I have a ‘16 xl: 198,000 miles, 500 mile round trip weekends from nyc to New England EVERY weekend. In the winter I run studs front and rear and hammer down without concern. The rear seat was removed and stored at the dealer when I picked it up, NEVER needed it. Holds A TON of stuffs, tows fairly well, and in the fall I run to pulaski ny to salmon fish ( I sleep inside, I’m 6’2 and made a 3” platform that goes in the rear to level out with the second row) power SUCKS, but holds steady once you get up to speed. Happy with it, so I ordered a 22’ in April MAXED OUT WITH ALL OPTIONS but the glass roof (36k$), they are building it this week IN SPAIN, so it’ll ship here at around end of august (barring any Porsche fire disasters of course) it hasn’t let me down so I have high expectations for this one. Fair deal for fair quality. Get one or don’t… I don’t care what you do, I’m sold!
Btw: I have a 22’ gmc savana diesel on order since November, with the price of diesel I will cancel that and enjoy the tiny gas sipping Ford for the coming years.
Wow thanks for the great owner feedback! Always good to hear when people put crazy miles on them and come back for another. Hopefully you end up seeing it before the end of the year! Have you ever done videos showing off the setup you have for yours?
@@CarsWithSteve thanks man! I haven’t thought of making a video about my setup, but I do have a list of modifications that I WILL do on the new one. Sounds like a solid lead to imply a video like this may be interesting. Good work brother, thanks for what you do!
@@urbanEXurban people definitely love to see conversion videos so if you've got a good plan I'd set up a video! Appreciate that and good luck with the build!
The very best walk-through of the Transit connect. This Gentleman covers it all! Keep-up, for there's a lot of info coming at ya. Premium job here Steve!
Thank you for the in-depth video! One pleasant surprise I didn't see covered here is that the third-row seats do recline a bit. You pull up on that red strap on the front of the seat (the same that you use to fold down), allowing you to recline it for a more comfortable ride.
You're welcome Ron! I don't end up catching everything when I'm shooting these videos so it's always great when someone chips in with a feature that wasn't covered. Appreciate that!
This is great! I'm a full time musician and I've been looking for something that can easily haul all my gear and also be able to take on tour and I love this!
THANK YOU for the information been looking into this car for a family car since we have a cargo one and I just love this as a family car . Can't wait to purchase 🤞.
I'm glad to got one this year. Here in Germany I have a 1.5 l diesel with 100 HP and 8-speed automatic transmission. It's not the fastest, but ideal for cruising and the diesel engine is surprisingly quiet. I have only the second row-seats, not the 3rd row. So I'm using it as a camper with a bed and a little kitchen in the back. When I fold down the second-row-seats, I can extend the bed over the folded down seats. It is gerat as a one-person-camper! Sadly in Europe this car is no longer available. In 2022 it will be replaced by a Ford-badged Volkswagen Caddy 🙁.
Always interesting to hear the different options around the world. Was the 2 row option standard? Just checked out your channel and your build looks great! Would you be up for having me feature it with a shout out and link to your channel in a future video?
@@CarsWithSteve Thank You very much! Please feel free to use and share the content of my channel. The 2nd row bench is standard here. The 2 single seats in the 2nd row aren't available in Germany. The 2 seats in the 3rd row are optional.
Excellent review my friend! I need a vehicle for work and that can double as a family vehicle and this seems to be the perfect fit. Might look for a 2019 or 2020 model though to save some $$.
Thank you! Great option for what you're thinking! Not impossible to find these things used but they may have slightly higher mileage but you may luck out and find something off lease
Always tricky getting the spouse on board sometimes. Can't see a turbo being added but there's the possibility of it becoming electric in the next few years
Haven't come across that configuration yet and with the Transit Connect being discontinued past the 2023 model I doubt I will. If one does pop up though I'll make sure to hop into it! If you do have one with the bench configuration in the 2nd row there would be a way to slide the outboard seats forward to get into the 3rd row!
Yeah I mention that 2.5L in the video.. In Canada it's a fleet only option and in the USA it's optional. Honestly.. the reason why you haven't seen the 2.5L is because it's rare for it to be ordered. Most dealer stock units are ordered with the 2.0L
Needs to have a center console between the rear seats. My Mazda5 (wish I still had it sometimes) had one that could fold away underneath the right-side seat when not needed.
Really challenging finding these right now. If you have time to wait just put through a factory order for your exact build. If you’re in the GTA check with Yorkdale Ford or Formula Ford! They’ll be able to give you a hand
As usual, great job on the transit review. With the seats folded down it appears that one could still roll out a sleeping pad and blankets and stretch out. Appeared to be just a little elevation on that piece of cardboard flap covering the second row seats. Will the dealership remove the third row seats, or refuse to do so due to warranty issues?
Thank you! You pretty much could - knew a guy who installed some plywood latched behind the seats to make it a flat fold when the seats are collapsed. Most dealers shouldn't have an issue removing the seats. Unbolting yourself shouldn't have any warranty issues but you can also double check that with the dealer!
@@CarsWithSteve ...and endure the rest of the video ! I kid ! I kid ! It wasn't a personal attack, and I did appreciate the in depth approach to the all the features - reminds me of Alex on Autos, and few foreign channels as well. Many popular reviewers skip over that stuff, but it is often important for the target audience.
Ah the AeroStar. My folks had it's replacement the Windstar when I was growing up! The easy pop out seats would be great rather than just a bolted down option
Why is this not as popular as Sienna or Oddessey? The space is amazing and so is fuel economy. I like the look of it too. I just wonder why people are not crazy about this but line up for a 2 year wait for Sienna....
@@CarsWithSteve I see the last model is 2023. Is the passenger wagon discontinued? I'll reach out to my local dealer to check. I think it's a marketing failure by associating it with a delivery truck... The mini van market now is really limited to just 4 options. I don't understand why Ford doesn't want to enter this market.
Yeah the last for the cargo and passenger van in North America is the 2023 model. There were talks about building a next gen on the same platform as the Escape/Maverick/Bronco Sport but nothing confirmed from Ford yet. They're streamlining their model lineup with the government push to want only EVs
Great review Steve. I like seeing and hearing the dimensions Also liked seeing the 12 volt port locations, USB locations and surprised they included a 120V port. How hard would it be to remove and put back the second row seats?
Thanks Richard, glad you found the video helpful! The 2nd row is just bolted down so it would be easy enough to remove, it would just be a pain to have to keep on re-installing!
I like the windows but not the seats. I will need window shades for privacy tho. Just wondering if the passenger model has more stuff and just remove the seats. Cargo seems like it will be made more for just hauling stuff.@@CarsWithSteve
Yeah that sounds about right, inventory on these is really tight. But a lot of dealers have units incoming - I'd check with some local dealers to see what unsold incoming units they have. Incoming units aren't always shown on their website!
Yup.. temporarily. There's a little icon just under the climate control settings that has an "A" with a circle around it. Press that and it'll be disabled until you turn the engine off!
A couple things. If I went with the cargo model, would I get the 12V plugs power station in the back etc. like the passenger has? I am considering making it a camper van. Can you get the lift gate on both models because I like the lift gate as a porch in back to hang out on rainy days. etc. like the passenger has? Cant decide which engine, power verses milage? Thx
12V is in the rear cargo area of the cargo van and you can technically get one with the liftgate too. The tricky part is going to be availability right now. The Transit Connect is most likely in its last year in north america with the 2023 model so you may have missed the factory order window...
Hi Steve, the 84" depth is with the front seatpulled back all the way? If so, what would the depth be with the front seat all the way toward the front?
You mentioned how much space you had in that third row. Do you think the Transit Connect offers more space in that third row than the Telluride, Palisade or even the Carnival? Technically the Transit Connect has less depth in the storage area according to those measurements, but that third row does seem spacious.
I find the 3rd row in most cars to be a bit tight But having said that, I could sit upright in all 3 with leg space a bit tight, so you'd just have to move the 2nd row seats forward.
@@CarsWithSteve I like using those cars for road trips. But I feel weird for buying a gas guzzler when there is all this talk about electric cars and going green. Once I buy a car I'd like to hold onto it for a while. I feel like those cars will also lose resell value, but I'm already surprised that people don't seem to care about fuel economy at all.
Some people really don't care about fuel economy at all.. Trucks as a daily driver when they aren't needed but it's all a game of preference. I can't see ICE vehicles going away anytime soon. I know commitments have been made but without massive changes in battery tech the goalpost will most likely be moved. Porsche is working on a new biofuel which burns clean.. so regular gas vehicles may still have a long way to go before they're outright banned
Just purchased Ford Transit 2022. Back up sounds like a school bus! There isn't a select/reset stem anywhere on the console.. All troubleshooting reviewed say to press select/reset stem, but since there isn't one how do I cancel the beeps when backing up?
Not yet on the 2022 Transit, the full size has been a pain in the neck to locate and do a review on. No local dealers have them. I have some other videos on Sync4 for other models that would function the exact same though
No 5 passenger option but there's always the option of removing the 3rd row by unbolting.. The short wheel base is available in the US in the cargo van only, no option for swb in Canada
It seems like the interior of this is better than the interior of the cargo van so I am thinking of removing the seats when i purchase and replace the seats when ready to sell. is it difficult to make the cargo area flat if the back two rows are removed. Also, would this engine have difficult crossing say the rocky's or Grapevine in California if the seats were removed and replaced with camping equipment for one, plus some kind of bed type padding in the rear.
There are some nicer options in the crew vs cargo van. It’s easy enough to tear the seats out too Making the area flat wouldn’t be impossible. The easiest way would be to cut a piece of plywood and lay a thin piece of rubberized flooring. If you’re stripping out the weight of the seats, the van shouldn’t have issues handling different grades
Rather than going through all that hassle, why don't you just by a 2015 thru 2020 Sienna which let you turn your third row completely flat or Chrysler Pacifica which make both 3rd and 2nd row completely disappear and save yourself money and headache.
It'd be interesting to see if they could raise the seats while getting that flat fold but doubtful Ford would change the interior design of the seats anytime soon
It’s from where I was measuring. I had some weird angle choices in the 2020 but standardized the measurements for workable cargo area in my newer videos
@@CarsWithSteve ah, thanks for clarifying. you do interesting reviews, seem to give totally different data and review stuff that is underserved like these work vans. thanks man!
I looked at this van as its meets my needs except for the odd way the seats fold and do not provide a floor level flat surface. It is so odd the way Ford makes one use some odd add-on piece to make the loading area flat but its not flat with the floor which makes it a no-go for me.
The engine is GDI, gas direct injection...crap. Can't find the 2.5l for cargo van. Any alternative? Ram sucks and Nissan Nv200 w/ Jaco tranny sucks also. Back to Toyota sienna?
In Canada the 2.5L is for fleet customers only - you'd probably have to put through a factory order though - 6+ months of wait time. None that I can recommend that I've tested yet. I'm about to start reviewing a few other brands and have vans on the list to cover off
Here in South Africa. My work had fleet of Transit Connect panel van with 1.5 Diesel. What a Garbage! Too many problems. But.... Transit Custom is much more reliable than Connect. The Custom is 2.2 Diesel.
Because of the size/platform that it's built on. If you don't need seats for additional passengers you could look at the low roof Transit cargo van or the Transit passenger van...
Putting it in perspective for US pricing.. The base Sienna XLE is $35,775+ taxes and licensing. The base Transit Connect XL is $29,760 + taxes and licensing 🧐. You could load up the XLT and be cheaper than the Sienna XLE or load a Titanium and be a few bucks more
Did you get to the 0:20 second mark of the video? I show pricing for the 2022 model in Canada and USA. The description of the video also has the full build description and the pricing for the unit that was featured in the video
As the great Marlon Brando would say: "This could have been a contender". Very disappointing product from Ford which you would have thought with all of their experience in Europe and designing nice compact mini RV, they would have put little effort and ingenuity in this mini van. Here are the flaws right off the bat: 1) Why would you not use the Hybrid engine in this compact Van? 2) Why have a second row seat if you can't move it to the front or back. Better yet, why even have a second row in this tiny minivan!! 3) Why can't you easy remove the second row? Take any Toyota 2011 to 2020, you can easily take out the second row, in Chrysler, it hides away!! 4) Third row seat is a charmer, it goes down in two odd way which really makes it not useful. I mean can't you design it to just go really flat like Honda Odyssey or Sienna? 5) With all the Van life hype we have seen in the last two years, couldn't you come with a simple design removing second row which is pretty useless at it stands (doesn't move forward or backward and doesn't look comfy either) or instead make it like the old 1999-2003 Eurovan and put a it backward facing the third row and put a removable table in between second and third row). 6) Third row should be able to move forward or backward, remove the second row and make the third row turn into bed. 7) Price is too high for the passenger van given all the above limitations. I would rather buy a fully loaded Sienna or Odyssey with 50K(2015-2019) and still have a better mini van in everyway. To all the would be shoppers, if you look at the simple interior design of a VW Eurovan MV 1999-2003, you will be amazed that how 20+ years has gone by and no one has come up with something as useful and functional (from head room, to simple esthetic, comfortable bench and middle seats). VW Eurovan was a van that you could quickly turn it to work van or recreation in matter of minutes. To Ford Management: Please be cognizant of what people want and don't just produce another wanna be minivan.
With the full size Transit having an electric version released this year that would mean the Transit Connect will either be electrified or discontinued with Ford shifting to EV only. But I mean.. Ford has sold 25k+ Connects per year for the past 10 years so it'd be interesting to see what they do. It sounds like you're after a more customized van which is possible from pretty much any upfitter or a DIY job if you're handy. There's always the option of going for the Transit Cargo van and then installing some seats in the back or going after the Odyssey or Sienna if you like the features. The Transit Connect was designed to be different from other options on the market. Not every car out there will serve a purpose for every person. Everyone has a difference of opinion for looks, style, features, price point etc for cars
AHHHHHHH!!! Nice guy. TALKS SO FAST HURTS TO WATCH!!!! TAKE A BREATH AND SLOW DOWN. Wanted to learn about vehicle. Not a super hyped talker!!!! Sorry, but had to say something.... Everybody on utube thinks they are a professional pitchman!!! MOST ARE NOT!!!!
Did you try to use the features that are built into RU-vid to make it a better experience for yourself before commenting about how a person speaks? There are chapters to skip to info you want to see and play/pause/rewind to move back to a section you need to cover off again. Changing playback speed to 0.75x is perfect for people that can't keep up
@@CarsWithSteve Don't listen to him, you're perfect. You talk fast enough that no time is wasted but have breaks in between topics etc. What does he want, an 18 min video to be 25 mins? {people may not watch long vids} Don't change a thing!