OT Honda Odyssey vs Ford Transit Connect

I've been driving around the countryside in a Honda Odyssey. Picking up various parts and pieces, collectable stuff, going to shows, whatever. I often park and sleep in the back when I'm on the road. I'm thinking I'd like to buy a Ford Transit Connect next time when the Honda wears out. I'd want the long wheel base, it has a bit more headroom, and I like the rear doors much better than the hatch on the Honda. The Ford seems to only be available with the 4cyl motor rated at 169 HP. The Honda has a V6 with 248 HP. Gas mileage is advertised as the same for the two. Boy I don't look forward to losing all that HP for the same gas mileage. What's up with that? Does anyone have any experience with these Ford TCs? Will I be able to drive 80MPH across Utah or will that 4 cyl be wound out?

adh2000 said:

I've been driving around the countryside in a Honda Odyssey. Picking up various parts and pieces, collectable stuff, going to shows, whatever. I often park and sleep in the back when I'm on the road. I'm thinking I'd like to buy a Ford Transit Connect next time when the Honda wears out. I'd want the long wheel base, it has a bit more headroom, and I like the rear doors much better than the hatch on the Honda. The Ford seems to only be available with the 4cyl motor rated at 169 HP. The Honda has a V6 with 248 HP. Gas mileage is advertised as the same for the two. Boy I don't look forward to losing all that HP for the same gas mileage. What's up with that? Does anyone have any experience with these Ford TCs? Will I be able to drive 80MPH across Utah or will that 4 cyl be wound out?

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We have over ten years in Odd-Sissy's and more yet in MOPAR 'Caravan' & derivatives.

Each has just enough expensive unpleasantness we've several times rented Nissan, Toyota, and Kia alternatives to see if we could do better.

End of the day, after LOTS of online research into failure types by year, etc... we bought another MOPAR. 2005 T&C Touring, selected for least rust underbody - where power-steering and brake lines are notorious for rot.

Cost-no-object, durability ignored - we preferred the Nissan over the Honda for comfort.

Cost did matter at the time. $3450 plus another $500+ for seriously good tires. Needs were met.
(our 'other mini-van' being a long-wheelbase Jaguar XJ8L, so...)

Beside the all-power doors and stow-and-go seats - which are handy out-of-sight storage bins when seats are UP, the winning hand was that I could get these all day, any day, any where for under $6,000. Run them until rot sets in - have them hauled away for a crisp $50 in-hand.. and have SPENT less than on any of the alternatives.

Low-hassle ELSE 'tolerable hassle' expendables, the MOPAR are. NO van - mini or full sized - is all that easy to work on. Just can't readily get TO much of its s**t.

'Expendable' approach may be why MOPAR have sold so many of 'em. More than all competitors combined, IIRC.

The Ford mini-vans? Do your own Due Diligence. They are not especially beloved.

Bill

Monarchist said:

The Ford mini-vans? Do your own Due Diligence. They are not especially beloved.

Bill

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Are you possibly thinking of the Windstar? Yeah, not all that popular. They now build some Transit Connect Wagon, don't know much about it. I'm looking for something more truck like and I see these TCs all over town, but not hauling down the open road so much so wondering about that. We did the Dodge Grand Caravan thing and followed it up with a 3500 flat bed with Cummins. Not wanting to do a Dodge product again, I think they have some RAM City or something like that which is a rebadged Fiat. Maybe. I want to get out of the soccer mom style minivan and into some more traditional van without sacrificing too much MPG.

adh2000 said:

...get out of the soccer mom style minivan and into some more traditional van without sacrificing too much MPG.

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Europe, and a 4-banger Diesel, different distances, traffic, that can work.

Not so well stateside.

Neither the Ford Transit clan nor the Windstar are on my menu. Nor, for that matter the Daimler/Chrysler // FIAT/Dodge equivalent. 'Sprinter' is it?

IF I had the need of full-sized, I'd JFDW the mileage and go with the GMC/Chev vans the plumbers, HVAC, carpet - wotever - contractors love around here.

JM2CW

Bill

Why don't you stop buying shit you don't need. Then you want need a stupid van to haul around your shit. As a bonus, you won't have to sleep in the back of a van.

Problem solved.

If you look at the Transit, instead of the Transit Connect, you can get 3+ liters of gas, eco-boost, or turbo diesel. Lower mileage, more room for shit you don't need, too!

Chip

Look long and hard at the full size euro vans - I have a 1st gen (in US) dodge sprinter (a mercedes), now dodge has their own, ford has the full size transit, seems there's another one.

1. Surprizingly fuel efficient.

2. You can STAND UP in the back, amongst all the material you do or do not need - this is huge.

3. They are more pleasent to sleep in, in fact, a fold up cott and a porta potty make a very cheap camper conversion, which means not buying a camper you *really* do not need.

4. I don't know about 80mph, but my sprinter will do 70 for sure.

Honda odyssey

Either will need a tad under 40HP to maintain 80 Mph so that not a problem. Maybe even down to 30.
(I'll assume the AC on ) .
Pedal to the floor on gets there faster but who drives flat out?
I do not know the numbers of gears in these transmissions.
HP is not everyday driveablity . This a so common misconception.
A 800 HP small block and a 335 HP big block so way different. The lower HP one much nicer.
I've had this augment here before but you do not drive HP you everyday drive torque.
That is motor output and the geartrain that applies it to the road.
On any new buy go test drive and beat on it.
This is why I bought a Ford turbo coupe over a Buick Grand National. That hurt to do since a lot of that tooling on Buick motor mine and a mere tiny bit on the Ford.
Dad was not happy.

If doing many miles there is also a like of cockpit and controls layout. Ease of driving counts.

You lured me in because I had a Honda Odyssey ATV. Spent so many dollars trying to make it go fast.
Bob

Five year old thread. I ended buying neither Ford nor Honda but instead got the Mercedes Metris. Super happy with it so far. 78,000 miles. Seems to go through tires, maybe that’s all vans. PCV valve failed under warranty. No other problems. Don’t see many on the road worried it might become an orphan if they don’t sell more.


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adh2000 said:

Five year old thread. I ended buying neither Ford nor Honda but instead got the Mercedes Metris. Super happy with it so far. 78,000 miles. Seems to go through tires, maybe that’s all vans. PCV valve failed under warranty. No other problems. Don’t see many on the road worried it might become an orphan if they don’t sell more.


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Had to look that one up...never heard of one nor seen one lol