing. People in other threads have been complaining about the E-Diff vs real diff in the Focus ST (iirc), but hell, in a van i just think it's glorious that a torque-biasing E-Diff is available at all, let alone standard!!

kanaric wrote: In Nevada i've been seeing these weird Fiat vans around with manufacturers plates. Not the 500l but I mean the Fiat equivalent of the transit connect. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Ducato

Ram ProMaster

or Nissan NV200

Vigo wrote:

So it's smaller than the Chrysler? Fail.

Smaller than a Caravan, you mean? Well, we already knew it was ~10" shorter than the current crop, and it had to come out of somewhere. Wasn't gonna be the front row! Personally i dont see the 4x8 thing as a big hangup. 4x8s will fit in almost anything (that isnt tiny) with a tall hatch if you leave the hatch open and dont lay them flat. Or if you have a roof rack, there's that, or if you have a hitch and a 4x8 trailer (which is what i've used to bring them home). I hauled 4x8s in my Magnum iirc.

It's a big deal to me since that's one of the main reasons I'd get a van vs a station wagon. I can already carry 4x8's on the roof rack or tow a trailer. The point for me is having as much dry, secure storage as possible. It's the same reason I'll never buy a pick-up without a 8' bed. I have a car for general driving around. The truck or van is for hauling and for that I want the largest vehicle I can get for that task.

Yeah, then you're definitely not the target customer for a Transit Connect .

A salesman would point you towards the larger Transit. The passenger version of the Connect is clearly intended to occupy a middle ground and serve as a compromise for people who cant or won't buy two separate, optimized vehicles, and the cargo version doesnt have to do everything because the larger Transit does whatever it can't do.

So what station wagon holds a 4x8 entirely behind the front seats with the hatch closed and gets 30mpg on the highway? To be honest, i think that is a straw man.

So, am i really the ONLY one who is happy about a torque-vectoring E-diff program in a minivan?!

Oh im happy about it.

Vigo wrote: So what station wagon holds a 4x8 entirely behind the front seats with the hatch closed and gets 30mpg on the highway?

I'd venture that a Raodmaster with a good tune and a light foot would get 30 highway.