Ford Transit Goes AWD For 2020

[DanoT]

I would get a AWD Transit over a AWD Sprinter mainly because there are NO Mercedes dealers outside of the big cities.

 

[Philpug]

Nope, but I've heard from some Transit forum members that were impressed. There are some short videos floating around out there. My favorite:


Given the "current situation" in the world, we're probably just going to delay things one year, and order next spring. Hoping MY 2021 offers the AWD passenger van with ecoboost V6. My dream combo, but not available in 2020.

I like that you can get it with the 4 bucket seats.

 

[Tom K.]

I like that you can get it with the 4 bucket seats.

Oh man, don't get me started!

You cannot get the Crew Van with 4 bucket seats, but it does offer the Ecoboost V6.

You cannot get the Passenger Van with the Ecoboost V6, but it does offer the 4 bucket seats.

So, unless something changes, I'm stuck with the Crew Van, Ecoboost V6, and ridiculously over-wide rear bench seat.

Frustrated.

 

[Philpug]

Oh man, don't get me started!

You cannot get the Crew Van with 4 bucket seats, but it does offer the Ecoboost V6.

You cannot get the Passenger Van with the Ecoboost V6, but it does offer the 4 bucket seats.

So, unless something changes, I'm stuck with the Crew Van, Ecoboost V6, and ridiculously over-wide rear bench seat.

Frustrated.

The 4 buckets would be a must for @Tricia and @AKMINK.

 

[DanoT]

Oh man, don't get me started!

You cannot get the Crew Van with 4 bucket seats, but it does offer the Ecoboost V6.

You cannot get the Passenger Van with the Ecoboost V6, but it does offer the 4 bucket seats.

So, unless something changes, I'm stuck with the Crew Van, Ecoboost V6, and ridiculously over-wide rear bench seat.

Frustrated.

Seating can always be reconfigured.

The power AND economy of a turbo V6.

 

[Tom K.]

Seating can always be reconfigured.

The power AND economy of a turbo V6.

W/R/T the seating, absolutely true, but bring money. The Transit seats don't come in and out that easily, and the factory floor mounts are not easily modified to accept two buckets. But......there is a dealer in KS offering the Crew Van with a narrower second row, which is our actual preference.

W/R/T the Ecoboost V6, I've got a friend with one in his Transit. He always says you can Eco, or you can have Boost, but you cannot have both at the same time!

 

[DanoT]

W/R/T the Ecoboost V6, I've got a friend with one in his Transit. He always says you can Eco, or you can have Boost, but you cannot have both at the same time!

With light throttle you will get V6 like fuel economy until you stomp on the throttle, the turbo spools up and suddenly you get V8 (or better) like power and of course you get the accompanying bigger gas bill.

 

[surfandski]

Nope, but I've heard from some Transit forum members that were impressed. There are some short videos floating around out there. My favorite:


Given the "current situation" in the world, we're probably just going to delay things one year, and order next spring. Hoping MY 2021 offers the AWD passenger van with ecoboost V6. My dream combo, but not available in 2020.

Yeah, I've seen the short ones on youtube but they are all on flat ground or on roads with 2" of snow and even there, they seem to get a decent amount of wheel spin where an AWD Suv wouldn't but from what I read, they were completely empty so I'm sure that contributes to the less than stellar performance. From the sound of it, it's all about keeping momentum as the rear wheel drive ones struggle in wet grass if you don't have weight in them. I'd love to get some real world reviews from someone whose driven one in ski country to find out how it handles steep and windy roads, properly converted into a camper van. Hopefully next season we can get some feedback as we are no longer in the market this year thanks to Covid!

This forum has some potential for more information next winter. https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/2020-awd-off-road.79374/page-2

 

[Tom K.]

^^^ Worth noting that the AWD Transits come standard with limited slip rear diffs.

Also, the snow video I linked was on the hard-as-rock OEM tires.

 

[François Pugh]

The snow in these show-off ability to drive in snow is never deeper than the ground clearance. Almost all the cars I've owned have been able to plow through an inch or five above the ground clearance with good snow tires, and a few of them were one-wheel drives. Extra points for being able to get through snow almost up to the ground clearance with stock OEM tires though!

 

[Tom K.]

Finally got to drive one of these yesterday. It was the Ecoboost AWD version. VERY impressed. Drove my 13 year old Sprinter immediately afterwards, and, well, it felt 13 years old!

 

[Philpug]

Finally got to drive one of these yesterday. It was the Ecoboost AWD version. VERY impressed. Drove my 13 year old Sprinter immediately afterwards, and, well, it felt 13 years old!

Passenger or cargo version? I saw a review from Automobile, I was disappointed with the mileage they were getting...16.1.

 

[Ogg]

Passenger or cargo version? I saw a review from Automobile, I was disappointed with the mileage they were getting...16.1.

This seems to be a universal complaint from the guys I know using them for work.

 

[Philpug]

This seems to be a universal complaint from the guys I know using them for work.

With the miles we drive, it makes it a non contender. We can get 20 with a new Ford Expedition or GM900 or if we step up to the diesel...close to 30!

 

[Ogg]

With the miles we drive, it makes it a non contender. We can get 20 with a new Ford Expedition or GM900 or if we step up to the diesel...close to 30!

Yeah if I’m going to get crappy mileage I want the 6.2 l v8.

 

[Tom K.]

Passenger or cargo version? I saw a review from Automobile, I was disappointed with the mileage they were getting...16.1.

Crew van version. Finished out in passenger motif up front and second row, then bare bones behind that.

After nearly 2,000 miles, mileage is at exactly 16.1 per owner. No long highway trips, yet. I expect maybe 18 on the highway. For us, this will be a low mileage rig, so not a huge deal, and the power and responsiveness was impressive.

@Ogg, I'm kind of with you on the V8, but mileage would be even worse with that, if you drove it in a spirited manner. We're also looking at the low-roof version, and a seven foot high roof will do better on the highway than 8'4". Our diesel Sprinter is a great example of this. On a week long trip in rural Oregon (with it's silly low speed limits) I can average 23-24 without much trouble, but a few weeks ago, I took a highway trip to MT at pretty much 75 mph everywhere, and I got 18.

So Phil, I don't think you'll see 20 in an Expedition at western highway speeds. Same basic powertrain.

 

[Philpug]

So Phil, I don't think you'll see 20 in an Expedition at western highway speeds. Same basic powertrain.

We were getting 20 in the GM900 that we had for a loaner, we are getting 17-18 in our 08 Yukon XL w/170K on it.

 

[DanoT]

We were getting 20 in the GM900 that we had for a loaner, we are getting 17-18 in our 08 Yukon XL w/170K on it.

I have never driven a turbo V6 but I have owned a few 4 and 5 cylinder turbos as well as a straight 6 turbo diesel.

IMO, a turbo V6 will deliver more power than most V8s and there is no way around the fact that more power = more fuel consumption.

The only way to get decent fuel economy out of a turbo engine is to stay out of the boost....but where is the fun in doing that?

 

[Tom K.]

The only way to get decent fuel economy out of a turbo engine is to stay out of the boost....but where is the fun in doing that?

Exactly. The engine is called EcoBoost, and the joke is that you can have Eco, or you can have Boost, but not both at once!

 

[Philpug]

I have never driven a turbo V6 but I have owned a few 4 and 5 cylinder turbos as well as a straight 6 turbo diesel.

IMO, a turbo V6 will deliver more power than most V8s and there is no way around the fact that more power = more fuel consumption.

The only way to get decent fuel economy out of a turbo engine is to stay out of the boost....but where is the fun in doing that?

I am not looking at this as a canyon carver...but I see your point.