2023 Ford Transit Cargo Van Review: Mr. Do-It-All

When one thinks of vans, Ford always springs to mind, and the 2023 Ford Transit Cargo Van is one of the best in the business. This cargo van has helped millions of small-business owners transport goods and deliver services, and this year, Ford expands the Transit range with the Transit Trail, a outfit-ready camper edition with raised suspension and all-wheel-drive. The Ford Transit Cargo Van competes against other haulers, such as the Ram ProMaster Cargo Van and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo Van, and has them beat in several categories. We love the Transit's customizable nature, its optional Sync infotainment system, and its meaty optional 310-horsepower turbocharged V6 and standard ten-speed automatic transmission. This is a hard van to beat.

What's the Price of the 2023 Ford Transit Cargo Van?

The Transit starts at $43,455, excluding the $1,695 destination charge. This gets you a low roof and a regular-length body. Upgrading to a medium roof adds $825 to the price and can only be had with regular or long bodies. The long body adds $1,275 to the base price price. The high roof is only available with a long or extended body. The long body with the high roof costs $48,655, while the extended body is an extra $1,220 on top of that. These prices are all with the base 3.5-liter engine and rear-wheel drive. Speccing the turbocharged EcoBoost power plant adds $1,775 to a configuration while opting for the all-wheel-drive system adds $4,695 to the price. Fully loaded with options and packages, the Transit can be made to cost over $60k, but most buyers will be conservative and only tick the options that they're likely to use every day.

2023 Ford Transit Cargo Van Handling And Driving Impressions

Vans have come a long way in terms of drivability, and in the case of the Ford Transit, they have even taken on some of the handling characteristics of smaller vehicles. This van will spend most of its life in the city, and for that reason, Ford fitted the Transit Cargo Van with light and precise power steering that makes turning sharp corners and making U-turns a cinch. On smooth road surfaces, the Transit is well-behaved, but its lack of insulation makes it less refined than the more car-like Sprinter. Braking is decent, as long as you remember that big vans on commercial tires don't stop on a dime like a car, especially when loaded. We love the fact that Ford offers this van in AWD; it allows you to venture onto slippery roads and give you the confidence to tackle snow, while improving handling and safety. The AWD system is designed to have no impact on the floor height or load space. Either a 275-hp/260-lb-ft naturally aspirated or a 310-hp/400-lb-ft twin-turbocharged version of the same 3.5-liter V6 gas engine can be specified and although the latter provides surprising punch for a van, it's quite heavy on fuel. A ten-speed automatic transmission means you get the most out of the engines and ensure low-rev crusing ability.

Verdict: Is The 2023 Ford Transit Cargo Van A Good Van?

Ford has a winner on its hands. The Ford Transit Cargo Van offers so much to so many; it is massively configurable thanks to three roof heights and three body lengths, as well as two solid engines. We'd go with the turbo six if you plan on hauling heavy loads. The handling and overall driving experience are impressive too. This van is happy in the city, on the open road, and in AWD guise on slippery surfaces. The interior is nothing to write home about, but the standard feature list is good, and the sizable optional Sync 4 infotainment display is excellent, although it costs extra. Now that the ancient Express and Savana twin from GM's Chevrolet and GMC divisions have had their prices hiked by over $5,000 for 2023, the far more modern and refined Ford looks like great value for only a couple of thousand dollars more. A quick review of one of the Ford Transit Cargo Van's other competitors reveals that the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is possibly the most important one. It is more refined, offers a higher payload and towing capacity, and is available in fuel-efficient diesel options, but the Ford counters with more body configurations and a lot more power. It's a close-run thing, but the highly customizable Ford may just be the better all-rounder.

What Ford Transit Cargo Van Model Should I Buy?

The choice of roof height, body length, and drivetrain will come down to what the vehicle is most often going to be used for. For example, there's no need to spend extra on all-wheel-drive if the vehicle will spend most of its time on sunny city roads. However, we would recommend the outstanding 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine for its additional power and torque. We'd also spend at least $930 on upgrading the infotainment system so that smartphone connectivity and navigation are fitted. The Sync 4's far bigger 12-inch touch display also has a lot more area, which is helpful for backing up such a large vehicle and particularly useful when hitching a trailer up. Upgrading the steel wheels seems like a waste of money, so we'd leave those alone and rather spend around 800 bucks on adding blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert to the already impressive standard driver aids, making the van safer and easier to maneuver in traffic.