Springfieldriders.com

Review

The Transit is the most common large van on our roads and began life in the 1960s. This is the fourth incarnation of the van, and while it is still well liked by users and offers a massive range of bodies and engines, it perhaps wasn’t quite the huge leap forward many were expecting. However, there is no shortage of them on the market, they are good to drive and comfortable. Described in Ford’s marketing a few years ago as ‘the backbone of Britain’ it’s certainly continues to perform a range of duties very well for its owners.

Behind the Wheel

First of all, this van is a bit pricy. To minimize your base costs, you are provided with the choice to get it via van leasing. Van contract hire is another option as well. The seats are generally comfortable and visibility is quite good. There is a commanding view of the road ahead, but the Transit shows its age with its long gearstick sprouting from the cabin floor. Some other large panel vans have adopted a more user-friendly and less intimidating dashboard-mounted gearstick. There are plenty of compartments for storing the small items associated with used a van for work – mobile phone, flask of coffee, documents and so on.

On the Road

A wide variety of power outputs are available in the fourth generation transit, ranging from 75bhp to 135bhp in diesel form. Basically, front-wheel drive versions use a 2.0-litre engine and rear-wheel drive versions come with a 2.4-litre engine. A 2.3-litre petrol engine was also offered producing 145bhp, or 141bhp with a factory-approved LPG conversion. Originally badged TDi, the diesels lacked some of the technology offered on rival vans. Common rail’ diesel engines arrived later (these are badged TDCi) and offer better refinement and improved fuel consumption compared with earlier engines offering the same power. There is enough choice throughout the range to find the right engine for the right sort of work, although the early entry-level 75bhp TDi doesn’t feel keen enough for some when carrying a load. There are a lot of options regarding payment as well. You can buy it all directly, or get it via van lease hire. This was replaced by an 85bhp engine in 2003 which felt a little more relaxed. If you don’t feel you should pay that much for this van, you should consider van leasing as an option.

Driving Impressions

The 2012 Ford Transit Connect’s bought via van lease hire, is tall and narrow dimensions which make it easy to maneuver through narrow, urban streets that would leave an Econoline driver double-checking that his company’s insurance is paid up. At 39 feet, its turning circle is incredibly small for something that can lug about 135 cubic feet of stuff. But while agility is good, quick it is not. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that used to be stressed by the task of motivating the old, 2,642-pound Ford Focus is completely zonked in the 3,470-pound Transit Connect. And imagine how slow it would be loaded up with its maximum payload of 1,600 pounds. Nowadays most people are using van contract hire, to get this type of vans.