Transit offers roomy space in a compact
Roomy vehicles with compact exteriors have always appealed to me, and I've owned a bunch of them over the years, beginning with a late '60s Volkswagen Bus.
My latest favorite in this category is the 2011 Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon ($23,200 plus $805 freight), a five-passenger family vehicle that Ford created from its compact commercial van.
This isn't the most styling boxy compact van on the market; that honor, in my book, is a tie between the Nissan Cube and Kia Soul. But the Transit Connect wagon has more space, is really kind of cool-looking once it grows on you a bit, has decent fuel economy (21 mpg city/26 highway) and is quite affordable, considering what you get.
And what you get is a small van with a snoutlike nose, a cavernous interior and quite comfortable seating for all five of its occupants.
Performance is not one of its strengths, though, so if you're the kind of driver who needs to beat everybody to the next stoplight, then the Transit Connect is not for you. Under the hood is a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine, rated at 136 horsepower and 128 foot-pounds of torque.
It's connected to a four-speed automatic transmission, which ought to be a six-speed to help improve fuel economy. I can see Ford upgrading the transmission in the near future if the Transit Connect is to stay in the lineup for the long haul. It's probably here to stay for a while, though, as several new versions are on the way, including a taxicab and a battery-operated electric version.
Although I never had my test vehicle fully loaded with people and/or cargo, I had sufficient power for my everyday driving needs, including a daily commute totaling about 60 miles mostly along high-speed freeways. The somewhat sluggish acceleration was not a problem.
Ford introduced the Transit Connect as a commercial van in 2009, importing it from Europe, where it had been on sale for a while — and where small vans such as this are immensely popular. It's made at a Ford plant in Turkey, using an engine assembled in Spain.
The Transit Connect recently lost out on a bid to become the official new taxicab of New York City — a passenger version of a similar-sized Nissan commercial van was chosen instead. But Ford will be putting a natural-gas-powered taxi version of the Transit Connect on the streets of Chicago and Boston soon.
When I first saw the Transit Connect commercial model, my first thought — and subsequently a question to Ford — was: Will there be a passenger version for consumer use? There was a back seat available right away on the commercial model. But the new Premium Wagon version is specifically for personal use and includes windows all the way around.
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The front doors are wide and lead into comfy front bucket seats. The driver's side has six-way manual adjustment and the passenger side four-way. There are manually operated sliding doors on each side for the rear passengers; power doors are not
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Find the Right French Doors for Your Home | ArticlesWorldWide
How to Effectively Find the Right French Doors for Your Home
As we are only too aware with the terrible winter that the UK has just gone through windows and doors help to keep our homes warm, however windows and doors have now with the help of technological advances within the window and door industry increased in popularity with so many other issues such as aesthetic looks security and heat efficiency all now playing major roles for consumers when it comes to buying new windows and doors for their home.
Larger bi-fold door systems are used as room dividers, barn doors, and even airplane hangar doors. They are usually hung from overhead tracks and suspended by rollers or casters. The innermost door panel has a knob or a door-pull which allows the user to fold the door panels together.
The frames are also made from the high tech polymer UPVC, which as well as being great for providing a secure seal to your windows it looks great on many homes. UPVC traditionally comes in a bright white color that can lighten up any old looking house and give it a fresh overhaul. Some homes are restricted on the work they can have done though such as country homes in protected land, fortunately newer designs of these frames now come in a wide range of mock-wood effect finishes to satisfy local authorities.
French doors usually consist of PVC doors which are extremely easy to maintain and come in a range of different colors. They can be composed of long panels of glass or split into individual panes of glass and have the benefit of opening both outwards and inwards, compared to patio doors which only slide from side to side. They can easily be installed in your living room, creating an ideal pathway into the garden.
When considering purchasing a bi-folding door or folding sliding patio door system it is crucial to consider your budget. They are more expensive than the alternative Sliding doors or single patio door openers. However, there is clearly much to gain out of the extra investment. Many new homes are fitted with bi-folding doors in order to add value to their investment. The next thing to consider is whether you would prefer a UPVC bi-fold or an aluminum bi-fold. The aluminum folding door is around 50% more expensive but in terms of a product there is no comparison. The UPVC do not look as modern and can sometimes seem cumbersome due to the need for larger frames. In comparison the Aluminum folding sliding door system can be made with thinner frames, which means more glass and clearer views. It can also be made much wider and higher due to the extra strength of the material.
French doors or folding, sliding patio doors? Oak is proving to be very popular with homeowners and self-build fans. 
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