Baytown Ford

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Walk Around

For those who require a delivery van that looks modern, smart and prosperous, the Ford Transit Connect fits right in. While its flat surfaces and low stance are designed primarily for efficiency, the little van presents a tidy visual image in keeping with a well-managed business. When painted or wrapped, it becomes a rolling business card.

Sliding side cargo doors, and rear doors that open 180 degrees (or 255 degrees with options) make it easy to get at cargo no matter where the TC is parked. The liftover height (the distance between the ground and the floor) is less than two feet, so it takes less effort to load and unload compared to a pickup truck.

Portions of the body are double-skinned for additional strength, so dents on the inside don't show on the outside, a good feature for hard-working trucks.

Buyers will have a choice of panel van with no windows, or an optional set of side and rear door windows. The panel van offers more security and it costs less. Windows are better when second-row seating is used. The Transit Connect id designed to hold up to the elements in big city with locking exterior hood, Lock-in-Latch shielded door locks, and a locking fuel door.

Interior

2010 Ford Transit Connect

The Ford Transit Connect is about cargo, more than anything else. It's especially well designed for tall, bulky cargo that would be hard to get in or out of the average van or SUV. The Transit Connect carries the kind of big-box loads that might also fit in the bed of a pickup truck, but keeps them cool, dry and secure. And it's more convenient than a pickup with a cap.

The cargo area is 59.1 inches tall, floor to ceiling. There is more than six feet of cargo floor space, with 48 inches of flat space between the wheelwells. Even when configured to seat five with the rear bench, there is 78.1 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the second row.

Bulkheads, racks, bins and other storage equipment can be mixed, matched and configured to suit specific commercial applications and needs. There is an entire catalog of custom-designed, port-installed equipment that can be specified through Ford, so a fleet owner who wants practically any kind of cargo control equipment can have it built into the vehicle prior to delivery.

The Transit is better at carrying cargo than people, but it can be configured to transport a mix of both. A Wagon version is available with a folding second-row bench seat, in either two- or three-passenger configurations. The second-row seat splits 60/40, with the smaller seat being foldable to create more cargo space. The seat does not fold flat to the floor, but it does move well out of the way. When configured as a wagon, the second row of seats are not designed to be removable.

We spent a day driving and riding in the back seat of a five-passenger Wagon. We found the second-row seats have a huge amount of head room, but not a lot of legroom.

The front seating area is better appointed than we expected. The seats are soft and cushy; if not especially supportive, certainly not punishing in any way. The driver's seat adjusts six ways, manually; the passenger seat adjusts four ways. Center armrests are in the right place, and the seat backs adjust well enough to make a day of driving in city traffic tolerable. There is copious front legroom.

The steering wheel is a tad thicker and larger than you might expect for a small vehicle, but tilts and telescopes like that in a car. Air conditioning is via an in-dash system. We found it was powerful enough to cool the entire cabin, even on a 96-degree day in the city.

Forward visibility is very good, thanks to a huge front window, low nose and upright driving position. The sideview mirrors are large and adjust just like a car. Rearview mirror visibility will depend on the circumstances: better when the Transit is configured with side and rear door glass; practically eliminated when ordered as a panel van.

An optional Ford Work Solutions in-dash computer with Garmin navigation allows small-business owners to run enter enterprises from inside the Transit Connect. (It's Windows-based; a Mac interface is under development.) The in-dash computer can access the internet, but not run flash-driven programs, so it is not designed for browsing entertainment sites like YouTube. Instead, the Ford Work Solutions suite of applications permits business oriented communications, from remote access to an office work station to comprehensive fleet management. Used by a fleet manager, the Crew Chief system logs vehicle location, speed, idle time, fuel usage and 30 other diagnostic measures. An available Garmin navigation function enables optimized delivery efficiency. Hands-free Bluetooth functionality is an available option. There is also a system that keeps track of tools.

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