Gadgetory

you sure won't not notice it from there it tends to go either toward love or hate but either way this vehicle gets forward back into minivans in a very different way let's drive the Ford Transit Connect XLT and check the 10 question I've answered dozens of times while I've been driving this is what is it looks like something that would deliver a package to your hotel in Paris right with DHL library on it well it's forged first minivan since the rather unloved Aerostar this guy's built on the focused platform not the new focus but the previous North American style focus we had for too many years to be honest it's available in two configurations we have the wagon that means glass around the side panels and second row seats and belts but they'll sell most of these as a van with mostly metal panels around it and just a big cargo box in the factory check the tech what tech there isn't any there's something I'm not even gonna sit down am/fm/cd four speakers there is a backup camera a little postage stamp thing in the rear view that's about it now you can get a version of sync on a Transit Connect even though you never get an LCD screen but it's real basic without 911 no sync services and no support for apps it basically handles music and hands-free calling it's here in the second row where things start to get interesting the roof starts to really slope up pronouncedly you get a really Airy feeling back here you're second row holds three obviously and these seats can fold forward or fold all the way forward but they don't come out now when everything is all boxed up back here you've got about a hundred and thirty cubic feet of cargo area just 7 cubic feet short of a full sized suburban which is a hell of a lot bigger car that uses a lot more gas and a lot more your dollars on the MSRP different kind of vehicle but it's a pretty apt comparison interesting story how these come into the country they all arrive from the factory in Turkey set up like this as wagons and they've got glass windows on the side rear seat rear seatbelts the majority though are going to be sold as vans so the end of having all those accoutrements torn out recycled and then they put metal panels where the glass used to be and that way they avoid what's called the chicken tacks apparently when commercial vehicles and trucks come in from Europe to the US they get this 25% tariff by bringing them in like this and then converting with the port saves a lot of money on the MSRP more examples of how Spartan this vehicle is and that's how they keep the price so low this little cargo pocket here that's part of the Premium Package that's not premium that's just barely above Soviet era car manufacturer as is this nicely exposed leads for the heating element in the glass don't lay your tongue across that kids you do have niceties like this simple button that lets you open this door flat you can also option 255 degree doors they go flat against the body all the way also part of the premium trim these rear side windows flip out now the Transit Connect rather jealously guards its little motor check this out you need the key outside the car to open it up you flip the badge put the key in there like that turn it once to the left to unlock once to the right to unlatch and then up she goes 2 litre inline-four gas engine nothing really tricky going on here transverse-mounted drives the front wheels only you're going to get 136 horsepower 128 foot-pounds of torque garden-variety stuff gets this guy up to 60 in a leisurely 12 seconds but delivers 20 to 27 mpg with something that shape and all that power goes out through 96 not a 5 but a 4-speed automatic I don't even know where they source such a thing anymore I just like driving the Transit Connect I don't know why it's slow it's not a handling vehicle but there's something so good about it being big and small at the same time incredibly useful I think it has nice Euro lines and it's a great price so you come to the vehicle with relatively should we say modest expectations but it works and it over delivers I think the interiors clean and simple nothing to stylize that's in keeping with the utilitarian nature of this thing and the mind just reels with all the things you would do if you owned one of these things all the things you do on the weekend how you go do various trips differently how you'd be the one who picks up friends when a bunch of people go out you're right not a good vehicle to own the weak link in this car as we had a feeling it would be is basically the transmission with only four gears to choose from it's basically in the wrong one all the time you might think that visibility is going to be dreadful in this vehicle but it's not if you get a wagon with the full complement of glass all the way back then you've got pretty decent sight lines those headrests are actually your biggest issue in the second row not the actual bodywork if those are out you have tremendous visibility I just think the Transit Connect is fun to drive and it allows you to have all that kind of car ability everyday cargo ability without the penalty of driving around the truck all the time all right let's price our little red friend this is a Transit Connect XL t wagon the passenger eyes version 24 - there is a premium package which gives you those flip out glass rear windows and that little mesh covered cargo binnacle in the back door that's 150 bucks why wouldn't they make that standard now three tech options on top of all that that detuned version of sinks gonna run you 220 yeah do it the backup sensors 280 yeah do it and the backup camera in the mirror is 470 probably doing beyond that you're going to want to change out the head unit almost certainly and put some cool wheels on it and this is kind of a hot little ute