Im looking at getting rid of my Escort van this year and wouldnt mind a connect! What are they like on fuel, reliability, costly to fix etc

Anyone has any tips, advice id be gratefull.

Doubt it'll beat my escort as its reliable, 80 miles to a tenner and an all round cheap good runner!

Cheers!

 

Crap on juice but apart from that there a great little van.

 

As above, mine's given me no grief in 30k but not particularly good on fuel for the size of the engine/van and not very quick either.....if you're coming from an escort van you'll be used to the lack of speed though lol!

 

Escort vans maybe slow but they run on fresh air compared to connects LOL

 

Get a 90 or 115 ps Diesel and you should get a better mpg then the 75 which I have. I get on averge around 37mpg with a 3/4 loaded van and un-loaded roof rack. Mines a LWB too.

 

Mines been no probs at all for 96000 miles so far,but its getting replaced with another one at the end of the month.

 

it depends on weather or not you get a good one or just a normal one or a shite one

we've been running them for about 6 years now and there are good ones and bad ones, fuel for example, one will do 280 miles to a tank on the motorway run and one will do 360 miles, same engine, same speeds, death and one won't do a return trip and one will

the 110 versions are very quick, substantially quicker than the 90 versions and, from my expirence, return slightly better mileage too

loads of extra's on the options list but if you get the trend models they seem to be top of the range

tyres are also a worry because they handle so well

lwb and swb available as well as tall top and low top's but what you really need to worry about is the clutch's and release bearing on them, plus rear engine mounts and driveshafts

older ones had really saggy seats and the lumbar adjusters snap off way too easily and you can't buy them seperatly from the seats

 

As for speed i aint botherd as i can walk faster then my van Lol!

My van will run on fresh air so fuel will be abit gutting

Probably be 1/4 loaded most of the time!

Aslong as there there fairly reliable id be happy but tbh ive only got around 2.5k so doubt it'll get me a great one! May just spent a few ŁŁŁ on my escort and bring it upto scratch!

 

I bought a 55 plate one in August 2010, mint, one private owner, low mileage 17k, paid a bit more than what I wanted to for one but i think its a great little van, diesel so cheap to run imo, only the 75 bhp swb one but I like it I've got 400+horse power in the garage so I'm not worried that its not quick its a van ffs they're not meant to be quick

have a look at it in my garage


Luciano

 

Looks a tidy van that! Nice colour too!

I have 3 choices, spent a few quid on the escort
Get a cheapish connect
Or get a smiley transit

Hmmm decsions!

 

Nice 1 fella I call it moonstone blue

Go for the connect

Err! whats a smiley transit?


Luciano

 

The older transit smiley bonnet, bananna manifold one. Best diesel engine ever Lol

 

Ford should still make them they the best transits ever can't be beaten.

 

I've had my connect over a year it's not to great on diesel but can't have everything eh. Only really had to put a clutch in it due to wear and tear and the other day I changed the alternator and link wire but apart from that it's been no bother. Look after it and it will look after you.

 

Alright mate, i got one. I got a TDDI (same engine as escort +turbo) 75 03 lwb, i seen it on the web with 66k,Gave Ł2200. i've had mine mapped, same if not better on diesel (45 mpg).
My Advice is dont get a TDCI i had one before my 03 one. i gave 2.5k for the van THEN 2.5 k on it, (inc pump,injectors etc.) worst van ive ever owned.

People on here say there mint but everyone i speak to round here wont touch Tdci's.
They are a little more faster/ refined but if they go wrong its mega money.

I've done 10k in 6 mnth in my Tddi van and its only cost me the parts to service it.

 

oh i forgot to say try and get a T220, they can carry more weight IIrc

T200 carry 0.6t
T220 0.8t

I've had a ton in mine it carried it easy, just had to slow down a bit round the corners

 

Id second that don't get a tdci there shite always breaking down needing injectors etc.

Are the connects easy enough to get remapped?? I'd like a bit more out of mine

QUOTE=cossiegreg1;5769086]Alright mate, i got one. I got a TDDI (same engine as escort +turbo) 75 03 lwb, i seen it on the web with 66k,Gave Ł2200. i've had mine mapped, same if not better on diesel (45 mpg).
My Advice is dont get a TDCI i had one before my 03 one. i gave 2.5k for the van THEN 2.5 k on it, (inc pump,injectors etc.) worst van ive ever owned.

People on here say there mint but everyone i speak to round here wont touch Tdci's.
They are a little more faster/ refined but if they go wrong its mega money.

I've done 10k in 6 mnth in my Tddi van and its only cost me the parts to service it.[/QUOTE]

 

Sounds like the 110 hp one is the one to get but would it not be possible to remap the 75 or 90 one to close to this?

 

Yeah mate same as anything, any remapper should be able to do it.
Dont expect miracles though mate!!
it does feel faster but still slow , i had a 90 tdci and it feels similar to that now.
In my opinion when remapped, the van feels like a normal van.
Because when there standard 75 the're under powered.

When mapped will sit easy at 70/80 not screaming like before.
its defo worth the Ł120 it cost me.

 

Quite like the Connect but the lower speed limit because it isn't a car-derived van is just another thing to worry about compared to some competitors.

 

if you get a connect steer well clear of the TDCI, diesel pumps are very common failures and not cheap.

if you go down the smiley route with the banana engine DO NOT let it run out of diesel, they are the worst to get started again

 

They start ne bother just crack the injectors off and they go.
if you go down the smiley route with the banana engine DO NOT let it run out of diesel, they are the worst to get started again[/QUOTE]

 

Yeah we were told the same thing, injectors cracked got nothing, new fuel filter and a tow start are the only way we can get it to start, twice its happened now, what sort of recovery truck breaks down

 

The primary fuel pump must be on it's way out on the n/s of the engine block then.

 

Transits can be a pain when they run out but i wouldnt let that happen.

Id be wary of the tdci then don't need them problems tbh!

 

We've had about 200 of them over the years and the only time they gave us any fuel related troubles were when they had petrol put into them

Also, the 110's get discs all round

They were fwcelifted in 07 so you get the square double din head unit and other stuff

And make sure they have the revised canvas intercooler hoses as the rubber ones split on a fairly regular basis

 

RLovecc

 

Ours have averaged about 1000 miles a week per van over our 200 vans and 6 years and we've never ever had injector issues
A few egr issues at first but none lately

 

im on my 4th coonect, new one is better as it has a bigger fuel tank as i was always filling up on my old 56 plate, if you have a lead foot they drink fuel but drive sensible and they are not to bad, lots to choose from as so popular, bodys do not rust but every nut bolt and washer underneath and under the bonnet seems to corrode as soon as they see a bit of water. iv done over 250,000 miles in 4 vans with no issues.

 

I went from an escort van to a connect and i don't regret it one bit.A lot more modern and you sit highter up with a lot more cabin room.
Plenty to choose from and the early ones are around now Ł1500-Ł2000
Stay away from tdci.
Here,s mine when i got it


And here it is after a few mods.

 

I work for they Royak mail repairing the vans. We have a few of these in our fleet and to be totaly honest there a cracking van. In the 3 years of been at the rm we have only ever done 2 engines. 1 of them was cause it had a bad oil leak and the manager of a local office told the driver to bring it to use. It ran our of oil and through a rod through the block.

 

i drive connects daily, if your gonna do high mileage the old endura engined ones are brilliant, we have at work several with over 300,000 mile on them, mine has 247,000, only real problems are throttle position sensors going, and the usual wear on tensioners and stuff, but we found the TDCi engines to be unreliable, always going wrong, and having to replace engines at 200,000 when we are doing 100,000 miles a year a pain in the arse.

 

Very tempted to get one!

 

ive just got one i bought it with a damaged engine tddi but this was only due to neglect bad servicing.
i also have a escort van and the connects are far better to drive and will be as reliable if looked after as said go for the tddi not the tdci

 

Why fuck around with a smiley transit when you can get a mk6 transit easily within your budget?!

3 1/2 years ago I paid Ł2300 for a y reg 100 280 swb transit, it had a tailgate, electric windows and heated mirrors. I ran it for two years and sold it for Ł1400 with a leaky pump!

I went from a escort van too and it's much much better!

Gavin.

 

We have a few TDCi connects at work and again they have been spot on.

 

i wanted a transit connect, then i found out you couldnt tow a transporter trailer with a car on. So it was a no go

 

The connect can only tow 800kg!

Well, my T200 can only tow that.

 

love mine just wish i could get someone near me to slam its arse

 

PM mercury grey minter & he can do the rear brackets to lower the rear.