Commercial vans are not all about moving cargo. Big boxes on wheels like the Ford Transit are very good at moving groups of people, too, whether as airport shuttles or as limo-type vans done up with fancy interiors. The nice thing about the Transit and its Euro-designed competitors is that these vans are surprisingly easy to drive.
Ford 2019, the Transit passenger van gets a few changes. There are new seating layouts to accommodate five, 10, 11 and 14 passengers; mid-side models with the 3,759-mm (148 inch) wheelbase get new rear door hinges that open wider; there's a standard rear tow hook; some configurations can be optioned with high-strength laminated side glass; and all three roof heights can be had with D-pillar grab handles to ease entry and exit.
There aren't quite as many ways to configure a passenger Transit as this van's cargo cousin (covered in a separate buyer's guide entry), but you still get a choice of low, mid or high roof, and two wheelbase lengths, the longer being the 148-inch one mentioned above, alongside the standard 3,300-mm (130 inch) variant.
With the Transit, Ford competes with a raft of other big vans. Mercedes-Benz's Sprinter is probably the best known, but the Ram Promaster and Nissan NV also play in this space. The Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana are the oldest of the group and are among the few vehicles in this class not designed in, and imported from, Europe.
Engine choices are a 3.7L V6 (275 hp/260 lb-ft of torque), a 3.5L EcoBoost turbo V6 (310 hp/400 lb-ft) and a 3.2L turbodiesel good for 185 hp and 350 lb-ft. All three come with a six-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive.
Transit passenger wagon standard kit includes three 12-volt power points, front and rear manual air conditioning, swing-out right-side doors, power-adjustable side mirrors, power doors and windows, keyless entry, solar tinted glass and a tilt-and-telescopic steering column.
Your options here include the mid and high roof and long wheelbase, cruise control, sliding right-side door (standard on mid- and high-roof vans), dual rear wheels, powered running boards, heated front seats, lane keeping alert, long-arm side mirrors, upfitter switches, trailer brake controller, backup sensors, aluminum wheels and the Sync 3 infotainment system.
Fuel consumption estimates are 16.9/13.1 L/100 km (city/highway) with the 3.7L engine and 16.2/12.8 with the 3.5L turbo V6. Ford doesn't provide ratings for the diesel.
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