Ford Transit 350 3.7 L impressions

[fdcg27]

Picked up a new Transit 350 last week and did about a hundred miles highway in it. One advantage of being a lower level boss is that you can reserve the fun stuff for yourself.
The 3.7 is like a performance engine in that it makes lots of power, which you can really feel, but it needs plenty of revs to do so. Redline is nearly 7K, which seems a lot for an engine in a light commercial. Power is good and the transmission seems well matched to the engine. It also shifts very smoothly.
The vehicle overall is very nice, particularly as compared to the old E350 or GM's large van offerings, which are inferior to the now gone E350 in driving dynamics and have no power at all with their smaller V-8s, although the 6.0 is pretty strong.
This Ford rode well for an unladen ton van and it was also quiet and it tracked well, which you can't say of either the GM offerings or the E350. The seats were comfortable and had a good range of adjustment. The only real issue with driving position is that when you adjust the seat for a comfortable reach to the steering wheel, the pedals seem too close. Outside visibility is expansive, with plenty of door glass and a low beltline from the driver's seat.
Indicated fuel economy approached 17 mpg at 75 mph or so.
Overall, this was an impressive vehicle for what it is.

 

[double vanos]

My dad bought an ‘18 XLT Transit with the 3.7 ( I guess that's what it is, it's not turbo'd). Full interior, lane keep assist, active cruise control. Excellent headlights! Gets around just fine.

 

[bullwinkle]

Wait until you've had it for a while (if you haul anything heavy in it or a trailer), the drivetrain is not strong enough to take any abuse at all, especially the rear axle-we've had 3 or 4 of them fail inside of 100K.

 

[IndyFan]

I've got the Ecoboost version but have driven several with the NA V6 and I thought it was just fine.

Ours hasn't had any drive train issues in 120k other than an engine ruined by a quickie oil change guy. The transmission and axles have been perfect and the two engines have been perfect, as well, one with 85k and the new (Ford factory reman) one has 35k. Ours hauls lots of people all over the place. We haven't towed with it, but it frequently has all the seats full, hauling kids and chaperones on field trips and such. My wife certainly doesn't baby it.

My only issue is how cheap the trim pieces are in the interior. They fall off all over the place. The seats in the rear, though, are very comfortable and recline. The seating layout is fantastic, too. Ours is a mid-roof height, so my wife and kids can stand upright in it.

 

[bullwinkle]

I would add, if we had even a halfway decent Ford dealer around, my experience would be somewhat better-the ones here are only interested in doing any work if the warranty is expired & somebody other than Ford is paying to do it. When my torque converter was failing on my '15 Transit 250 3.7, it took multiple trips to multiple dealers to get them to fix it (even after I told them EXACTLY how to make it act up, moderate throttle on an uphill interstate run), and then TWO MONTHS to get it fixed because, as usual, no parts available!

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I have a friend that tows his Jeep with a 3.7 transit. If we're going somewhere together, my 5.4 can not keep up with him in the hills. They really are a nice van.

 

[IndyFan]

A good or bad dealer can make or break your experience with a vehicle. The sales department where we bought ours was horrible, and mirrored the stereotypical worst you think of in car salesmen or women. However, their service department is excellent. They did an absolutely perfect job of installing the remanufactured engine. We've not had one single issue with it, and I was worried about that. You don't always get the quality that comes with it being assembled in a controlled, coreographed environment like the production line. My hat's off to the tech or techs that did the job. I won't buy another Ford from them, though. I just can't stand the purchasing experience there. If you live in or near Indy and need dealership service, such as warranty, I recommend them. (Andy Mohr Ford, Plainfield, IN. Service advisor Don is outstanding.)

The dealership where I bought my Jeep has both ends right. The sales people are fantastic and the service department is, as well. I haven't found many dealerships so good from top to bottom. (Westgate Chrysler Jeep in Plainfield, IN.)

 

[joekingcorvette]

Good write up and it sounds like the engine has plenty of power and a pretty good redline.