I have been lurking on this Forum for awhile. Thought I would join in . I really appreciate the comments from EvanBly, Franz, and all you other weirdo “BoxFish” (according to Car and Driver review) Transit Connect owners. I have learned a lot from y'all.

I finally sold my well-cared-for but well-beat-up 1998 Nissan Frontier 2WD to a private party with 265K miles for $2400 and stumbled into a Silver 2014 TC LWB Titanium gas-power with 14K miles in excellent condition for $18K cash on-the-barrelhead (all fees paid) in Townsend, MT (population 2000) about 60 miles from me. The wheel-base, width, height of the TC was almost exact to my little-old beater Nissan Frontier and fits in my garage just fine.

The original Transit Connect sticker price was about $31K new and the local dealer wanted $22K originally in their ad. They bought the vehicle at an official Ford auction in Minnesota. Maybe Franz can explain how Ford auctions of certified Ford vehicles works ….

Moving On ….. I went and looked at it and took it for a drive but did not commit. I told them I was interested but wanted to think about it and line up my finances (that was The Truth). I was going through a buy-out of my 35-year heating / contracting business and did not know the final outcome of the lawyer conflicts that I may deal with to resolve my business ownership.

The Ford Dealer called me back pretty quick with a $18K offer. They said it had been on their lot for almost 18 months. In Montana a small-town Ford dealer sells mostly 4WD 150 and 250 farm trucks and Grandma sedans … The Transit Connect is in nowhere-land in small-town Montana … No one even knows what the hell the vehicle is …. To my benefit.

I told them I read about CV / transmission seal problems I researched and about “hard shifting” issues in the 6-speed tranny and that I was hesitant to buy. They told me they already followed all the Ford upgrades on the transmission seal recall repairs and they upgraded some solenoid and programming (software) shifting issues before I gave them my money. I have nothing but Good to say about the owners, my personal salesman, and the Ford mechanics that I have dealt with.

Anyhow … I bought the TC last July and have doubled the mileage since then. Great mileage so far 24 to 29 mpg. Handles great on Montana winter roads. Sometimes I feared the low ground clearance in Big Snow but it was OK. The traction control and anti-lock braking works pretty-damn good. I am amazed with the new auto-technology now. I am old-school (being an old guy age 65) and I think the Ford TC is doing well. I put Michelin X-Ices all around and I travel nasty winter roads to go play music and go skiing.

Right after I bought my TC, I installed Weather-Tech floor mats 1st and 2nd row, KN air filters, mud flaps, gravel deflectors for hood and side windows (it is Montana after-all), and Ford cargo rubber mat for behind 2nd-row seats. I may buy Weather-Tech long mat for behind 1st row seats just when I need it.

The TC for me is an all-use vehicle and I am real-happy so far. I haul my full-size upright bass to bluegrass music jam / campouts and can still sleep comfortably in the back with 2nd and 3rd rows folded down next to my musical instrument and all my camping gear. I can fit my downhill and cross-country skis just fine inside the TC. I am not interested in a roof rack since that just down-grades mileage on my 400 mile round trips to go skiing in Wyoming.

Performance-wise ….. My TC has plenty of zip. I drive about as much with my 2 thumbs as I do with my 2 feet. I like to drive a lot on speed control and select-shift. All my vehicles for the previous 50 years were stick-shift. The TC auto tranny was something new to me. Montana has wide-open spaces and and lot of varying terrain. I have learned by listening to the rpms of the motor that 2500 to 3500 seems to be the happy place for the TC. I like speed-control and use select-shift to find that happy place. I don’t like the auto-tranny down-and-up shifting on my up-and-down hill trips around MT / ID / WY. Plus …. It makes me feel like I am actually in control of my vehicle, the power curve, and my mileage.

I have plenty-else to say but I better sign off for now. I have some more of my personal reviews of my TC, have questions for EvanBly, and requesting advice from Franz (or anybody-else that wants to join in).

Best that I go for now ….

Best Wishes to all TC Owners …. MT Spaces

 

MT;


Thanks for signing in, it's always interesting hearing the experiences of others. Like you, I have found this forum to be informative. Also like you, I have always driven stick shifts and the TC was a big change for me. I've also never owned a van, and I'm loving it.


I bought the van for hauling and some camping. I can carry my camping gear, my guitar, and still have room for sleeping. As you say, the vehicle is pretty zippy.


Franz and Yo George have been real assets and they have helped me over some rough spots. This is a great forum and you are a welcome addition.

 

If the TC was a manual I would have bought that instead of my Fiesta. Even still, I think my next personal vehicle may well be a TC because I do love them and it would tick off my wife since she hates vans. She said no to my 1960s Falcon van too which would suit well for AACA car shows. I'm a sucker for utility though. I know "Save the Manuals" is dead, but it'll be hard to buy my first new car that's an automatic, even though I know they are every bit as good, or better. A cheap as dirt F150 is tempting too though. I hate not being able to afford multiple car payments!

Welcome and here is to a continued enjoyment of your Ford Transit Connect!

 

Thanks for the kind words, Evan, even though I defected and bought a Grand Caravan R/T that is fully loaded, and I do prefer the stow and go seats to the oragami seats in the TC...plus the additional elbow room. I spent 30 years in full size vans before my 2016 purchase, and the TC was just plain too tight. One of my yardsticks was a 4x8 sheet of *something* fitting inside, or 2 bicycles plus a guitar easily in the vehicle for vacations. Did 2500 miles to Main last Sept and all was well. Gotta say I like the 283 horsepower of the Pentastar 3.6.

I am still hanging on the FTE pages because my '09 Subaru Forester (with a stick) may be the next vehicle to get replaced. My wife has become spoiled by heated seats, dual 8-way power seats, and dual climate control which completely stops our need to negotiate cabin temps So high on my short list is a somewhat loaded Edge. Plus my son would love to have my Forester while it's still young (120 k miles)...and I do have a '91 BMW with a stick as a driving machine. The upcoming Bronco is also interesting to me.

I still like the TC as a package but the Grand Caravan is just a bit bigger and plusher. But the Edge forum here is really quiet. And strangely I have no urge to hang with other Mopar van owners on a forum.

Welcome, MT....I start getting Medicare this month so you are in a familiar demographic....

Take care,
George

 

George;


I can slide "something" 4 feet wide into my van. However, because I have the SWB I do not have enough length for an 8' something. I don't know if the van can be ordered with one, but if I was doing it again I'd go for a tailgate rather than the swing doors. All is not lost since I have a trailer that does the 4X8 stuff.

 

I don't think the TC LWB can take a 4x8 either...I don't often carry stuff that big, but after 30 years with full size vans, even the Grand Caravan feels cramped. The TC loses a ton of headroom with the seats folded down and the cargo floor that the seatbacks make up is very flimsy, like hinged masonite stuff.. At minimum I need about 41" of height also to put 2 bicycles inside standing upright, front wheel off, fork clamped onto a piece of 2x4. No SUV is tall enough for that either...and once you lay 2 bikes down you lose almost all the real estate behind the front seats.

And no, $2-3000 bikes don't ride outside Nor would I want to bother with a trailer, although the GC can pull 3500 lbs I think.

George

 

Mopar vans have always been nice riding. The TC isn't really their competition other than creating a segment for which the "mini" van was bigger than needed. I am a big fan of early mopar stuff, but when I'm over in the AllPar forum I always feel like they're in denial that it's a Fiat now and has had sort a bad run for the past decade or so.

 

Pre-'08 when the current van was designed they were "sort of" Mercedes but the Fiat thing bugs me too (just like Renault/AMC did). Actually the Turkey/Spain build of the TC is not my favorite concept for a Ford.

But the Grand Cherokee is built 5 miles from my house and the my GC was built 14 miles away (which involves traveling to Canada) using an engine built in Metro Detroit. I'm a Detroit native who comes from UAW stock so I'm trying to buy UAW/CAW from here on. I really like the Pentastar engine.

My response to QC was to buy a lifetime Mopar warranty... Cost a few bucks but the van was so inexpensive that I'm still in for way less money than an Odyssey or Sienna...and the R/T looks better than any other minivan IMO.

Still wish Ford built a large minivan...the Flex does not have the cubic footage and height I need. The Transit Custom was the one I wish they would have brought here.

Apologies to MT for hijacking his thread, but I'll stop by the TC forum to keep up with what's going on....

George

 

The french were more interested in trying to gain a foothold in the US market rather than save an American brand. AMC came off some of it's best years, ahead of the market on the crossover/suv thing, but with no one having interest in keeping her afloat. But at least everything sold as an AMC was an AMC.

Also sorry for Hi-jack, but I love me some Ramblers!