My New Company Vehicle & Impressions

7998

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I am happy to report I got a new company vehicle this week. My 2015 Transit Connect has been passed on to another employee after 133k mostly trouble free miles.

We had been talking about getting a new truck due to my TC getting up in the miles and my role within the company has evolved to the point I am strictly administrative.

I made 2 requests, factory navigation & 500+ miles to a tank of fuel. It also had to be either fwd or awd.
We considered the Ranger but eliminated it based on it's fuel economy, size of fuel tank, capabilities, size, & price.

I got a phone call from my boss Saturday excitedly telling me he bought me a new truck. I was content getting a left over but was admittedly hoping for the new 2021.

I've owned a 2016 F150 XLT with the 302a and traded that for a fully optioned 2019 F150 Platinum. So I was excited to see how the new 21 compared to the last gen.

The first thing you notice is there is nothing radically different 2020 to the 2021. But once you spend some time in the vehicle the differences start to reveal themselves.

Everything has been changed and upgraded for the better.
The switches are nicer to the touch. The knobs nicely weighted and made out of metal, even switches as insignificant as the fan for the climate control is made from what feels like billet aluminum.
The XLT trim pieces now have a high end feel to them as opposed to the last generations gray brushed plastic.

The 12" screen is nice and easy to use. The graphics and fonts are modern. I also have a screen between the gauges that is a lot nicer than the one in my Platinum. Though I haven't found a boost gauge yet.

The ride is great as it was in the last gen. The only difference I can tell, and I'm not sure if Ford changed something or it is the difference in the way this particular truck is configured is the steering feels sharper.

One of the biggest differences between this gen and the last is the adaptive cruise control and lane keeping. I rarely use cruise control but when you work in the NYC & Philly areas it'll save you a lot of stress on your commute.
The first thing you notice is it can read the speed signs as opposed to the last one relying on gps to know the speed limit and it will slow it's self down accordingly.
It will also steer itself through the corners though it won't let you take your hand off the wheel for long. I'm looking forward to when the auto pilot becomes available.

So far I am averaging 21.4 mpg's with mixed driving which is good considering it has the 3.73's.

Ok now the bad. It's not really bad as much as they are gimmicky.

1. The fold down shifter. Why? First off I don't have the work station. Second, it just feels like something that is going to break over time. Personally I like a column shifter in a truck. But if Ford is going for new and modern just put some PRNDM buttons on the console or dash like Lincoln does.
It's not like the shifter is attached to a cable or something.

2. The work station tailgate thing. This was definitely thought up by someone who has never really worked with their hands before. It's pointless. I've been in the construction industry for 30 years and I can guarantee no one will use this as Ford intended. "Hey Jimmy I need you to cut a birds mouth on that hip rafter" " Ok Frank let me whip out my tailgate". When I showed it to my guys (carpenters) they immediately went into jokes about measuring their genital's and then into the size of fish they caught last weekend and finally to the size of the girl's ass at the liquor store.

To summarize, I am very happy with my new truck. Before getting it I looked at the 2021 as a mild refresh akin to the 2017-2018. Boy was I wrong. Everything in the 2021 is better by some measure.
Ford evolved this generation like Porsche does with the 911. They just made everything better, nicer, and more livable.

I know TL;DR, blah, blah, blah, I like it./ thread

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CobraBob

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Congrats! That's a really nice truck. And, you got a '21! I understand why you're smiling ear to ear.

Just curious. You said your 2015 Transit Connect with 133K miles was being giving to someone else at your company. That kind of caught me by surprise. I would have more expected the company would sell it or trade it in. So who was the "lucky" person to get it?
 

7998

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Congrats! That's a really nice truck. And, you got a '21! I understand why you're smiling ear to ear.

Just curious. You said your 2015 Transit Connect with 133K miles was being giving to someone else at your company. That kind of caught me by surprise. I would have more expected the company would sell it or trade it in. So who was the "lucky" person to get it?

Thanks, but I'm not in any of those pictures I believe, unless you count the skeleton. The Transit got handed down to a long time employee. Usually only foreman get trucks but this was done more out a sign of respect and a motivator to step up. They're happy to be recognized and it wasn't worth a whole lot on a trade or to sell so a win win.
 

me32

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Congrats on the new work truck. Pretty sweet for a work truck.
 

7998

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Congrats on the new work truck. Pretty sweet for a work truck.

It is definitely a lot nicer than I would've spec'd had I ordered it. It's so nice in fact that I may have to trade the Platinum in for something else. Maybe an SUV or SD or...........
 

SonicDTR

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Nice ride!

Agreed on the shifter too. I just spec'd out an XL and noticed that it has a column shifter with the bench seat. Wonder why they didn't opt to make them all column shift?
 

supercharged91m

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Nice color! Also agree on the column shifter idk maybe im just old school but that's how i like it. Its just crazy 2 me know a days how it cost extra for a 36 gallon tank.. That should be standard equipment just saying..
 

03cobra#694

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Nice color! Also agree on the column shifter idk maybe im just old school but that's how i like it. Its just crazy 2 me know a days how it cost extra for a 36 gallon tank.. That should be standard equipment just saying..
For both. I think I paid like $600 for the console shift on my 18 Lariat. I never even though about the bigger tank when I ordered it.
 

7998

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Great truck. But that cost as much as my 250 XLT Tremor.

We got it for $51k. Also I drive 25k-30k miles a year on these bombed out NE roads. That Tremor's gas bill and would take a huge chunk out of my bonus, not to mention trying to park it. The Tremor would make a nice personal truck though.
 

ON D BIT

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We got it for $51k. Also I drive 25k-30k miles a year on these bombed out NE roads. That Tremor's gas bill and would take a huge chunk out of my bonus, not to mention trying to park it. The Tremor would make a nice personal truck though.
Got mine for $54k. I’m still amazed the 150 are the same price as the 250.
 

7998

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Damn that's a lot of miles to a tank of fuel. So far I'm averaging 21.4 mpg's over 1200 miles of driving in NJ.



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