NVP Snow Traction and Passenger Comfort

[Jimpaulette]

Hi everyone!

 

Does anyone here use a NVP in climates which see lots of snow?  If so, how does it deal with the occasionally snowy road?  I live in Maine and will be using the NVP year round (with dedicated snows, of course)

 

Also, how does this rate in passenger comfort compared to a 15-passenger Transit?  I sat in one of those yesterday and was appalled - I could barely get to the 4th row because the aisle was so narrow and the seats had zero elbow room or knee space.  I'll be using this van primarily to bring 10 co-workers to work as a van pool service, and for family duty.

 

Finally, does anyone here own a NVP 3500 HD S?  I'm intrigued by the plastic floors and simple design but am wondering if these vans are too basic for reasonable passenger comfort.

 

Thanks!

[andy_george]

Get some winter tires for it, and it'll tackle anything, even the winter storms. It handles the Michigan winters very well. It's is heavy, so it's mass doesn't do it any favors when a slide does happen, but that's just physics. And that usually only happens when I flip off the stability control and act like I'm 18 again;)

 

About seating space, even in their tightest configuration, there's still plenty of room for most people. Much better than the transit, which reminds me of the tiny extended cab rear seat legroom on older pickups....

 

I have the SL, so I can't comment on the S....

[Chris Dempsey]

I live in Michigan also, and have been impressed with the traction/handling/stability in the snow. I considered snow tires, but really don’t see the need. We have almost no hills in SE Michigan, so your experience may be different if you have elevation changes.

[Jimpaulette]

Get some winter tires for it, and it'll tackle anything, even the winter storms. It handles the Michigan winters very well. It's is heavy, so it's mass doesn't do it any favors when a slide does happen, but that's just physics. And that usually only happens when I flip off the stability control and act like I'm 18 again;)

 

About seating space, even in their tightest configuration, there's still plenty of room for most people. Much better than the transit, which reminds me of the tiny extended cab rear seat legroom on older pickups....

 

I have the SL, so I can't comment on the S....

 

I test drove an NVP SL today and liked it very much.  That said, I don't need or want the leather, Navi, and other fancy bits.  The salesman actually walked off on me after the test drive and said I was "wasting his time" because I wanted to price out an S instead of making a deal on the in-stock SL. No bueno - looks like I won't be going there to order one.

 

I liked the visibility, MPG and price of the Transit 350 more (found a used XLT with 5,300 miles for $26K), put the passenger comfort will be a tough sell.  I won't be sitting back there, but even at 5'6'' I felt kind of cramped and couldn't squeeze through to the 4th row, whereas comfort seemed more emphasized in the NV.

 

Has anyone driven these over 100,000 miles yet?  Can anyone comment on durability?  I tend to be very nice to my stuff (and the 100K warranty is nice) but am trying to get an idea of out-of-pocket expense on things like brakes, tires, etc.

[radin2son]

There are commercial users with 100k and more out there, but the NVP owners on this forum probably not. Axulsuv had 75k (OEM tires) and we have 58k (OEM tires). Most vans only see NV commercial dealerships for routine service, not problems. No question about super durability and keeping NVs for long periods. Diesel or the new V8 will prompt some to trade their NVP for a new one.

 

What mpg have you been told the Transit will get and what type of mpg do you expect? The other question I have who owned and why the Transit with such low mileage is available.

[Jimpaulette]

I've been told that the Transit will get around 17mpg loaded down. My calculations are based on 15mpg for budgeting fuel costs for either van. I know that the NV will be a little thirstier than the Transit, but that's fine.

 

I'm not sure what the story is, but I've seen a ton of very low mileage 2015 Transits in my area that are discounted about $14,000 off of a new price. Getting a 2015 Transit for $27K is appealing, but what good is it if it won't work for me? :)

[radin2son]

Axulsuv's 1500 V6 cargo van averaged 21+ mpg while our 2500 V8 campervan, almost same curb weight as a NVB, averages 15.4 mpg. Since you want the no frills S version, why not search for a V6 SV. You most likely will get 17 mpg or better.

 

I would still be wary about the low mileage Transits. Fleet turnover is one thing, but is it disatisfaction for the reasons you stated?

[KMG]

I'd like to know if the discounted units all have the Ecoboost  engine?

[Jimpaulette]

Axulsuv's 1500 V6 cargo van averaged 21+ mpg while our 2500 V8 campervan, almost same curb weight as a NVB, averages 15.4 mpg. Since you want the no frills S version, why not search for a V6 SV. You most likely will get 17 mpg or better.

 

I would still be wary about the low mileage Transits. Fleet turnover is one thing, but is it disatisfaction for the reasons you stated?

It looks to be mostly off-lease fleet vehicles.  I checked the CARFAXs of a few and that seemed to be a common theme.  I'm not sure who would dump a leased car after less than 10,000 miles, but there are many similar examples floating around in the Northeast.

 

Looks like mostly 3.7L V6s. 

[radin2son]

For what it's worth, there have been previous posts that NVs hold their value, as in not much difference in price between used vs new. $14k for a used Transit is a huge discount.

 

Back to your snow ?. There is a ProMaster video comparing a Transit and ProMaster climbing a short snow covered hill. The Transit failed. Set up? What is curious about most van comparisons is the absence of NVs.

[Jimpaulette]

I just watched that video... yeesh. Granted, the Promaster is a FWD vehicle but that wasn't even close. It mirrors the experience that I had with a U-Haul Transit rental.

 

The dealer quoted me $34,995 for a new SV V6, and $32,495 for an S V6. That seems pretty reasonable for a new NV. If I can't find a gently used one, I think I'll order a new S.

 

I don't want an SV because the carpeting will get trashed in short order. I'll be trucking shipbuilders back and worth to work so I want something that will be easy to keep clean... plus there isn't enough in the SV to justify a $2500 price difference IMO.

[radin2son]

Good luck on your quest.

 

PM Chris_commercial manager about your leasing/purchase questions. $32k+ is or close to MSRP. Who knows, you may get the first of the 2017 models.

[Jimpaulette]

Would you trust a used NV with 51,000 miles? Found exactly what I wanted and it appears to be gently used at a good price.

[jaredg]

I probably would if the price was right.

[wollip]

Gently used - you better believe I would.

[andy_george]

I sure would. Probably be good for another 200,000 trustworthy miles yet....

 

If the used market existed for the NV when we needed a van, that's exactly what I would have been looking for. But they were just too new at that time....

[radin2son]

We have almost 59,000 miles on ours and trust it. Our plan is to keep it another 6 years, so we will be well over 120,000 miles.

 

I rarely post on the SMB forum, but did so at 50k. Their response was "See you at 100k."

[Jimpaulette]

Nice.  I get the impression that these things are bulletproof from what I've been reading.  I've seen a few for sale with over 300,000 miles!  And the "550K in 32 months" infographic blew me away.

 

Test drove a Transit today - that one's definitely out.  The NV is the clear winner.

 

This is the one I've been eyeballing - thumbs up or down?

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/viewDetailsFilterViewInventoryListing.action?sourceContext=forSaleTab_false_0&formSourceTag=112&newSearchFromOverviewPage=true&inventorySearchWidgetType=AUTO&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=d2189&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity2=&zip=04330&distance=500&searchChanged=true&formSubmissionTracer=true&modelChanged=true&filtersModified=true&sortType=undefined&sortDirection=undefined#listing=146975411

[radin2son]

Looks clean! What I like about NVs is how impossible it is to tell the year.

 

Service record and manuals? 2 keys? If the used vehicle dealer (?) offers an extended warranty I would be inclined to skip it. So little goes wrong with these, plus at 51,000+ miles, most NV problems should have been delt with. Owner/operator caused problems are another thing. You've mentioned using carfax...

 

Assuming it had the 30,000 mile service, you will be coming up on an equally expensive 60,000 service. Get the the optional recommended service to make sure it has everything up to date.

[wollip]

If there are no service records at all, I would have the transmission serviced immediately just to be sure.

[300winmag]

I used my nv last winter to haul my RzR in the back country, i got into some sticky situations where i had to unhook my trailer to make it through but it had no problem what so ever in the snow... mud on the other hand, stay very very far away from lol.

[Mark Rogers]

I have an NV3500 passenger version with OEM tires.  It does okay in the snow, but our Dodge Grand Caravan handles it a lot better.  I've needed tire chains a few times this winter on the NV, but never on the minivan (which also has all season tires).

 

I'm wondering if reducing the NV's rear tire pressure would help in the snow.  Can anyone tell me if that would be a good idea?

[andy_george]

Snow tires. Period ;)