They are HERE!
 

Figured this was worth a new thread....I just asked last week when they were due, and went to the pet supply store to buy some cat food and litter today. Ford dealer right on the corner had a dark blue stripper Transit Connect out front.

I had the salesman open it up and will note that I FIT in it....at 6'2", a lot of vehicles just don't have the legroom I need, but the TC seems to be just great.

It looks and feels really tall, and is very roomy inside. Neither I nor the salesman could find the hood release--he went in to seek help and I found the sticker that shows you pivot the Ford logo on the grille, opening up a keyhole behind...quaint.

This is 80% gonna be the replacement for my '02 E150. I have had four full size vans, continuously, since 1986, for bicycling, Boy Scouts, etc. Now that my son is grown, next vehicle will be our retirement traveler, and this will probably be it.

Next time I'll drive it...

George

I hope the Transit hits a homerun for ford. It does look like a good fit for the small business that need to haul stuff or a repairman.

I think it'll do well for ford. I now they are a big hit in europe. Mush more sought after than the sprinter van of dodge and freightliner. And that'll be it closest competitor here.

The Transit Connect is much smaller than the Sprinter van; the large Transit they sell in Europe and elsewhere is the competitor to the Sprinter.

The Connect is really an industrial-strength minivan, kind of a step down from the old Astro van but with FWD and a smaller engine. I know Chrysler did commercial versions of its minivans through the years, and the post office here in Detroit still uses Windstars or Freestars.

I'm sure that the press will note its very slow acceleration (especially when stuffed full of its considerable 1600 lb payload), but for light and large loads, it will be great.

George

ugly european car, i hate it, world is going to be strange. i like to drive my F truck, smile, will never buy a such small car, and i live in europe

It seems you do not like it because it is ugly and small on the outside. I do not find it ugly at all, and it seems as though the fuel economy is going to be quite good.

How much do you pay for gasoline?

Do you know of any real problems with the Transit Connect in terms of function?

Thanks,
George

I pay about 5.80 dollars for a gallon, but my 2008 F 150 has a real good MPG, about 23, and it is a 5.4
I dont know about problems with the Transit, but believe me, american cars are the best, I am working for a european carmaker, for a peugeot dealer and i did work few years ago for renault, vw and audi
And i think, Ford USA is much better than Ford Europe

It will be great for our service technicians. Some of the techs don't do a lot of installation so they don't need to carry conduit and that kind of stuff. A 1/2 ton is too big for them and a car is too small.

does anyone know if they'll be offered in canada also?? i like them, my wife even likes them. i see one in my future if not as a work van, it'll be a family vehicle!!

i'll answer my own question. we will have 2 here at out local dealer in the middle of august. seems that they import them as passenger vans then strip them down for cargo purposes here. its cheaper to import passenger vehicles than commercial vehicles.

price for a nicely equipped van is 28g canadian sticker price.

That looks like a ford my small business could use. it would be nice if they came with a small deisel engine and a stick shift. I think i will go look at them when they are available around here, I called around after work and only came up with the XL cargo, if i get one, i would like the XLT.

Has anyone bought one of took a test drive?
some input would be nice first.

No test drive as yet, but I confirmed that I can fit into it (6'2", long legs) so it's probably gonna be our next vehicle. Only one the dealer had was an XL cargo, and I'd want to drive the XLT passenger.

It will be slow, especially fully loaded. Only drivetrain is a 2.0 liter four with a 4 speed auto. About 135 horsepower, and GVW of the Connect is 4900 lbs (1600 lb payload). I'm guessing that the drivetrain may evolve to a 2.3 or 2.5 liter engine, which would probably make more sense. It is not gonna be an authoritative passing vehicle on the freeway.

In Europe, I would bet the standard drivetrain is a diesel with a stick. But diesels are an emissions problem in the US, and Americans don't drive sticks. (I have an E150 and 2 cars with sticks, so that would be my preference as well.)

George