AUTO RED BOOK REVIEW: 2010 FORD E-SERIES VAN

On The Cover Review: 2010 Ford E-Series Van

If you’re someone who needs a reliable car to commute to work, or you want something fun and sporty, or you enjoy a luxurious vehicle, you may never see the appeal of an E-Series Van.  And yet, you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting one on the road.  What gives?  Well, clearly, there is a need for vehicles like this for people that need serious utility capabilities, and the E-Series is one of the best vehicles of its type.  The biggest change for ’10 is that Ford apparently dropped the “Econoline” moniker in favor of simply calling it E-Series, ending a tradition that started in 1960.  Losing our old nameplates is sad if you care, but not many people seem to care anymore anyway.  What stays the same is, well, the van itself.  What can you say, really?  It’s big.  It’s boxy.  The GVWR can go as high as 14,050-lbs.  You can buy a big, old cargo van that’ll carry two people and a fully-stocked repair shop.  Or you can buy a passenger van that can hold as many as 15 people.  You can buy a whole van, or you might choose some version of an incomplete E-Series on which you could install some other body, like a bus or an ambulance.  There are even some people out there that still buy conversion vans that are tarted-up by aftermarket vendors for large sums of money.  Whatever the application, Ford continues to build a solid platform for the people that need it.

Comments

[Kate Johnston]

I've been needing to replace my current 2-seater cargo van that I've had running my shipments for me. The Ford econoline van series seems to be the front-runner in the category, so it's first on my list. I've been test-driving one at the dealership here in Austin (http://www.covertford.com/) but I can't get a feel for it's towing power. Does anyone already own one and can attest to the payload capabilities of the 2010 Ford e-series?