2022 Ford Transit Crew Van

The Ford Transit has led the work-van segment for quite some time now, despite stiff competition from the Ram ProMaster Cargo Van and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Crew Van. Along with several updates in 2020, the Transit also saw the addition of a new trim aimed at more niche buyers - the Transit Crew Van. Seating five as standard, the Crew Van is designed to haul larger work teams while still supplying enough room for tools and equipment in the trunk. Like the Cargo Van, the Crew Van is available with three body lengths and roof heights, as well as two available engines. The standard V6 gas engine develops 275 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, while the twin-turbocharged V6 develops 310 hp and 400 lb-ft. With the Cargo Van on which it is based still leading the segment, we're excited to see how the Crew Van fares against the competition.

The Transit Crew Van benefits from the mid-cycle refresh of its siblings, the Cargo and Passenger vans. It was outfitted with a new grille in 2020; astride the grille are a pair of revised, modern automatic halogen headlights. High-intensity discharge headlamps are available, too, as well as fog lights. The van rides on 16-inch steel wheels, although alloy variants are offered. The overall appearance of the Crew Van will depend on how you configure it, with the available low, medium, and high roofs, and standard, long, or extended-length bodies. The sturdiest 350 HD variant of the van comes equipped with dual rear wheels.

With so many body configurations to choose from, the Ford Transit Crew Van has a rather intimidating range of dimensions. With the regular-length body, overall length varies between 217.8 and 219.9 inches with a 130-inch wheelbase, while the long body sees this increase to 235.5-237.6 inches with a 148-inch wheelbase. The extended length body maxes out at 263.9 inches. Similarly, overall height depends on the roof you opt for. The low roof sees the height range between 82.2 and 82.9 inches, with the medium roof raising this to 99.1-101.3 inches. The high roof gives the van a height of 109.6 inches with the long body, and 110.4 inches with the extended-length body. The only dimension to really remain standard across the range is width, measuring in at 97.4 inches with the mirrors and 81.3 inches without. As you'd expect, weight will vary greatly depending on how you configure your own Crew Van, but even the lightest configuration weighs in at over 5,000 lbs.

The Crew Van gets the same standard engine as the rest of the Transit range. Inherited from the F-150 pick-up and repurposed for the van, the 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 comes mated to a refined ten-speed automatic gearbox. The powerplant develops 275 hp and 260 lb-ft. It is very refined and the capable ten-speed transmission complements it perfectly.

Once again, Ford offers the 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6 engine. This powertrain gives the Transit a significant boost in power, upping outputs to 310 hp and 400 lb-ft. The stop-start function can take some getting used to, but the savings in fuel economy will be welcomed. As with the standard V6, this powertrain comes mated to the ten-speed automatic gearbox. Similarly, both powertrains come standard with rear-wheel-drive, but the Transit Crew Van is available with all-wheel-drive, too. This is a boon for those working in areas prone to poor weather, or where road maintenance is only an afterthought.

Commercial vans don't generally handle particularly well, but the Ford Transit is actually quite maneuverable for its size. The power steering helps the bulky van make quick and precise turns, and the crosswind assist helps keep it stable. However, there is almost no feedback from the steering, and the small wheels don't provide the best grip.

Those same small wheels deliver a relatively composed riding experience, though. This is assuming you stick to the speed limit, as the suspension has trouble dealing with anything but smooth roads when traveling at speed. Regardless of how fast you go, though, road noise will be a constant companion, alongside the rumble of the powerful V6 engines when accelerating.

The available all-wheel-drive drivetrain means that the Transit Crew Van can go where less capable rivals aren't able to. This ensures that your work teams or deliveries will make it to their destination, come snow or high water. Or, at least, come snow and mud.

Commercial vehicles are not rated for fuel economy by the EPA, so we normally rely on real-world reports to determine average mileage. However, the Transit Crew Van is quite a new entrant to the market. The EPA has rated the similar Ford Transit Passenger Van, though. Equipped with the standard 3.5-liter V6, it managed 15/19/16 mpg across the city/highway/combined cycles with front-wheel-drive, and 14/18/16 mpg with all-wheel-drive. While the two vans are somewhat different in weight and application, their overall designs are similar. Ergo, we can expect the Crew Van to deliver similar mileage figures. A 25-gallon tank comes standard, but there is the option of a 31-gallon tank on the extended body. Thus, you can expect the standard engine to carry the van over 425-527 miles between gas-station visits.

Specifically designed to transport larger work teams, the Transit Crew Van comes standard with seating appointments for five passengers. Those up front still have loads of head- and legroom, with absurd levels of headroom if you go with the high roof. Surprisingly, the second-row seats only supply average amounts of legroom, though, with much of the rear cabin reserved for cargo instead. Headroom remains excellent moving back through the cabin. Vinyl upholstery comes standard on all seats, although there is the option to upgrade to cloth. The front seats are only two-way manually adjustable as standard, although ten-way power front seats are available. Either way, forward visibility is good, while rearward visibility is poor. Luckily, blind-spot monitoring is available, as is rear cross-traffic alert. Getting in and out of the van is simple thanks to the wide-opening doors and low door sills.

While the overall volume of the Crew Van is identical to that of the Cargo Van, the standard addition of an extra row of seats lowers standard cargo capacity. You could technically still reach the same capacity as the most capable Cargo Van by deleting seats, but that defeats the whole point of the Crew Van. With the low roof and regular body, the Transit provides 158.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, increasing to 220.4 cubic feet with the medium roof. The long body paired with the low roof supplies 204.7 cubic feet, while the medium roof adds 58.7 cubic feet, and the high roof tops out at 300.2 cubic feet. Maximum capacity is reached by opting for the high roof and extended body, supplying a total of 383.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats.

There's a decent amount of small-item storage in the front of the cabin, but those in the second-row seats get nothing. Up front, there are three small cupholders set in the center of the dashboard, while two much larger cupholders are positioned at either end of the dash with recessed bins set underneath the dashboard. The two front doors also provide small pockets for extra storage, and there is a standard glove compartment.

While not lavishly appointed, the Ford Transit comes with all the essentials, and even a few nice-to-haves. Manual air-conditioning, remote keyless entry, a rearview camera, and two-way manually adjustable front seats make up the most basic features, along with cargo-hold essentials like tie-down hooks. However, even the base model gets some Ford Co-Pilot360 features, including forward-collision avoidance, post-collision braking, crosswind assist, a rear-view camera with trailer-hitch assistance, and lane-keep assist. This can be further supplemented with rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Similarly, a pair of 110-volt power outlets and a 12-volt outlet can be added, along with adaptive cruise control, heated mirrors, and a passenger-side power running board.

While not overly extensive, the infotainment suite is modern and easy to use. The standard four-inch color display is a little on the small side, but it offers Bluetooth compatibility and comes paired with a four-speaker sound system. Luckily, there is the option to upgrade to Ford's Sync 4 suite, which comprises a big 12-inch touchscreen, which is available in four different versions, with even the most basic one including navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and dual USB ports. The most expensive version includes SiriusXM, HD Radio, traffic-sign recognition, intelligent speed assist, and voice recognition.

Much like the Transit Cargo Van on which it is based, the Crew Van gets no dependability rating from J.D. Power. In 2020 it was subject to six recalls related to a faulty rear-view camera, curtain airbags that may not fully deploy, seatbelts that may not restrain passengers, a parking-brake cable that may fail, and a driveshaft that may separate. In 2021, there was only one recall for a malfunctioning seatbelt locking retractor. There have been no recalls for the 2022 model so far. New purchases of the Crew Van are covered by a pretty standard set of warranties. The bumper-to-bumper warranty is valid for 36,000 miles/36 months, while both the powertrain and roadside assistance plans last for a longer 60,000 miles/60 months.

While it may seat almost as many people as a passenger van, the Transit Crew Van is still a commercial vehicle. As such, it's not properly rated by the NHTSA or IIHS for crash-test safety. The NHTSA has tested the van for frontal crash, though, for which it received a mediocre rating of three stars out of five. However, the van does come remarkably well-equipped for the segment. Naturally, it gets stability control, ABS, and airbags for the driver and passenger, but it also gets side curtain airbags that extend the length of the cabin. Aside from this, the Crew Van comes standard with desirable driver-assistance features like forward-collision avoidance, lane-keep assist, crosswind assist, a rearview camera, automatic high beams, and post-collision braking. This standard suite can be further supplemented with rear parking sensors, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and a surround-view camera.

The Ford Transit has an impressive legacy, so the brand-new addition to its roster, the Crew Van, has a lot to live up to. Luckily, it is based on the same design as the class-leading Transit Cargo Van. That's not to say that there aren't vans out there that are better at performing certain tasks, but the Ford Transit is the master of doing everything well enough to be an amazing all-rounder.

The Crew Van doesn't offer as much standard cargo space as the more blue-collar Transit Cargo Van, but the extra row of seats makes it ideal for transporting work crews along with their tools. Sure, rivals like the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter can do the same, in more style and comfort, while others like the Chevy Express can tow and haul heavier loads. However, the Ford Transit has class-leading cargo capacity and enough comfort to easily surpass simpler workhorse vans.

With a wide variety of configurations and a surprisingly eclectic tech offering, the Ford Transit Crew Van can meet almost any need. It's certainly a hard van to beat and deserves your attention.

The price of the Transit Crew Van varies greatly depending on how you configure it. In its cheapest form, you get the regular body and low roof with rear-wheel-drive and the naturally aspirated V6 engine for $38,290. Equipping the medium roof to this build adds $820, while the long body can be added to the low-roof van for $1,270 or to the medium-roof van for $1,280. The high roof is only available once you've already optioned the long body, setting a new starting price of $43,485. Upgrading to the extended body in this configuration increases the price by $3,065. The twin-turbocharged V6 engine adds $1,775 over the standard engine. Opting for the all-wheel drivetrain is the most expensive standard upgrade, adding $4,695 to the bill. These prices exclude tax, registration, licensing, and Ford's $1,695 destination charge.

The most suitable configuration of the Crew Van will come down to your specific needs. Even with the low roof, the van has more than enough headroom for all five passengers, and getting in and out is easy. But if you need to haul a significant amount of equipment, you may want the higher roof and longer body. Regardless of these factors, you'll probably want the stronger twin-turbocharged V6 engine. However, you probably shouldn't consider the pricey all-wheel drivetrain unless the road conditions you'll be dealing with really require it. The money you'll save here could better be spent on the available driver-assistance features like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

With a maximum capacity of two passengers, the Ram ProMaster Cargo Van isn't technically a direct rival to the new Ford Transit Crew Van. There isn't the option to install a row of seats in the back. Naturally, this means that the Promaster has more standard cargo capacity than the Crew Van. However, the Ford still has a higher overall GVWR, meaning it can handle a fair amount of cargo alongside the five passengers. Trying to get the Ram Cargo Van to perform a similar task would be difficult, despite it getting a similar base V6 engine developing 280 hp and 260 lb-ft. Still, those on a budget might still like the ProMaster for its lower starting MSRP of $34,380. But, with better fuel economy, and a whole lot more features, the Ford Crew Van is still the more logical buy here.

As you'd expect from a premium brand like Mercedes-Benz, the Sprinter Crew Van is a bit pricier than the Ford Transit, with a starting MSRP of $41,375. But, what you get for that extra investment is pretty substantial. The interior of the Sprinter is hard to compete with, with premium cloth upholstery, or plusher leatherette for just $205 more. The exterior also offers a broader palette, with quite a few premium paint options, assuming you're willing to pay extra. Oddly enough, the base engine on the Merc van is a four-cylinder gasoline engine with only 188 hp and 258 lb-ft, but a V6 diesel is available with 188 hp and 325 lb-ft as well as a base 2.2-liter diesel with 161 hp. The Sprinter is offered with standard and high roofs and two wheelbases are available, the LWB only with the high roof. With more standard features and a lot more available, the Mercedes Sprinter Crew Van is definitely the more premium option, even if its 370.8 cubes can't quite match the Transit's 383.8 cubic feet of maximum cargo space. The Transit has more configuration options but the Sprinter 4500 has a higher maximum payload capacity of 5,908 pounds, although you have to pay nearly $60,000 for that version. The Transit Crew Van is the best all-rounder.