Before I first drove a Ford Tourneo in 2014, I never realised that being a minibus driver could be so much fun. I had the privilege of being assigned a 2008 Tourneo (essentially a more luxurious Transit with windows and nine seats) hired from a firm on the South Coast for various duties in the summer of that year, and it was a thoroughly agreeable experience.
The fourth generation Ford Transit (and, by extension, the Tourneo) was produced from 2000-2014 and was the last one to be manufactured in the United Kingdom, at a dedicated facility in Swaythling, just opposite Southampton Airport. As its replacement, the Transit Custom, is manufactured in Turkey, it is interesting to compare the quality of the two. It has to be said that the example I had was very heavily used after six years and 130,000 miles, much more than the average hire vehicle, and seemed to be in reasonable good shape, although there were a few problems with it.
First of all, the plastic wind deflector which goes between the windscreen and the driver's door in order to improve aerodynamics was missing, which meant that the door flapped alarming at higher speed, although I knew it would not come open. Secondly, there was already some rust bubbling along the sills underneath, and there is hardly a Transit or Tourneo of this generation which does not have this problem. That being said, the major components of the van, such as the engine, clutch and gearbox and steering, all still seemed to be fine order, and the gearchange was no more difficult to operate than on a Fiesta.
The whole interior ambiance of the fourth generation Tourneo, particularly that of the post 2006 facelift models such as this one, is pleasant enough, with the overriding impression being one of practical simplicity. The driver's seat does seem to lack a bit of adjustment, but the front can carry three passengers with remarkable ease thanks to a dashboard-mounted gearchange and a handbrake which fits between the seats. The stereo, which had an AUX in, is also a model of clarity and there is an absolute plethora of stowage for bottles, clipboards and other paraphernalia. This has to be one of the most practical vehicles I have ever driven.
The boot alone, despite its dauntingly huge single piece rear tailgate which is very heavy to close and pretty much rules out reversing into parking spaces, can easily accommodate about eight suitcases, or over 1,000 500ml bottles of water. Each seat in the rear two rows is individually shaped with plenty of legroom, which can make for some fun outings. Mind you, the sheer size of the Tourneo means that narrow country lanes and multi-storey car parks are probably not its natural habitat.
On the road, the Tourneo's 2.2 litre diesel produces around 115 bhp (I think, it was hard to tell), which means a surprising turn of speed. Certainly with fewer people on board, there are no problems winding it up beyond 75 mph, although by then, there can be serious buffeting, prodigious bodyroll and questions about braking performance. Apparently most bank robberies in the Uk during the 1960s and 1970s involved a Transit van at some point, and I can well believe it. Those who had never driven one before certainly should have little to worry about. That said, parking sensors were a very rare optional extra, so low speed manoeuvres can be somewhat daunting until one has fully mastered the dual aspect mirrors.
To sum up, a Tourneo was designed as a rapid airport shuttle for VIPs and their luggage, and performs this task more than adequately. I have heard of the 2.2 diesel engine doing over 300,000 miles if properly maintained with frequent oil changes, so if one of these does come up for a reasonable price, with good service history and is relatively rust free, it seems like an excellent buy indeed. Just remember to try to stick to the speed limits and not to corner like a getaway driver...
