Ford’s Transit comes in a range of guises, from the compact Courier to the large Custom and even bigger Transit.
I drove the Transit Connect, which sits above the Courier in the range. It comes in two sizes, short and long wheelbase, and the larger latter version was my steed for the week.
You can also buy it as a double cab van, which has two rows of seats but sacrifices some load space, and there’s a Tourneo Connect people carrier.
The current generation was launched in 2013 and heavily facelifted in 2018, expanding to four trim levels – Leader, Trend, Limited and the new top spec Sport version.
There’s a 1.0 litre, 99bhp petrol engine but most buyers will opt for diesel. The 1.5 litre diesel comes in three strengths: 74, 99 and 118bhp.
Prices start around £18,900 (including VAT) for entry level Leader models and my 118bhp diesel sport model cost £26,166 inclusive of VAT.
I’m a journalist, not a plumber or joiner so can’t say I used the van to its utmost potential. I do have plenty of stuff needing taken to the tip but in Dundee you now need a permit to use a van to do this so my junk still malingers on my driveway.
Instead, a Friday evening trip to Ikea beckoned. Loaded up with a variety of soft and hard furnishings, I set off back from Edinburgh on what was becoming a very dark and stormy night.
Anyone who hasn’t driven a van in a while will be pleasantly surprised by how car-like the Transit Connect is to drive. It was smooth and quiet on the M90 and the interior had all the creature comforts you’d expect from a well-appointed car, including heated seats, dual zone climate control, a touchscreen and steering wheel mounted controls. You can even use the Bluetooth connection to play podcasts. Ford’s Quickclear heated windscreen is also handy for defrosting in double quick time.
It is a high sided vehicle though and the powerful winds meant both hands needed a firm grip on the wheel at all times.
Economy from the diesel is good, with the van returning 53mpg around town and 61mpg on the open road.
Back in Dundee, unloading commenced. This was made easy by the fact there are sliding doors on both sides as well as the main pair of doors at the back. There’s almost 2.2 metres of length and you can specify a flap in the steel bulkhead to fit items up to 3m long.
There’s a good reason why the Transit is the world’s best selling van.