Ford_News
04-15-2011, 08:28 AM
Filed under: Minivan/Van (http://www.autoblog.com/category/minivans/), Work (http://www.autoblog.com/category/commercial-trucks/), Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/), Reviews (http://www.autoblog.com/category/reviews/)
A Minivan For Entrepreneurs, Not Moms
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/2011-ford-transit-connect---01-opt.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-review)
2011 Ford Transit Connect XLT - Click above for high-res image gallery
You are no doubt familiar with the Transit Connect (http://www.autoblog.com/model/transit+connect), the panel van that Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/make/Ford) began importing from Europe in mid-2009. You've probably noticed them in your neighborhood with things like custom cakes, cable companies, cat groomers and cleaning services advertised on their flat, windowless sides. You'll be seeing even more of them soon as the Transit Connect Taxi (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/chicago-2010-ford-transit-connect-taxi-burns-cng-lpg-and-four/) begins replacing the Crown Victoria in taxi fleets across the country.
Transit Connects are everywhere now. It turns out business owners were tired of only being offered a full-size truck or van for their commercial fleet needs, because in many cases a small, fuel efficient panel van can do the same job far better and more cheaply.
And sure, automakers have tried selling windowless commercial versions of their passenger vehicles before, but how many Chevrolet HHR Panel (http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/06/chevy-introduces-hhr-panel/) vans have you seen in your neighborhood? The Transit Connect has done a better job appealing to businesses because the precious cargo that it's purpose-built to carry are tools, supplies and maybe a six-tier buttercream-frosted red velvet wedding cake... not kids.
So what happens when Ford takes its popular new commercial van and creates a version for moving people? The result is called the Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon, and it is not at all what we expected.
Continue reading Review: 2011 Ford Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon... (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/14/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-premium-wagon-review-road-test/#continued)
Gallery: 2011 Ford Transit Connect XLT: Review (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-review)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/2011-ford-transit-connect---01_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-review/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/2011-ford-transit-connect---02_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-review/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/2011-ford-transit-connect---03_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-review/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/2011-ford-transit-connect---04_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-review/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/2011-ford-transit-connect---05_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-review/)
Photos copyright (C)2011 John Neff / AOLContinue reading Review: 2011 Ford Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon [w/video] (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/14/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-premium-wagon-review-road-test/)
Review: 2011 Ford Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon [w/video] (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/14/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-premium-wagon-review-road-test/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/14/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-premium-wagon-review-road-test/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19912397/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/14/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-premium-wagon-review-road-test/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/14/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-premium-wagon-review-road-test/)
A Minivan For Entrepreneurs, Not Moms
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/2011-ford-transit-connect---01-opt.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-review)
2011 Ford Transit Connect XLT - Click above for high-res image gallery
You are no doubt familiar with the Transit Connect (http://www.autoblog.com/model/transit+connect), the panel van that Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/make/Ford) began importing from Europe in mid-2009. You've probably noticed them in your neighborhood with things like custom cakes, cable companies, cat groomers and cleaning services advertised on their flat, windowless sides. You'll be seeing even more of them soon as the Transit Connect Taxi (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/chicago-2010-ford-transit-connect-taxi-burns-cng-lpg-and-four/) begins replacing the Crown Victoria in taxi fleets across the country.
Transit Connects are everywhere now. It turns out business owners were tired of only being offered a full-size truck or van for their commercial fleet needs, because in many cases a small, fuel efficient panel van can do the same job far better and more cheaply.
And sure, automakers have tried selling windowless commercial versions of their passenger vehicles before, but how many Chevrolet HHR Panel (http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/06/chevy-introduces-hhr-panel/) vans have you seen in your neighborhood? The Transit Connect has done a better job appealing to businesses because the precious cargo that it's purpose-built to carry are tools, supplies and maybe a six-tier buttercream-frosted red velvet wedding cake... not kids.
So what happens when Ford takes its popular new commercial van and creates a version for moving people? The result is called the Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon, and it is not at all what we expected.
Continue reading Review: 2011 Ford Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon... (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/14/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-premium-wagon-review-road-test/#continued)
Gallery: 2011 Ford Transit Connect XLT: Review (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-review)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/2011-ford-transit-connect---01_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-review/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/2011-ford-transit-connect---02_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-review/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/2011-ford-transit-connect---03_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-review/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/2011-ford-transit-connect---04_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-review/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/2011-ford-transit-connect---05_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-review/)
Photos copyright (C)2011 John Neff / AOLContinue reading Review: 2011 Ford Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon [w/video] (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/14/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-premium-wagon-review-road-test/)
Review: 2011 Ford Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon [w/video] (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/14/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-premium-wagon-review-road-test/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/14/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-premium-wagon-review-road-test/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19912397/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/14/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-premium-wagon-review-road-test/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/14/2011-ford-transit-connect-xlt-premium-wagon-review-road-test/)