Join Our Ford Truck Forum Today

Document your Ford truck project here and inspire others! Login/Register to view the site with fewer ads.

2015 Transit

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
Don't know how many of you have been looking into these new (for NA) vans but they are replacing the E-Series this year.
From what I've been reading they will be out by June.
I will be ordering a T-350 dually with the 3.5 Ecoboost, the preliminary numbers put it spec'd at 320hp/400tq.

http://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/transit/features/

I'm going for the high roof and extended body.
 

O'Rattlecan

Redneck Prognosticator
26,687
797
Belton, MO
Hey, that'll work downgrading from an F750. I bet you could get a tow hitch on that if you needed to pull an auxiliary trailer.

Ryan
 

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
Hey, that'll work downgrading from an F750. I bet you could get a tow hitch on that if you needed to pull an auxiliary trailer.

Ryan

Will be getting the tow package for sure.

Be interested to see how the ecoboost holds up in that application.

I think it should work given that they are rated for in the F150 application.
 

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member

polarbear

just growing older not up
12,878
607
Boring, Oregon
From what I've seen in fleet applications, the turbo diesel is going to be the engine of choice. Ford really isn't replacing the E Series, at least not at the moment. The E Series has been on the market, in fundamentally it's current form, for about 30+ years. Its a rolling throwback, but it works for the customer base who cares little about style and technology, and calculates ownership on the sole basis of cost per mile.

The new Transit will be significantly more expensive to buy, although it should offer offsets through more economical operation. In the Northwest, Mercedes has made substantial inroads into this market segment with the Sprinter, which is nothing more than a German plumbers van. When FedEx signed up for a large fleet purchase, other commercial buyers took notice.

Last fall I drove a 14 pass Sprinter toSouthern Oregon. Over 18 mpg, comfy seats, and roadholding that's in a completely different world compared to the E Series (or GMs crappy Express, which I'm also intimately familiar with). This should be interesting to watch.

Also interesting is the intro of the new Transit Connect, which morphs into a true mini-van, along with offerings from GM and Nissan. For many small businesses, the cost of fuel is a major expense, and it's worth rethinking how much vehicle you really need to get the job done.
 

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
I'm guessing the lower output that the truck is due to them marketing it for 87. I know the OL's Lincoln will run on 87 but you can tell a difference in the performance and the mileage drops off a little.
 

polarbear

just growing older not up
12,878
607
Boring, Oregon
I'm guessing the lower output that the truck is due to them marketing it for 87. I know the OL's Lincoln will run on 87 but you can tell a difference in the performance and the mileage drops off a little.

Yup-a lot of us major fleets run our own tanks and buy fuel in bulk from Indy suppliers. Fuel quality is not as consistent as what the retail market expects.
 

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
From what I've seen in fleet applications, the turbo diesel is going to be the engine of choice. Ford really isn't replacing the E Series, at least not at the moment. The E Series has been on the market, in fundamentally it's current form, for about 30+ years. Its a rolling throwback, but it works for the customer base who cares little about style and technology, and calculates ownership on the sole basis of cost per mile.

The new Transit will be significantly more expensive to buy, although it should offer offsets through more economical operation. In the Northwest, Mercedes has made substantial inroads into this market segment with the Sprinter, which is nothing more than a German plumbers van. When FedEx signed up for a large fleet purchase, other commercial buyers took notice.

Last fall I drove a 14 pass Sprinter toSouthern Oregon. Over 18 mpg, comfy seats, and roadholding that's in a completely different world compared to the E Series (or GMs crappy Express, which I'm also intimately familiar with). This should be interesting to watch.

Also interesting is the intro of the new Transit Connect, which morphs into a true mini-van, along with offerings from GM and Nissan. For many small businesses, the cost of fuel is a major expense, and it's worth rethinking how much vehicle you really need to get the job done.

Maybe Ernie...the diesel is not available in the highest GVW's and looking at the spec sheets, it's overall capacity is less due to the weight.

My understanding is the E-Series is being phased out from all the reading I have done.

Gm's product is a rebadged Nissan from what I have been reading and the Ram Promaster a Fiat.

I know several people here that have Sprinters and it's been fairly unanimous what they have to say about them...stay away to make it short...mostly from an expense standpoint and lack of service network.
 

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
Last edited:

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
Just got off the phone with a dealer I used to use....the order bank is open!!

bigdance bigdance

Looks like the first ones will be for a June delivery and I might have to wait a month or 2 before ordering as some options have a late availability...waiting on an email now.
 

polarbear

just growing older not up
12,878
607
Boring, Oregon
Maybe Ernie...the diesel is not available in the highest GVW's and looking at the spec sheets, it's overall capacity is less due to the weight.

My understanding is the E-Series is being phased out from all the reading I have done.

Gm's product is a rebadged Nissan from what I have been reading and the Ram Promaster a Fiat.

I know several people here that have Sprinters and it's been fairly unanimous what they have to say about them...stay away to make it short...mostly from an expense standpoint and lack of service network.
I suspect they've done so well here because Freightliner is local, and they're in charge of distribution and service, no matter what brand name is on the grill. Doesn't surprise me that service is spotty in other parts of the country (s).
 

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
I suspect they've done so well here because Freightliner is local, and they're in charge of distribution and service, no matter what brand name is on the grill. Doesn't surprise me that service is spotty in other parts of the country (s).

Maybe...I can't say as I don't live there, but I have been lurking on Sprinter forums for some time and you are saying what the majority don't.
 
Last edited:

polarbear

just growing older not up
12,878
607
Boring, Oregon
Maybe...I can't say as I don't live there, but I have been lurking on Sprinter forums for some time and you are saying what the majority don't.

All I'm saying, Duncan, is the Sprinter's are a very common sight on northwest roads. In terms of national numbers, Ford sold roughly 16,000 E-Series vans through 2/14, GM sold about 12,000 Express/Savana's, and Mercedes sold about 3,000 Sprinters. Not a huge number, but I'd be willing to bet those deliveries were concentrated in major metro areas. What they proved to Ford is that a European-format delivery van is saleable to commercial users here, even with a significant price difference.
 

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
Gotcha.
I was thinking that the Transit was more from Mulally's "global platform" idea...but in any case, I think that Ford is going to do very well with this platform.
Being in a trade for 25 years, I have heard and lived every gripe with having a regular van and after going in a couple of Sprinters, I'm pretty excited about this Van!
 

460Trucker

Has the Cat Scratch Fever
Wow! That's really neat. Lots of power coming from that, definitely a showcase for some new technology and developments.
 

polarbear

just growing older not up
12,878
607
Boring, Oregon
Gotcha.
I was thinking that the Transit was more from Mulally's "global platform" idea...but in any case, I think that Ford is going to do very well with this platform.
Being in a trade for 25 years, I have heard and lived every gripe with having a regular van and after going in a couple of Sprinters, I'm pretty excited about this Van!
Global platform, yes. But like the Focus and the Fiesta, Mulally's question was do Americans REALLY need a different platform or even body than the Europeans? His belief is no, based on the success of other European brands here.

I see the Fiesta 1.0l Ecoboost 3-popper made it over as well. Another model that conventional old-school marketing peeps would have said doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of selling. Sells like crazy on the other side of the pond though. Bet it will here too.
 

Ford Truck Articles

Top