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First day with a Transit van

30K views 63 replies 14 participants last post by  Walles 
#1 · (Edited)
Okay, first let me get this out of the way: I've owned about 6 E series Ford vans and the most recent was traded in: 2011 E-250 van (for the Transit), that I hated. For he record, I've also owned 3 MB Sprinter vans, starting from a 2007 Dodge 2500 Sprinter diesel high door, to the latest: a 2012 MB cargo crew MB Sprinter that was fantastic.

The 2015 Transit is nice but, not a MB van from my immediate observations. The most poignant dislikes are the storage and foot room, I'm 6'4" tall and the MB beat this Transit van to pieces.

The Transit seems to wander a little bit but, that could be from the strong winds I was driving home in today; it is the low roof and short wheel base and didn't expect wander in wind with this configuration; it was empty and light, that might have something to do with it. The stereo sucks, I have an XL radio only, and it's screen is in the sun and you can't really see it, not a deal changer but, not good placement for the screen. The foot room is no where near the Sprinter, I have size 15 shoes and it's a problem placing my foot down along side the brake. The visibility is similar to a Sprinter, but I'm not liking the mirrors or the windows as they seem to have a magnifying effect.

What I do like is the power of the 3.5 ecoboost and no DEF needed plus, I like that I don't have to search for expensive diesel.

I have no input as of yet for the mileage but, of this I'm sure: it'll beat the full sized V-8 Ford E-series engine! I hope for at least 14 to 16 MPG around town, and the computer is showing the same, no hand calculations yet as it only has 70 miles on it.

The tires are real small and I wish I got the 250 over the 150 but none could be had in my time frame with the built in Ford (Adrian) stock tool shelves.

Don't get me wrong, I like this van, it's just not the MB and the fuel, service and price are the sacrifice.

I'll report back after a few days/weeks of trials.
 
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#4 · (Edited)
Thanks John. Ditto to alarmist about the tire pressure. The owner's manual or something else in the glove box warns about giving the new tires time to adjust. Tight floor space next to emergency brake led to my getting a portable center console which works great. As a former Econoline owner also, I miss being able to get into the back easily. Ch Ch Ch changes I guess . . . Plus I can stow the console elsewhere if needed.

http://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/interior/11250-centre-console-cupholders-auxiliary-switches.html

I have a similar build (see Signature below), and have found 15 MPG about right around town (after 1000 miles), and am aiming for 20 MPG on highway trips, which seems to be do-able with the EB engine and 3.31 rear end:

http://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/...mpgs/6065-mpg-3-5-ecoboost-3-31-rear-end.html

The 3.73 rear end MPG results are similar:

http://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/ford-transit-mileage-mpgs/7825-mpg-3-5-3-73-a.html

Good luck with the new van!
 
#5 · (Edited)
The 2015 Transit is nice but, not a MB van from my immediate observations. The most poignant dislikes are the storage and foot room, I'm 6'4" tall and the MB beat this Transit van to pieces.

Sorry, I had to LOL at this. When I made this observation less than a week ago including pics, I got crapped on. Get ready to be called a "biased" observer, because you owned a bunch of M-Bs previously.

I guess some of Transit fanboys on here can't handle the truth.....

heres the thread : http://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/...2014-sprinter-interior-dash-observations.html



.
 
#6 ·
Sorry, I had to LOL at this. When I made this observation less than a week ago including pics, I got crapped on. Get ready to be called a "biased" observer, because you owned a bunch of M-Bs previously.

I guess some of Transit fanboys on here can't handle the truth.....

heres the thread : http://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/...2014-sprinter-interior-dash-observations.html
.
Sorry. We know the truth since some of us have been there and done that. The Transit is a much better vehicle than my sold 08 Sprinter IMO. If I was given a free new Mercedes Sprinter I would immediately sell it and continue to enjoy the Transit.

Isn't it great that we all have a choice about what vehicle's we like and dislike. You get to drive what you like and I get to drive what I like. Maybe that is why they are all a bit different from each other. Too bad you just spent $40,000 and bought a vehicle that you strongly disliked even before you drove it.
 
#7 ·
>>> Too bad you just spent $40,000 and bought a vehicle that you strongly disliked even before you drove it.

And that's the point I'm still scratching my head about. Why go into such a major purchase with such strong a'priori dislike. I wouldn't do that purchasing a cheap pair of shoes, let alone a $40K vehicle. Speaking only for myself now, it would not be something I'd crow about. I'd be a little embarrassed letting others know that my research and decision-making abilities are compromised and my wallet is so easily opened.

Must have something to do with gravity; eventually it wins...
 
#11 ·
>>> I'd be a little embarrassed letting others know that my research and decision-making abilities are compromised and my wallet is so easily opened.

Which is PRECISELY why you can't trust the glowing reviews people give products after they just spent $40K+ on them. Once that money is spent, it plays on your psyche usually and you try to convince yourself things are better than they are. I NEVER trust the review of a new owner that just talks about how AWESOME EVERYTHING is. I put more weight on reviews from new owners that are either balanced in likes or dislikes. Those people are actually making an effort to ignore the little voice telling them EVERYTHING must be great because they just spent their hard earned money on it.

And of course you have some people that are just negative about EVERYTHING, so it's really best to ignore the "lovers/haters"and pay attention to the reviews that appear to have a legit list of pros and cons on their new purchase and figure out which of those is most important to you.

Oh, yea, and test drive them both...thoroughly. :D
 
#8 · (Edited)
its not that Transit is a bad vehicle.

Ford had a golden opportunity to out-Sprint the Sprinter by making it a better machine. Its clear from my observations, and the OP who echoed my words almost to a T that Ford still has some room for improvement. I won't even get into the Airbox fiasco....

Its just that we are open minded, and not blind to the Transits faults like some others on here......
 
#15 ·
To be honest I was in the market for a Sprinter. It looks better, is better built, and gets great fuel economy. But my Transit cost way less, is easier to maintain, and it drives much better than a Sprinter. The whole point of a work vehicle is to optimize trucking costs and the Transit will do well for my business.
 
#21 ·
. . .
I'll report back after a few days/weeks of trials.
. . .
Thanks again, John. I see the same old "my van is better" melee has started again. I thought everyone had maturely agreed to disagree about the Transit/Sprinter strengths and weaknesses.

I hope John that you are enjoying the Transit today!

Peter
 
#23 ·
For me personally it comes down to diesel verses gas and confidence in being able to get the thing fixed on the road.

I would buy a sprinter in a second, even with diesel, if I could be sure about its reliability. I don't want a diesel because I have never owned one and don't know much about how they differ from a gas engine. I'm not much of a mechanic to begin with, so my primary concern is issues such as finding somebody to work on the thing when I'm 1000 miles from my house.

Regarding everything thats been said here, I can live with whatever quirks come with either machine. A small annoying quirk is an easy trade for much more certain reliability.

A sprinter with no issues is a wonderful machine. But, you never know if you have a good one until it's too late. And that thing about having to disassemble the vehicle, ship it in parts, and then rebuild it here, --- that is another thing that scares me off the sprinter.
 
#25 · (Edited)
The Sprinter doesn't have some obscure powertrain. The V6 and the esp the 4cyl are refined, proven, tried and true.

The 2.1L/7spd combo is an important motor for MB as its the same found in the E class, GLK, and ML class. Clearly MB has a lot riding on this powertrain and wouldn't risk putting it in all these models inc the Sprinter if it wasn't a solid powertrain.

With so many of these units out there in so many vehicles, parts will be readily available if needed and likely any 'competent' dealer or mechanic will be able to get info on diagnostics and repairs in the long term.
 
#26 ·
As someone without a dog in this fight (with a Promaster on order), I appreciate the views and commentary from both 'sides'. I do hope that both 'sides' will continue expressing their viewpoints and commentary regarding the Transit and any other vans.
 
#27 · (Edited)
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#36 · (Edited)
#37 ·
No problem, I'll yield to the other thread.

BTW Peter, I love ordering vehicles and considered ordering a Transit but I didn't want to wait and a nearby good dealer had this is stock.

My moniker here is because I've owned about 10 Ford Super Duty trucks and my last two were ordered and drop shipped. Ordering and drop shipping is not for the faint at heart but you can really save some dough ordering from a big fleet guy and shipping to your local dealer but...they hate you afterwards :D

That's off topic and a whole 'nother thread :D
 
#40 ·
Right on skagitstan! Very well said. I would like to quote most of your post, but won't because it is so nearby. Worth another read . . .

Thanks John for the gentlemanly dispensation.
 
#43 ·
Been about a week with my Transit now, the interior designers should be shot. Storage is ridiculous, and even worse, the ridiculous design of the HVAC dials. Why are they tilted DOWN and away from the driver? Who sits on the floor? I have to crane my neck everytime I want to adjust the dials.

Other than that, no complaints about the ride and drive of the van....

Sent from my Passport
 
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#44 ·
incessant opinionated reiteration? You decide:


from this thread:
Been about a week with my Transit now, the interior designers should be shot. Storage is ridiculous, and even worse, the ridiculous design of the HVAC dials. Why are they tilted DOWN and away from the driver? Who sits on the floor? I have to crane my neck everytime I want to adjust the dials.

Other than that, no complaints about the ride and drive of the van....

Sent from my Passport
From the "2015 Transit vs 2014 Sprinter -- interior/dash observations "thread:
Sprinter HVAC, clean lines, symmetrical, easy to reach and see, large screen. The Transit, why is the HVAC controls tilted down and away from the driver? The tiny screen is absolutely pathetic.
From the "Ram dealers are laughable" thread:
-why are the HVAC controls tilted down and away from the driver? Its quite annoying that I have to awkwardly tilt my head down and see the graphics on the HVAC controls. Silly design.
Gotta wonder how many more times onetwo figures it will take take before other folks understand that he REALLY doesn't like the HVAC controls?

;)

Stan
 
#47 ·
Three solid days of driving the new van. Wife and I absolutely love it. Pleasure to drive. Lots of nice features. Storage seems great to us with the big water bottle holders, all the space in the doors etc.

Yeah, the climate controls are a bit odd. But I guess I am just the type that says, "huh" and move on.

The debates here sound like MAC vs Windows. Teach each their own. First world problems for sure.
 
#48 ·
What's odd about the climate controls? The only issue I have is if you turn the temp to full cold it activates max ac. Not a real issue, just something I'm not used to. Like SD John I have taken off in 1st gear manual. Not even sure why they have that slot. You can shift manually while in drive just by hitting the up/down button, which is kinda nice. Storage complaints really confuse me. I guess in a low roof without the overhead shelf you could imagine an issue if you worked at it. I think onetwo is working very hard at try to find issue with the Transit because Orton ticked him off by berating the Sprinter. If onetwo wants to hear people berate the Sprinter he should look no further than the Sprinter forum. People are wanting to push those things off a cliff.
 
#54 ·
Yes, it's the low roof that has no storage. My low roof Sprinters had the same thing the high roof Transits have at head level in the roof, plus, you could purchase an after market center console and then you had tons of storage. I had a passenger with me today and I had to put all my stuff on the ground, I usually keep all my clip boards and paper work on the passenger seat.

You know how it is....People hate change :)
 
#49 ·
#50 ·
It's just a shame that Ford had a real good chance to take the best parts of the Sprinter design, and make it better on the Transit.

IMO, they blew a golden opportunity to make a serious kick=ass vehicle. As I said in previous threads, theres too much "good enough" going on with this van, particularly with interior design, and not enough "greatness", which they could easily have achieved if they thought things through a bit more clearly, and if the engineers actually drove and lived with a transit on a daily basis to get a better perspective.....

I get it, many on here are blindly in love with their Transit and it does no wrong, I just happen to be open to the realities of the shortcomings of this vehicle.

Not saying its a bad vehicle, just saying it could have been a whole lot better..
 
#52 ·
In Europe, where Sprinters and Transits have coexisted for decades, the Transit is universally rated as the better vehicle. Why would Ford copy something inferior? >:D Of course the Transit could have been better. What trade-off free fantasy world do you live in? I could run off a list of deficiencies if I really worked at it. Probably will over the next few years of maintenance and repair. Out of the box it's outstanding. I needed a rolling parts and tool bin and got so much more. Ford is replacing the E series, of which I have a copy, not the Sprinter, of which I also have a copy (and, though LOADED with flaws, I consider to be the best van ever built, but it's a 118" T1N). Ford done good.
 
#57 ·
#60 ·
I have about 1,000 miles (around town 100%) now and I'm settling in to the small nuances of the Transit over the MB.

My initial observations are still the same issues, foot room, exiting the vehicle foot room and the storage on the dash, it sucks in the basic model. I do like the mileage, it's similar to a low roof diesel Sprinter. I've searched high and low and can't find anything from Adrian on line. Amazon has one box that may work but no input on it: the Weatherguard



Anyone here have any knowledge of this console?
 
#62 ·
I have about 1,000 miles (around town 100%) now and I'm settling in to the small nuances of the Transit over the MB.

My initial observations are still the same issues, foot room, exiting the vehicle foot room and the storage on the dash, it sucks in the basic model. I do like the mileage, it's similar to a low roof diesel Sprinter. I've searched high and low and can't find anything from Adrian on line. Amazon has one box that may work but no input on it: the Weatherguard

http://www.amazon.com/WEATHERGUARD-...sbs_263_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=03YAKR05S6X67JWSVCE7

Anyone here have any knowledge of this console?
The guys at CVI talked me out of the Weatherguard. Glad they did. The Adrian Steel version holds a lot more and installation is a no-brainer.

http://www.commercialvan.com/store/driver_data_files/c/281

or

http://www.adriansteel.com/item/cargo-vans/ford_econoline/1117/DDF7

The picture is deceiving. On the Transit the notch is at the rear of the console to accommodate a partition pass-through for longer goods. Allows you to put 10' stock in a Transit 130 with a bulkhead. It comes with a mounting plate that bolts between the passenger seat pedestal and the handbrake base plate. Well thought out.
 
#61 · (Edited)
I got the same center console as Airedrifter from Amazon. Will post link tomorrow. Search Amazon for "center floor console mini van" and look at the narrow ones (8.75" wide as I recall), to squeeze between parking brake housing base plate, and the passenger seat belt retainer clip housing. More tomorrow.

Edit -- 4:41 AM EDT Wednesday-- Here is the console I got from Amazon (which I installed with the cup holders facing the back of the van FYI):




It just squeezes into the available space with a slight tilt to the left, which is not that noticeable IMO. I added 6 1-Qt. cheapo plastic food storage tubs in the main compartment to organize items to stand up vertically (pens, tire pressure gauges, etc.), as well as keys, etc.. The cup holder lifts out to reveal quite a bit of dead storage in (what is now for me) the rear compartment. The top is a so-so mini-desk good for writing on, but is not as large a surface as the other consoles I have seen online. Works for me . . . YMMV.
 
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