New Ford Van design

Ford offers the Transit in a multitude of configurations, including low, medium, or high roofs; a 130- or 148-inch wheelbase (the latter available with an extended body); single or dual rear wheels; seating for 8, 10, 12, or 15 passengers (or as a 2-seat cargo van); and your choice of a 3.2-liter turbocharged five-cylinder diesel, a naturally aspirated gasoline 3.7-liter V-6, or a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6. So you have options. Our test example was a Transit 350 Wagon XLT HR, which means a 148-inch wheelbase, single rear wheels, a high roof, a massive sliding door on the right-hand side, and windows running from stem to stern.

Thanks in part to all those windows, outward visibility is a revelation. Sure, this van’s archenemy, the Mercedes-Benz/Freightliner Sprinter, offers a similar glass area, but the windshield and front-door windows in the Transit dive deep, making maneuvers in tight quarters far easier than you’d expect for a nearly 20-foot-long vehicle. On the other hand, the S.S. Transit does require 43.7 feet to make a U-turn (39.2 feet for the regular-wheelbase version). Planning ahead is essential when it comes to navigating tight parking lots and driveways.

When you’re not cranking full lock, you notice that the Transit’s hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering speaks more in one day than the old E-series communicated in decades. Sure, it’s a bit overassisted, but it’s direct and linear. Teamed with a strut-type front suspension that also features an anti-roll bar, it manages to transcend the age-old “good enough for a van” dynamic paradigm and actually let a little enjoyment creep into the equation. Not as impressive but perfectly adequate is the 0.67 g the Transit recorded on the 300-foot skidpad. Push this 6451-pound shipping container on wheels to that limit, and you’ll find moderate understeer, the stability-control system kicking in to ensure a healthy relationship between the 16-inch wheels and the beads of the 235/65 Continental VancoFourSeason tires.