"7:07" (fanbrain001)
01/01/2019 at 15:00 • Filed to: boring title, Transit, Versus, Pacifica, Necessary Car Shopping with 7:07
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"7:07" (fanbrain001)
01/01/2019 at 15:00 • Filed to: boring title, Transit, Versus, Pacifica, Necessary Car Shopping with 7:07 | 5
| 22 |
Yesterday evening I made !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! about our rapidly approaching Necessary Car Shopping and wanted to make a size and capacity comparison with the Ford Transit. I found some side and rear profile .png’s of both vehicles and put them to scale in Canvas (GIS software) so I could visualize the size gain going from big minivan to small full-size van.
The Pacifica is already the largest minivan out there, but I didn’t realize how close it is to the smallest Transit:
While the whole thing is obviously longer, look how much further forward the driver’s position is in the Transit, and also how much more glass there is. That’s how you can fit a fourth row in, and still have cargo area.
From the back, you can see how much room you lose to the sloping sides of the Pacifica, and probably a bit more from the dual sliding doors:
From above, the Pacifica (in red) just can’t compete with even the shortest wheelbase 10-passenger Transit in the space department .
By the numbers, the Transit is obviously larger, heavier, and less efficient, but it’s hard to argue with the space gained (I should have put this in a table...):
The rumor mill says the refreshed 2020 Transit, due in September this year, will include the new 10-speed transmission, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, cross-path detection, a front camera, and revised dashboard. Details haven’t been officially announced, and we may hear something from the North American International Auto Show later this month, but the 2020 ordering guide will be available to dealers in May.
Thanks for reading!
jimz
> 7:07
01/01/2019 at 15:11 |
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on the other hand:
- Transit will have “commercial van” levels of NVH, squeak & rattle, and ride quality
- Pacifica lets you dump the seats into the floor if you need extra space. Transit? Get out the 1/2" drive tool set and set aside about half an hour.
VincentMalamute-Kim
> 7:07
01/01/2019 at 15:12 |
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You must be on the Transit forum. What’s your handle there? You probably know that rumors are just that. Nothing is known till the May ordering guide is released.
You didn’t include payload which is humongous on the Transit, way higher than most 1/2 ton pickups.
If towing is important, the Transit can be configured to somewhere around 7000lbs I think.
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7:07
> VincentMalamute-Kim
01/01/2019 at 15:17 |
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Same handle over there. I just registered yesterday and have been lurking a bit. I’ve been looking at the redesigned UK version and think it makes sense to bring over the same options, but you are right; we won’t know anything for sure until May. And yes, towing is important. I won’t tow heavy, but I’ll feel better about pulling a trailer with a Transit than a minivan...
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> jimz
01/01/2019 at 15:19 |
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Good points. Stow-and-go seats, great driving feel, and good NVH levels were what drew us to the Pacifica. My wife plays the harp and it’s the best thing in the world to dump those seats in 30 seconds. I’ll have to check the Transit during our test drive to see how to remove the seats.
Amoore100
> 7:07
01/01/2019 at 15:52 |
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It’s funny—the Pacifica is only a seven-seater by American standards. The Ssangyong Rodius which is one inch shorter lengthwise can be had in up to eleven seat variants (obviously with very little cargo space). What you really need though (unfortunately also not an American thing) is a van in the same segment as the Citroen Space Tourer. Nine seater, decent cargo space, relatively tiny footprint and economically friendly four-cylinder powerplants.
It even comes in multiple lengths for more seating!
facw
> Amoore100
01/01/2019 at 16:04 |
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Presumably the Mercedes Metris would be in a similar space to the Space Tourer (or is it smaller? Wasn’t an issue fitting 8 adults last time I rode in one , which is more than I can say for most US minivans (though that was in Italy, so it might be different than the US version) ) ? Only get one size for the passenger van here though.
Deal Killer - Powered by Focus
> facw
01/01/2019 at 16:27 |
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Except, the Metris sucks as a passenger van.
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facw
> Deal Killer - Powered by Focus
01/01/2019 at 16:29 |
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Which is fair, though I bet most complaints you (or Doug) could level against it (aside from the performance) could also be raised against the Transit, or any of the other full-sized vans in play (along with the other “fleet” minivans).
getFuckedHerb
> facw
01/01/2019 at 16:41 |
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This is the biggest reason we’re looking at Pacifica’s and not Transit’s or NV200's or... any van that wasn’t conceived as a family/passenger van first. Yes, a big van/wagon is great, no I will not give up having a decent interior and driving characteristics- I am looking for a family car not a taxi or airport shuttle.
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VincentMalamute-Kim
> 7:07
01/01/2019 at 16:51 |
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Transit actually has quick release seats, no need for the socket set. The seats are heavy as hell I’m told.
I also disagree with with commercial van levels of NVH, squeak, ride quality. No, it’s not the a Mercedes but it’s an order of magnitude better than the old Econolines and Express/Savannas. If your expectations are that of a minivan, you’ll be disappointed. If your expectations are of the old vans, you’ll be very happy.
Transits definitely are the poor cousins to the minivans and F-150's in terms of options, luxuries, a lot of toys people are used to.
I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
> jimz
01/01/2019 at 17:02 |
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Do you actually have to use tools to pull seats from the Transit? That’s a step back from the E150 my dad has where you just pull a lever under each of the two benches and it unhooks from the floor. Six seats out in less than 5 minutes. Pacifica still beats it by having them fold into the floor and not sit in your garage, though.
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jimz
> I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
01/01/2019 at 18:17 |
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I don’t know now. I never looked at the seat bases in our shuttles; I might be confusing it with the Transit Connect.
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7:07
> Amoore100
01/01/2019 at 19:09 |
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Oh man, I wish we had cool vans like those. I would love a loaded V-class, even. Too bad we get the de-contented version as the Metris.
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7:07
> facw
01/01/2019 at 19:12 |
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I’ll have some feedback on the Metris after driving one tomorrow. My hunch is that the Metris has some downsides of the full-size van (lack of creature comforts) but none of the additional space . In my mind, either stick with a minivan for it’s great use of space and high option content, or go for all the size the full-size van offers.
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> getFuckedHerb
01/01/2019 at 19:14 |
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Agreed. If you can comfortably fit in a minivan, they are really nice places to be. We drove all the competition back in 2016 and the Pacifica rode and drove better than the rest. It was an easy choice for us.
BaconSandwich is tasty.
> 7:07
01/01/2019 at 22:26 |
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I wonder how both compare to the Mecedes Benz Metris. It might get a bad rap, but I like the idea of it.
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BaconSandwich is tasty.
> Amoore100
01/01/2019 at 22:28 |
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I wish they sold more vans like that around here!
merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
> getFuckedHerb
01/02/2019 at 00:53 |
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We love our pacifica. It’s a very nice option for a family hauler.
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merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
> 7:07
01/02/2019 at 00:59 |
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We have a pacifica for family hauler and love it, but we rented a transit while in Florida for a weeks vacation and it was decent too. But not nearly as nice to operate as our pacifica. If you need more than 8 seats then go for the transit, but if not, just go with the pacifica. We’ve had ours loaded with 8 people and baggage for a weekend trip with no issues.
Also with 4 child seats and a crap ton of Christmas gifts for the kiddos, it hauled it all great and all behind the rear seat. 3 ikea bags full of gifts, a half dozen gift bags and a 3’ x 3’ x 6” box all fit without issue.
Transit
> 7:07
01/03/2019 at 10:58 |
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I have the 10-passenger transit (2016). The rear seat has two pull-tabs in the back and locks into some hard points in the floor. It weighs well over 100 lbs, so it’s a two-person job unless you’re a hoss. I have taken it out solo by tipping one end down and swinging the other around, but I would not recommend it.
There is a lot of room back there even with the seat - I fit a NordicTrack back there last week. There’s also a lot of space next to the passenger door.
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7:07
> Transit
01/03/2019 at 20:36 |
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Thanks for the feedback! There are zero of the 10 passenger versions near me, so I have to wait until I’m in a larger city in a couple weeks before driving one.
Is the rear bench all in one piece? Also, I love the extra space next to the side door. That and the big cargo area after removing the 4th row is why I want the 10 passenger version.
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Transit
> 7:07
01/04/2019 at 12:00 |
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The 4th row bench is a single unit with all three seats. After you take it out, there is an aisle all the way up to the front passe ng er seat. I think the cabin payload is more than most pickup trucks.
M ost of the lot models we saw were either the cargo version or base-model shuttle vans. Still worth testing out, but it was really hard to find one with options we wanted (ended up ordering from the factory ). I like the front seating - it feels like driving an RV, but it takes some getting used to a highway speeds.
A few other things:
* Rear A/C is an option. You want it because there’s no other ventilation back there.
* Be sure to check out the sliding versus the split opening doors (the slider is way too heavy for small kids to be able to close).
* Don’t bother with the vent window, it’s a waste of money.
* The towing packing is pretty cheap - less than $500
* Make sure you get a backup camera, it’s impossible to see over the headrests out the back (seriously, I don’t know why there’s even a center mirror)