Test drive Ford Tourneo Connect 2003 - 2007 Minivan

Useful criteria

Corporate heels
The temperature overboard -23 degrees C, a sharp gusty wind, a blizzard. At a speed of 90 km/h, the wind shied on board so much that the car was kept on the course only thanks to the energetic movement of the steering wheel. This is not an extreme landing in bad weather on devices, this is a test of vans.

Ford Tourneo Connect

Ford is significantly more than competitors inside and outside
The dashboard is easily read. The steering wheel adjustable in two planes allows you to choose the optimal landing. The KP lever with clear moves, and the handle lies comfortably in the hand.
The cargo space is huge, but in order to fold the seats, a serious force is needed, and in order for them to take up the place, they must be bounced unaesthetically, but it works.
Connect seats were the most convenient, but with an abundance of shelves, there is nowhere to put the phone.
 
Under the hood
Engine: working volume 1796 cm3,
max. Power 115 liters. with. at 5750 vol./min,
max. moment 160 nm at 4400 rpm/min
Fuel consumption (highway/city/medium): 7.4/12.9/9.4 l per 100 km
The number of places 5
Front drive
Suspension
Front independent, spring
The back is spring
Gearbox fur. 5-Test.
Dynamic characteristics
Maximum speed, km/h 170
Acceleration to 100 km/h, from 12.7
general information
Mass equipment./Complete, kg
1420/2120
Useful volume of cargo, m3
3.2
Carrying capacity, kg 700
 
Peugeot Partner

The poorest basic equipment is redeemed by a low price
Manufacturers say that Peugeot has an internal volume of more than 200 liters, in fact it is crawling, the advantages of Partner in smaller wheel arches and the simplest seats folding algorithm: you just need to press two buttons on the backs.
For some reason, it is believed that the lifting door is more prestigious, but it is still more convenient to swing, especially those that can open at 90 degrees and 180 degrees.
The folding scheme is the same: the back lies on the pillow, and the whole structure rises vertically.
The steering column is regulated only by the angle of inclination, and the seats are mediocre.
 
Under the hood
Engine: working volume 1361 cm3,
max. Power 75 liters. with. at 5500 vol./min,
max. moment 120 nm at 3400 rpm/min
Fuel consumption (highway/city/medium): 6.2/9.7/7.5 l per 100 km
The number of places 5
Front drive
Suspension
Front independent, spring
The back torsion
Gearbox fur. 5-Test.
Dynamic characteristics
Maximum speed, km/h 150
Acceleration to 100 km/h, from 17.5
general information
Mass equipment./Complete, kg
1190/1780
Useful volume of cargo, m3
2.8
Carrying capacity, kg 590
 
Renault Kangoo

In the traffic of urban traffic jams, there are no equal to narrow and short cars.
The basic package (Express) includes a radio tape recorder with CD. The tachometer and speedometer are familiar and readable, which can not be said about the indicator of the temperature and fuel level; The lever is not the most convenient and in the upper positions you have to reach for it.
Of course, two side sliding doors are always more convenient than one, this allows you to play passengers/cargo as you like. In the nomination, the transformation of the salon, in this test, Renault wins by points.
The steering column is fixed tightly, and taking into account the vertical landing, not everyone can conveniently sit down
 
Under the hood
Engine: working volume 1390 cm3,
max. Power 75 liters. with. at 5750 vol./min,
max. moment 112 nm at 4400 rpm/min
Fuel consumption (highway/city/medium): 5.5/9.2/6.8 liters per 100 km
The number of places 5
Front drive
Suspension
Front independent, spring
The back torsion
Gearbox fur. 5-Test.
Dynamic characteristics
Maximum speed, km/h 154
Acceleration to 100 km/h, from 13.7
general information
Mass equipment./Complete, kg
1065/1645
Useful volume of cargo, m3
2.6
Carrying capacity, kg 580
 
Like/ didn't like it
 
Ford Tourneo
LIKED
Large external mirrors for the van need, because if you load under the roof, then the salon mirror becomes useless
DID NOT LIKE
Close the hood with the ignition key? This branded Ford chip makes the engine to open every time you open the hood
 
 
Peugeot Partner
LIKED
Salon deflectors are simple and functional, you can direct the flow anywhere, or you can simply close. There is simply nothing to break here!
DID NOT LIKE
The idea is not bad, but here is a form ... After washing in the cold, open a gas tank problem. By the way, Kangoo distinguished himself the same
 
 
Renault Kangoo
LIKED
The combination of the engine and the box drives boredom from the usual traffic, the empty car instantly screws into any gap.
DID NOT LIKE
The abundance of naked metal inside the car for $ 20 thousand is discouraged
 
Probably, if I lived in a suburbs of Paris and had my own shop, where I would have traded milk and fresh herbs, I would seriously talk about the benefits of acquiring a cargo -passenger van for 1518 thousand euros. But while the Gazelle and VIS are alive, the lot of such cars in Russia to serve as corporate transport for all occasions in large companies. Although they secretly told me that people of a well -known nationality bought several Partners in order to carry cucumbers to the market.
Driving impressions
It was possible to overcome the snow parapet 15 cm high, which was before the parking, with the seventh attempt, simply rolling his ruts. Yes, in the conditions of our winter, a high-cost 1.4-liter engine and not the largest road clearance is not the best combination ...
But after the night in the cold, the engine wound up without problems, and we joined the traffic of Moscow traffic jams. Here narrow and short Partner and Kangoo showed themselves in the best way. They are squeezed into any cracks, and vigorous engines allow you to even step aside. In general, if your interests fit inside the ring one, then the choice of Peugeot and Renault is quite justified. They will not take up a lot of space when parking and will be on the spot on time. But on the highway, on speeds per hundred, high bodies are already forced to completely concentrate on driving. The advantages of Ford are revealed just where there is a place for overclocking. At 130 km/h, even on winter tires, the van behaves predictably, stands very well on the arc in a bend and holds a straight line, practically without reacting to the ruts. You should not deceive yourself: despite the small radius of the turn (by the way, all three machines are excellent maneuverability), Connect is a large car and behaves accordingly. From the habit in dead traffic jams in comparison with competitors, the movements and harsh brakes interfere with a rather nervous movement. But this is noticeable when you jump from one car to another. It is enough to spend the day at the wheel of Ford to evaluate the elasticity of the 1.8-liter (115 l.) Duratec, which allows an empty machine to move with the second and switch through the program. In general, the more time you spend while driving, the less Connect, but you always have to reckon with the width and often where Kangoo and Partner are leaking forward, Ford remains to be sad in the tail of traffic jams ...
WORKING SPACE
In winter, in Russia, the life of car photographers is the epic of Kalevala. Especially relevant is the place where the country of eternal ice is told: it is very cold and the sun quickly falls over the horizon. Even when it is necessary to capture the salon, the lighting conditions require open doors. Of course, the life of corporate drivers is not so harsh, but participation in a photo shoot helped to understand that cars are fastened very quickly. This is especially noticeable in Kangoo with its abundance of naked metal: buying a car for $ 20 thousand, I would like to see the front racks and window sills covered. True, the heater here is the most effective. A little more time is required to warm up the Peugeot salon, and Ford in this category is an outsider.
The driver’s working time is divided into three unequal parts. The first, the shortest, preparation for the exit. The corporate machine should be clean by definition, but the rectangularity of the design and vertical walls strive to collect all the rubbish, which is watered with the streets. To take water procedures in the cold, our wards oh, as they do not like. It is enough that all three machines are opened with a key. The idea, in itself, is not bad, anti -criminal, but opening a gas tank after washing on Kangoo and Partner is quite problematic. From a conversation with the drivers, it turned out that sometimes this operation takes up to an hour of time! Connect refuel without problems, but an open larva still inspires fears. By the way, Ford and the hood opens with the key, and in order to check the level of glass coat, you have to jerk the engine. In this case, Renault is not necessary to jam, but in order to open the hood for three drivers whose total experience is approaching 40 years, it took 10 minutes to search for a tiny lever under the front panel for so much time.
The rest of the working time (from 8 to 12 hours daily) is divided into movement and expectation. When the work takes so much time, the driver's convenience goes first. All three machines offer a vertical landing, but it was most comfortable to get a set of Connect: there are three adjustments to the driver's seat, and the steering wheel is adjusted in two planes. At Partner, the steering wheel is adjusted only by inclination, and Kangoo is fixed tightly. The adhesion of French cars is a traditional mystery. Each time it has to be caught by an uninformative pedal, and at what point only manufacturers know the device. The KP lever liked the most for Ford: the massive handle fits comfortably in the hand, and it is difficult to miss. Peugeot has a slightly worse selectivity situation. Renault’s most slurred KP drive, in addition, has to reach for the first, third and fifth gears.
The interiors of the French are very similar, clearly the second generation of cars was made with an eye on a competitor. There are a lot of shelves and shelves, boxes under passenger chairs and hidden cavities at the feet of the rear passengers. And a huge shelf under the ceiling ... In principle, all the same can be found in the Connect salon, but there is nowhere to put a phone or pack of cigarettes. An attempt to attach them on the front panel, after several maneuvers, ended in failure to crawl around the cabin after a mobile phone. A comfortable ashtray is only PEUGEOT in the basic package, and in the corporate consciousness of Ford and Renault a healthy lifestyle, apparently, has already been rooted.
USEFUL VOLUME
Transferring four passengers is not a problem, but this trip can be called comfortable only in Connect, there is more space in width and length. But French cars are spacious with spacious ones on the heads of the riders are free, but the three of the back in the back seat is cramped, and the knees rest ...
The rear seats themselves are divided into a ratio of 40/60 and are folded the same way, in two doses: the back is laid on the pillow, and the whole structure rises vertically. It is most convenient to do this in Peugeot, just press two buttons on the backs. In Renault, after the back is folded, you need to pull for a couple of belt loops. Ford has one loop and an effort on it is not true: the Ford seats are easiest to dismantle at all, but the installation of back will also require effort.
The difference in the volume of French machines is minimal, the Renault space is slightly smaller due to the fact that the arches are slightly more entered in the salon. Ford is clearly larger both in width and in height. But the swing rear doors are available only in the long -drawn Ford version, and Kangoo and Partner offer their customers a lifting or swing doors to choose from. So in terms of convenience of loading, Ford is slightly inferior to competitors.
SUMMARY
It makes no sense to write in detail about trim levels and options, there are a lot of them. The number of airbags, a high or low roof, a long or short base (for Ford), the presence of ABS and PBS, the quality of the audio system all depends on the thickness of your wallet.
French cars are very close both in terms of convenience and in running qualities. Operating experience suggests that here is also an approximate parity. This means that the issue of price and aesthetic priorities remain. According to most criteria, Ford comes forward, but it is more expensive, in addition, it is obvious that the cost of operation will be higher.
If your interests do not go beyond the borders of the metropolis, then you can vote with a ruble for the French, and if the city/highway is equivalent in the coordinate system, then the Ford wins.
Text Max Sergeev
Photo by Leonid Grandfather
 

A source: Cars