Preston Sharon

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Driving Impressions

To test big-city maneuverability, we spent a day driving the Transit Connect in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, along side streets made narrow by parked cars, through stop-and-go traffic, and across giant intersections with major boulevards.

The operating experience is more like driving a front-wheel-drive compact wagon than a commercial vehicle, but with a stiffer leaf spring rear suspension. Steering is based on a rack-and-pinion system; the turning circle is just 39 feet, curb-to-curb. We participated in a series of maneuvering exercises, with cones marking a tight, curved path, and can vouch for the fact that the Transit is a very maneuverable, carlike cargo van.

Driving dynamics are unremarkable. Throttle response is fine around town, noise levels acceptable, and steering and braking require no special effort.

Ride quality is acceptable. However, rear-seat passengers will find bumps are harsher than in a passenger car, as the back seats are directly over the truck-like leaf-spring suspension. This would be as expected in a vehicle that can carry 1600 pounds, a payload equivalent to some full-size pickup trucks. We suspect there would be less suspension jounce with some weighty cargo in the back, but that won't make it ride like a Cadillac.

The 15.4 gallon fuel tank provides a theoretical highway range of about 350 miles. We haven't done any long-distance test drives, so we're not sure how it would feel to drive all day on an interstate highway, but there is an overdrive gear in the transmission that should enable fairly quiet, easy cruising at legal speeds.

The Transit Connect is clearly designed more to enable business efficiency than for personal use. However, it can easily double as a work-and-home vehicle. It's appealing as an ultra-simple, bare-bones economy wagon. The Transit Connect could be practical for outdoor sports such as surfing or kayaking because it can provide storage for long, bulky gear, with no concern about wetsuits or damp cargo, and still seat five.

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