Ford Transit Connect Wagon

Overview: The Ford Transit Connect Wagon—the “Wagon” denoting the passenger model as distinct from the commercial cargo vans your plumber and florist use—is the closest thing to a minivan that Dearborn sells today.

Offered in standard- and long-wheelbase configurations, with dual sliding side doors, a choice of a rear liftgate or dual cargo doors, and seating for five, six, or seven passengers, the Transit Connect Wagon, now in its second generation, shoots the gap between the discontinued Mazda 5 and full-on minivans. The standard powertrain is a 169-hp 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder and a six-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels (all-wheel drive is not an option). Built on the same platform as the Focus, the six-seat Transit Connect Wagon we drove for this review looks tall, but its roof is only 0.1-inch higher than that of a Chrysler Pacifica. The Ford’s wheelbase is 1.0 inch shorter than the Pacifica’s, but it’s fully 14.1 inches shorter overall and—crucially in terms of the vehicle’s character—7.6 inches narrower. This all translates into a lot of interior volume in a tidy, easily maneuvered box. Another way to look at it: The Transit Connect Wagon is significantly larger than the original minivan, the 1984 Plymouth Voyager.

The proportions also make the Transit Connect Wagon look like something dredged up from the bottom of the sea—a boxfish that grew wheels. The giant windshield dominates the view both outside and from behind the wheel, where it provides expansive forward visibility. Sightlines rearward are nearly as good, thanks to middle- and rear-row headrests that can be folded down out of the way when not in use. In the top-level Titanium model we drove, the optional panoramic sunroof ($1295) added to the driving-in-a-fishbowl effect, while the $300 QuickClear windshield defroster (with visible wires embedded in the glass) looked like a great idea for any Transit Connect that might be parked outdoors in the Snowbelt. Other major options on our test example included $495 17-inch black-painted aluminum wheels (16-inchers are standard); a $395 towing package (rated for 2000 pounds); MyFord Touch with Sync, satellite radio, a CD player, and rearview camera with cross-traffic alert ($840); remote start ($495); parking sensors ($495); and blind-spot warning ($575). Titanium models come with dual bucket seats in the second and third rows; those wanting seven seatbelts can instead opt for a 60/40 split-folding second-row bench for a $50 upcharge, but our test car had the individual chairs. Add some odds and ends (an engine-block heater, two extra key fobs, and daytime running lamps, each under $100) and the bottom line read $35,330. This was a 2016 model; equipment and option pricing are altered for 2017, and an identically equipped Transit Connect Wagon would sticker out at $34,410.

Our example’s plush configuration makes it most directly comparable in equipment, utility, and price to sparsely optioned Pacificas and Toyota Siennas, yet fully dressed-out examples of those minivans typically sell in the upper-$40K range. Direct competitors are few, although Euro-style compact vans are a growing presence on our roads. The Mercedes-Benz Metris is bigger, more powerful, and a lot more expensive, while the Ram ProMaster City Wagon stops at five seats and lacks a longer-wheelbase option. Nissan’s NV200 and the Chevrolet City Express are cargo-only offerings, although Nissan and Ford compete head-to-head with versions outfitted for use as taxicabs. Or, presumably, ambitious Uber and Lyft drivers.

What’s New: For 2017, the infotainment unit has been upgraded to Ford’s latest Sync 3 system with a 6.5-inch touchscreen, which, in other Ford vehicles, we’ve found vastly preferable to the earlier version of this technology, as used on our 2016 test car. Sync 3 is standard on the 2017 Titanium model and optional on the XLT. Formerly optional roof rails also are standard on Titanium and XLT trim levels, and the Titanium trim is available on the short-wheelbase model for the first time. The 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine option—offered only on the short-wheelbase edition from 2014 through 2016—is gone, but we don’t really consider its disappearance much of a loss.

What We Like: The Transit Connect Wagon speaks to those among us who find today’s minivans overgrown in size and price compared with earlier generations that were positioned more as alternatives to station wagons than to modern SUVs. It’s easy to park and maneuver in traffic yet has plenty of interior space for most uses, and it drives much like a taller, longer Focus. There’s a directness to the steering response, a balanced chassis, and a firm, easily modulated brake pedal that together make it surprisingly nimble when touring back roads. There’s enough headroom in the Transit Connect Wagon to shuttle a convention of Abe Lincoln impersonators wearing stovepipe hats, and, with the seats folded, that also translates into easy loading for objects too tall to fit in regular crossovers. The load floor is low, and, with both rows of seats folded, a large flat-bottomed cargo hold can swallow 104 cubic feet of stuff—more than a Chevrolet Tahoe.

What We Don’t Like: Much like its commercial counterpart, the Transit Connect Wagon is built to a European scale that works best in short-distance urban environments but is ill-suited to the long-distance highway travel that families undertake in modern minivans. The contrast was evident in 2014, when the current-generation Transit Connect launched, but is even more stark when driven back-to-back with the new Pacifica, which comes across as a high-end luxury limousine by comparison. The center-row seats are mounted low (as in the Focus), and while there’s enough legroom, taller occupants will find their knees higher than their hips—none too comfy on long journeys. Similarly, the Transit Connect Wagon is as narrow as a small car; if you opt for the middle-row bench, its passengers will contend for elbow room. Then there’s the drivetrain, which delivers only leisurely acceleration, taking 10 full seconds to get to 60 mph and returning seriously lackluster performances in our 30-to-50- and 50-to-70-mph passing tests. And that’s with just a driver aboard. Load it with people and their gear and the engine can feel seriously strained—we’d hesitate to venture any distance while asking it to tow a trailer, too. Its commercial-van roots show through in road noise transmitted into the cabin at highway speeds and a booming echo from the rear bodywork when passing over bumps that one of our drivers compared with the sound of those big steel sheets that theater troupes use to simulate thunder. It’s not that loud but similar in effect. Finally, there’s the Transit Connect’s appearance. Subjective, we know, but it looks fairly dorky.

Verdict: If what you need is 80 percent of a minivan, the Transit Connect Wagon is all of that.

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Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-, 6-, or 7-passenger, 4-door van

BASE PRICES (2016 model year): XLT SWB, $25,820;
XL LWB, $26,295;
XLT 1.6T SWB, $26,615;
XLT LWB, $27,820;
Titanium LWB, $30,295

ENGINE TYPES: DOHC 16-valve 2.5-liter inline-4, 169 hp, 171 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 1.6-liter inline-4, 178 hp, 184 lb-ft

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 104.8–120.6 in
Length: 173.9–189.7 in
Width: 72.2 in Height: 72.0–72.6 in
Passenger volume: 122–167 cu ft
Cargo volume: 16–59 cu ft
Curb weight (C/D est): 3650–4000 lb

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 19–22/27–29 mpg

C/D TEST RESULTS FOR:
2014 Ford Transit Connect 2.5 LWB
Zero to 60 mph: 10.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 38.8 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 10.4 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 4.9 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 7.1 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 17.5 sec @ 79 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 109 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 178 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.78 g
Curb weight: 3982 lb
C/D observed fuel economy: 21 mpg