2011 Ford Transit Connect

2011 Transit Connect Photos
A Minivan For Entrepreneurs, Not Moms 2011 Ford Transit Connect XLT - Click above for high-res image gallery You are no doubt familiar with the Transit Connect, the panel van that 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 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 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... %Gallery-121184% Photos copyright ©2011 John Neff / AOL What did we expect? Looking at pictures of the Transit Connect XLT gave us the impression of a mini-minivan like the Mazda5 or even Ford's upcoming Grand C-Max. It's certainly taller than those, but still looks more compact than a traditional minivan like the Toyota Sienna or Dodge Grand Caravan. The numbers don't lie: Compared to a Grand Caravan, the Transit Connect is almost 22 inches shorter and exactly eight inches narrower, though it is an astonishing 10.4 inches taller. That's why finally seeing the Transit Connect XLT in person created a very different impression than what we got from pictures. It is tall, like Kareem Abdul-Jabar tall. Actually, it's only six-foot, six-inches (79.3 inches), so it's more like Kobe Bryant, but that still shadows a Cadillac Escalade by 3.4 inches, and it's one inch taller than a Ram 3500 4x4 Crew Cab and just one-tenth of an inch shorter than Ford's own full-size commercial van, the E-150 Econoline. And those vehicles are tall partly because they have more ground clearance. The Transit Connect XLT sits as close to the ground as a Focus. Height is definitely the Transit Connect XLT's defining feature. On the one hand, the van – sorry, wagon (Ford calls the Transit Connect a "van" when it's used for commercial purposes and a "wagon" when ordered in XLT trim) – looks comically out of proportion, but on the other, it's impossible to forget where you parked at the mall. Just look for the red roof sticking up …
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A Minivan For Entrepreneurs, Not Moms 2011 Ford Transit Connect XLT - Click above for high-res image gallery You are no doubt familiar with the Transit Connect, the panel van that 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 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 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... %Gallery-121184% Photos copyright ©2011 John Neff / AOL What did we expect? Looking at pictures of the Transit Connect XLT gave us the impression of a mini-minivan like the Mazda5 or even Ford's upcoming Grand C-Max. It's certainly taller than those, but still looks more compact than a traditional minivan like the Toyota Sienna or Dodge Grand Caravan. The numbers don't lie: Compared to a Grand Caravan, the Transit Connect is almost 22 inches shorter and exactly eight inches narrower, though it is an astonishing 10.4 inches taller. That's why finally seeing the Transit Connect XLT in person created a very different impression than what we got from pictures. It is tall, like Kareem Abdul-Jabar tall. Actually, it's only six-foot, six-inches (79.3 inches), so it's more like Kobe Bryant, but that still shadows a Cadillac Escalade by 3.4 inches, and it's one inch taller than a Ram 3500 4x4 Crew Cab and just one-tenth of an inch shorter than Ford's own full-size commercial van, the E-150 Econoline. And those vehicles are tall partly because they have more ground clearance. The Transit Connect XLT sits as close to the ground as a Focus. Height is definitely the Transit Connect XLT's defining feature. On the one hand, the van – sorry, wagon (Ford calls the Transit Connect a "van" when it's used for commercial purposes and a "wagon" when ordered in XLT trim) – looks comically out of proportion, but on the other, it's impossible to forget where you parked at the mall. Just look for the red roof sticking up …
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Retail Price

$21,290 - $23,290 MSRP / Window Sticker Price
Engine 2.0L I-4
MPG Up to 21 city / 26 highway
Seating 2 Passengers
Transmission 4-spd auto w/OD
Power 136 @ 6300 rpm
Drivetrain front-wheel
Curb Weight 3,360 - 3,425 lbs
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