Topic: Test Drive: 2012 MV-1

[Autos_Editor]

Designed for people with disabilities, the new MV-1 makes it easy for persons in wheelchairs to enter and exit.

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[pcsp]

What a great idea! Sounds like this is a product that was well thought out and attention paid to the details. As a former employment counsellor for those with mobility challenges, I know that personal transportation needs are high on the priority list for independence and overall quality of life. $40,000 seems like a very reasonable price when compared to van conversions and other options (as long as "additional features" don't push the price up to $50,000-60,000 and beyond).

We still need, however, to focus upon a public transport system that incorporates the needs of the disabled. Many cities are already doing this.

[dirtyjeffer]

looks like a decent vehicle...my friend is in a wheel chair and currently drives a Caravan conversion, which he purchased new close to 10 years ago (and is getting due to be replaced)...he paid $54k for it, so if this pricing is similar, it should be a pretty decent alternative.

[whaddaiknow]

looks like a decent vehicle...my friend is in a wheel chair and currently drives a Caravan conversion, which he purchased new close to 10 years ago (and is getting due to be replaced)...he paid $54k for it, so if this pricing is similar, it should be a pretty decent alternative.

Respect to Ford for building a vehicle like this and at a manageable price point.
Does the government help people in wheel chair purchase such transportation in any shape or form? I hope it does.

[chrischasescars]

looks like a decent vehicle...my friend is in a wheel chair and currently drives a Caravan conversion, which he purchased new close to 10 years ago (and is getting due to be replaced)...he paid $54k for it, so if this pricing is similar, it should be a pretty decent alternative.

Respect to Ford for building a vehicle like this and at a manageable price point.
Does the government help people in wheel chair purchase such transportation in any shape or form? I hope it does.

This particular vehicle isn't made by Ford; it's built by a specialty vehicle manufacturer, using a Ford powertrain.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Respect to Ford for building a vehicle like this and at a manageable price point.
Does the government help people in wheel chair purchase such transportation in any shape or form? I hope it does.

Varies by province. Here, there are fund raising groups that will contribute towards the purchase of an adaptive vehicle.

[whaddaiknow]

looks like a decent vehicle...my friend is in a wheel chair and currently drives a Caravan conversion, which he purchased new close to 10 years ago (and is getting due to be replaced)...he paid $54k for it, so if this pricing is similar, it should be a pretty decent alternative.

Respect to Ford for building a vehicle like this and at a manageable price point.
Does the government help people in wheel chair purchase such transportation in any shape or form? I hope it does.

This particular vehicle isn't made by Ford; it's built by a specialty vehicle manufacturer, using a Ford powertrain.

Oops. Thanks, Chris. Sorry Ford! 
I guess the author assumed that the readers (or at least me) are intinately familiar with the manufacturer and left out any details about the company itself.

[dirtyjeffer]

when i was at the Toyota dealership a few weeks ago, i noticed a "accessibility version" of the Sienna there...not sure about the details, but they might be the only one who make one (rather than a separate company)?

i sent my friend the link, and is interested in it, and he plans to go the NAIAS to see if he can get more details of what is available...one thing he wasn't overly impressed with is the 4.6L V8 with 240HP, when Chrysler's Pentastar V6 is 283HP...i admit, he has a point...the 4.6L isn't even used any more (it's last use was the Crown Victoria, i believe), so one would think a more modern power plant might have been a better choice.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

when i was at the Toyota dealership a few weeks ago, i noticed a "accessibility version" of the Sienna there...not sure about the details, but they might be the only one who make one (rather than a separate company)?

The Sienna has an accessibility prep package. That van runs about $30k, then the ramp equipment is added to it. Out the door, you're looking at $50k+.

[SapphireSeo]

This car is truly alien to what I'm used to seeing on the roads. The only wheelchair accessible vehicles I see are the caravan cabs. This thing is huge, with loads of hp, and weighs five-thousand pounds, it's just weird. Maybe I would feel differently if I took an arrow in the knee.

[Fuzzy]

My wife has MD and we waited for the MV-1 to come out before buying an accessible vehicle.  After a long test drive last summer we came away disappointed. We'd
test driven the Honda Element, Toyota, Dodge and Honda mini vans and bottom line, the MV-1also.  Bottom line, it's BIG and has (at least at the time of our test) very
little creature comforts.  The ride was sort of like an unloaded pickup truck, bit of a buckboard, and it was noisy on the inside while driving - road/engine noise.  The price
is right but the wait wasn't worth it.  It is designed as a commercial vehicle and it shows.  In the end we opted for a Braun conversion of a 2011 Dodge Caravan R/T. 
Night and day difference.  The Dodge is still a big vehicle but much more comfortable for driver and chairbound passenger.         

[chrischasescars]

when i was at the Toyota dealership a few weeks ago, i noticed a "accessibility version" of the Sienna there...not sure about the details, but they might be the only one who make one (rather than a separate company)?

i sent my friend the link, and is interested in it, and he plans to go the NAIAS to see if he can get more details of what is available...one thing he wasn't overly impressed with is the 4.6L V8 with 240HP, when Chrysler's Pentastar V6 is 283HP...i admit, he has a point...the 4.6L isn't even used any more (it's last use was the Crown Victoria, i believe), so one would think a more modern power plant might have been a better choice.

My assumption is that the manufacturer probably went with an engine that could move the vehicle easily (the 4.6 has decent torque), and that they could get at a reasonable price. I imagine it'd be more expensive to source a motor that's in higher demand than this one.

[lostcomma]

I took one look at it and said london taxi. This would seem to make a pretty good taxi.
 Unfortunately the review fr. sapphireSeo is probably pretty much what I had expected.
 It's just very difficult for company without the resourcesof a large multi national to
 design and create a viable specialty product and still make money.
Even then one of the very first versions of the  Ford transit connect was the taxi version.
I took one for a test drive, their were positives. But in the end it's literally nothing more than
 a shell with little noise suppression. The last place you would want to spend 12 hours.

[safristi]

does it really take $30 Grand to convert say a Dodge Caravan to make it driveable for a wheel chair bound person.I'm all for their ability to drive what i am questioning is the UP CHARGE involved.....i'm naive in this area so forgive my questioning if it is unreasonable.

[dirtyjeffer]

does it really take $30 Grand to convert say a Dodge Caravan to make it driveable for a wheel chair bound person.I'm all for their ability to drive what i am questioning is the UP CHARGE involved.....i'm naive in this area so forgive my questioning if it is unreasonable.

my friends Caravan was $54k, so that is how much extra it costs (his Caravan isn't a premium trim, so i would guess it was likely a $25k trim model to start with)...the vehicle height is raise (i think the suspension can go up or down), it has a ramp at the side and it is set up for hand controls (as he can't use his feet to drive it)...while imagine the company that outfits them charges a decent amount and makes a profit (obviously), there is still a fair amount of work involved to convert it...i think it would be much better if the "base vehicle" was already capable of the modifications, so all that would be needed is installation of the ramps and hand controls...that would drop the modded vehicle's price substantially.