Sometimes the vehicles we get to drive are sleek and sexy, sometimes mundane and functional. Then there is the Ford Transit cargo van. This machine is built to carry stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. This long body, mid-roof version can swallow 357 cubic feet, everything that fits in my daughter’s new apartment and more
The Transit is a European style van, much more modern and useful than the old Econolines it has largely replaced. The floor is lower and step in is easy from the rear or sliding side door for easy loading and unloading. The example I had was equipped with simple plastic side panels inside but many commercial customers outfit them with racks of parts and tools for their jobs.
The rear doors open up to a bit over 90 degrees or can be released and swing all the way around the side to back up right to a loading ramp. At 5ft-11in I can stand up in the mid-roof version I tested. Rear drive is standard, but the T150 I drove had the optional all-wheel-drive which can be handy in cold-weather regions.
This is a work vehicle first and foremost so cupholders at either end of the dash and bottle holders down below. There is also storage on top of the dash including power ports to charge devices. It’s surprisingly easy to drive and stable at highway speeds even with no load. It’s also surprisingly free of cacophany on the highway even when empty. But watch out for low spaces, this one was too tall for the 8ft-2in height of the parking garage at my daughter’s apartment.
There are two engine options now, naturally aspirated 3.5L V6 and a turbocharged EcoBoost of the same size. I had the base engine which averaged 13.5 mpg. Next year a full battery electric e-Transit arrives which should be a great option for commercial users.
When you need to move stuff, the Ford Transit is a great way to do it.
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