Ford continues to hit sour notes. It's really not their fault.

Five years ago people wanted cars/trucks/vans with great fuel economy. Back then unleaded was up around $4 per gallon in a few places and many states were putting in commuter lanes reserved for hybrids etc.

Today, the customer wants to supersize the fries. Not a good trend for Ford's product mix. Detroit needs to adopt the practices that allow companies like Kia and Hyundai to respond to trends as briskly as they do.

Until then, the product-development for the big 3 is like flipping a coin.

Did I click on news.minivans.com this morning? What's next, news.hondaridgelineisapickupnoreally.com?

"Today, the customer wants to supersize the fries. Not a good trend for Ford's product mix."

Is this really true? Ford sells the largest pickup on the planet and one of the largest vans. They also market 2 gargantuan SUVs and a bevy of mid-size and smaller ones--plus one of the largest sedans by interior volume.

Ford has all the bases covered.

the article is about VANS. I never mentioned pickups or SUVs

The transit connect isn't even in the same class as the other minivans regardless if Ford pit it against other minivans. The transit is more a commercial minivan more suited for taxi and cargo. Despite it's tall roof and length, it is significantly smaller(narrow) and lighter, more inline with the compact minivans of the 80's. This compact minivan competes with the Ram Promaster City, not your soccer mom class minivan. Transit connect is a low grade minivan.

Eco Blue???
why make up goofy names

@ Water

Because that's ford and its wonderful propaganda! People drink it up!

Ford's get the best vehicle lifetime fuel mileage of almost any maker.
Because once it breaks down, it aint using any fuel.

Were a two car family one is a pickup (Thus I visit this site), and the other is a minivan. There is no way it will deliver on the comfort and practicality that Honda, Toyota and Chrysler are currently putting out. When it comes to family van shopping, this will remain down near the bottom of the list. But I'll say I have a friend that has three of them for his Security Alarm company and he says they're great commercial vehicles. So perhaps the delivery, commercial transportation and utility market is where this van belongs. But not in the average suburban garage.

"the article is about VANS. I never mentioned pickups or SUVs"

I don't lose any sleep over this, but you actually did when you mentioned "Fords product mix."

^ Sorry, "We're"

Not that much better economy than an ecodiesel or diesel Colorado.

But forget that for a moment. So you want to deliver paper mache sculptures and get good fuel economy. Sounds reasonable. Try this thing! The only catch is that you might be seen by people you know in it and be horribly embarrassed driving this little wedge that looks like a snake swallowing a brick. Maybe with all the savings in fuel you can buy a disguise so nobody recognizes you.

Well, a van isn't for me, however, if I were to consider a van it would be the Pacifica.

Papajim. People are tired of your act.

but you actually did when you mentioned "Fords product mix."
Posted by: redbloodedxy | Oct 3, 2018

I made a very insightful remark that you seized upon. Just drive by any Ford dealer's lot and it's overflowing with small coupes and sedans that NOBODY is buying.

Ford's board of directors is hysterical about it. While RAM and GM were simply trying to stay on their feet a few years back, Ford's engineers were busy creating the next generation of cars that nobody wants.

That is why I mention it.

Papajim. People are tired of your act.
Posted by: Alex | Oct 3, 2018

What? Did you take a survey or something?

My phone rings off the hook---people want my opinions and insights. My writing has been published in the US and over 30 foreign countries during the last 30 years. I used to publish my own newsletter (four years).

I've driven more that one million commercial truck miles in my lifetime (before age 40 by the way) accident free.

Any questions?

@Alex,
But papajim has nothing else to do.
Which actually would be fine if his comments were good.

@carl

be sure to wear something to protect your nose in case Alex stops too fast.

Oops, hit post before saying what I wanted to say.

This van getting 29 mpg would easily get 40 mpg with a range extending system. AND its long term reliability would go sky rocketing.
How long do we have to wait?
We have mainstream cars this way, why not vans? And the Paciffica hybrid does not count. It is an old style complicated hybrid rather than a simple and long lasting range extender..

be sure to wear something to protect your nose in case Alex stops too fast.

Exactly, its like having a child whose Mom left him along all summer and he has nothing to do and wasn't brought up right.

Its a very well done smart vehicle and can make a lot of sense for a lot of tasks, businesses, and people. There are also some good competitive options in this market but this is clearly the current class leader.

For a mainstream family minivan the Odessy and Siennia (only AWD minivan) are the overall best made and simply best options currently on the market. Probably followed by the Kia/Hyundai options. The Fiat offerings while always nice and stylish have a long running reputation for being poorly made and unreliable.

With all the bickering on this site about absolutely nothing, makes me think there are a lot of women commenting with male sounding posting names.

Neighbor has one of these Transit's. It seems to do nicely for both her family and her home baby day care business. They have an Econoline too, but clearly the Transit is more refined and fits nicely in garage. The Econoline looks and is a brick and clearly not refined to be want to be seen in it all the time as one's main vehicle. Not sure why they have both. Maybe the Econoline fits a few more baby's.?

A little "out of the box" thinking:
It would be interesting if they could make the rear portion of the Transit roof detachable, like the old Blazer or Bronco, and somehow fold up the bottom too like the Chevrolet Avalanche which had the "Convert-a-Cab" composite pickup bed that could be expanded into the truck's cab through a bottom-hinged door. Kind of like having a van and truck at the same time.

I wasn't that fond of the Avalanche and I don't think it was that popular, but if a van could really be converted to an open air truck, it might shake things up a little. Clearly, we all get comfortable with the standard designs, but it also leaves us stuck in the standard designs.

I mean that's why the truck is becoming the vehicle of choice, because it serves as the family vehicle and the work vehicle. Two vehicles in one.

Neighbor has one of these Transit's. It seems to do nicely for both her family and her home baby day care business. They have an Econoline too, but clearly the Transit is more refined and fits nicely in garage. The Econoline looks and is a brick and clearly not refined to be want to be seen in it all the time as one's main vehicle. Not sure why they have both. Maybe the Econoline fits a few more baby's?

@angelo

Please.

It bests other minivans in MPG, and it's also closer to the original (true) minivan concept than any other being sold today. Crude and unsophisticated as it may be, it does the job it is supposed to do.

How well can this thing pull 7 passengers with a 2.0? Seriously? I understand it in cargo versions for business, but I can't imagine it with 7 people going up a long grade. I shouldn't knock it as I've never driven one, but......

@papajim
Over 30 foreign countries which ones and what was the subjects of your books?

I wrote for a popular periodical that advertised & covered musical instruments and electronics during the early 1990s. Tab format. During that time they owned a glossy monthly. Wrote a couple features for them.

@papajim
I wrote something on an online Automotive Forum and it appeared ver atim in Car and Driver with my name as Author
Other lifted quotes about Cricket, Australian Rules Football, Rugby League have appeared in US online publications

@Robert

in the interest of being clear. I produced a few features for the glossy publication, however, the work i did on the tab was as a regular contributor over a period of several years.

This my get the best guesstimate gas mileage, but that is in the short wheelbase, basic configuration. Gutted. no seats no ac, no carpet, no nuthing driven by a 100 lb lady.

I would buy this(Ford) or Dodge vans before I would buy the Toyo and Nissan versions. Friends have had the former two and had nothing but trouble and dealers have hard time getting parts.

Gm guys continue to spin as Ford continues to dominate! Great job Ford, and great job GM fanboys for embarrassing yourselves once again....

@ papajim

Could you please just shut your mouth? Just shut it, Go play bingo, clean your false teeth, pick your ballsack up off the floor, just leave.

I really want to like the new transit but the interior luxury and comfort rating for these models are very low in previous models. What made the price so inexpensive in previous years was that it doesn't carry any "extras". The gas mileage is a HUGE sell for a family economy van and usually the number 1 thing I look for but if the comfort ratings aren't high then I can't take it on any road trips with my kids. It's great to see them back in the game. I'll be watching for more developments and hope they prove me wrong on interior specs as I go shopping in 2019 for my new van.

gas mileage is a HUGE sell for a family economy van
Posted by: Vicstro | Oct 5, 2018

Maybe so. But if FE is so HUGE as you say, why aren't the small sedans and coupes selling? The auto industry is over-invested in small economy cars and can't give them away.

Ford even went so far as to rile their stockholders with the announcement that they're dropping all but a few of their small cars.

I think that families are buying every Expedition and Suburban they can get their hands on. Hardly an economy car.