The Mom Taxi

October 27, 2011 - Carol McBee

 

I’m not one that embarrasses easily and I generally like to stick out from the crowd, rather than simply blend in.  I would have to say that as a non-taxi driver – this was definitely the most unique, loud and stare-provoking vehicle I have driven to date.  “School Bus Yellow” certainly makes a statement!

I love to drive anything and everything, so when this opportunity presented itself, I of course agreed!  For my readers, it certainly makes sense.  As moms, most of us are in a constant state of picking up and dropping off, unbuckling and rebuckling, loading and unloaded and for many sliding that mini-van door open and closed about a zillion times a day!

So, the similarities between moms and taxi drivers sometimes seem endless.  Enter in: The Transit Connect Taxi built by Ford.  At first glance, the vehicle is certainly very European looking with its boxy shape.  I can definitely picture it bumping along a cobblestone road overseas. 

The vehicle is most likely not designed to be used in a non-commercial setting, and if it was, I certainly would recommend many other vehicles before this one. 

 

Some info about the vehicle itself:

- It was introduced to North America in 2009

- More than 600,000 of them have been sold globally

- It seats 5 plus has lots of room for passenger luggage or can be converted for disabled

- The Taxi version is fully assembled in a Ford Plant

- Has excellent fuel consumption (10.0 in the city) with a 55.8L tank capacity

 

Overall features:

- I know that this should be a fairly basic vehicle, but I have to say, I was a bit shocked by just how basic the interior was – there was certainly none of the flash and finish that I am used to in the new Ford models.  There wasn’t a display, back up camera (more on that later!) or even Sync.  When I mentioned this to a Ford employee, they said that Taxi drivers use a radio system and not cell phones, but the last time I took a cab ride, they were on their phones the whole time.  So, I do think the Sync would be a reasonable option on this vehicle.

- For someone that is a professional driver, the driver’s seat was terribly uncomfortable.  I understand that the vinyl seating in the rear makes perfect sense for durability and ease of cleaning, but I do think the driver’s seat could have been upgraded to appeal to an all day driver.

- There is some really unique storage space for the driver above the dash; it’s a bit awkward that it is all open as passengers would be able to see everything that the driver has stored.

- The other thing I didn’t really like was how high up the sun visor was.  At 5’8”, I found it difficult to even reach it.

- The back seat had tons of leg room as the second row has been moved back 3” in the Transit Connect Model and the rear seat also has its own climate control

- The dual sliding doors make it easy to pick up and drop off passengers

-  Windows surround the entire vehicle making it bright inside and easy to see out.

- This vehicle can be equipped for wheel chairs and scooters and when I was driving it, there was actually a wheel chair secured in the back.  Between the barn door style doors (and the frame in between) plus the wheel chair, I found it very difficult to see out the back.  It isn’t a huge vehicle but I do think a back up camera (which seems to be almost the standard amongst Ford vehicles) would have been a great option for the driver.

- The key system was very strange.  There were no lock or unlock buttons in the vehicle that I could locate inside the vehicle.  There is most likely some type of FOB system that wasn’t included when I drove the vehicle.

- The overall drive was terrible.  It was rough and bumpy and for the price range (around $30,000) I think there are a lot of great options out there that would drive

 

Interesting features

The Transit Connect would normally be outfitted with a few modifications.  There was a space in the dash above the radio for the taxi companies fare computer as well as a divider between the driver and the passengers.  Some really unique modifications include a credit card reader built into the partition, a TV for “infotainment,” in-vehicle surveillance and GPS.

The cargo area can include some modifications as well; luggage protection barrier, which increases cargo area and basically allows you to stack up the rear seats.  The barrier is clear to allow for maximum visibility.  The vehicle can also accommodate disabled passengers and can include ramps, anchors to safely allow someone to sit in their wheel chair during transit and other useable modifications.

One of the more unique features I learned about was the fact that the hood locks.  There was no interior latch to open the hood; it must be opened by using a key.  This feature was introduced to protect the vehicles (assumed public transport vehicles) from tampering, bombs etc.+

All in all; for a $30,000+ price tag, I think there are a lot of other great options for taxi’s and passenger vehicles.  The ride was rough and bumpy.  Overall, it didn’t feel like I was driving a brand new vehicle. The interior, exterior and ride just felt really out of date.  I really like the passenger and cargo areas of the Transit Connect but I strongly feel like the driver seating, electronics and overall cockpit design could have been improved upon for professional driver comfort.

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