R O A D    T E S T

Space…the final frontier.  At least it seems that way, when it comes to vans.  After all, you don't buy a van because you want to carve corners up or blast away from a stoplight.  You buy a van because you need space…the more, the better.   In this area, there are few spaces that roll on four wheels bigger than that inside a Ford Chateau Wagon.  Since space is the final frontier where vans are concerned, we thought what better way to explore the Ford Chateau Wagon's features than to compare it to its futuristic counterpart, the Starship USS Enterprise from the 1960s Star Trek series. 

The Enterprise is a deep-space exploration vessel, and as such is designed to carry 300 people for thousands of light years in supreme comfort.  The E-150 is suitable for deep-city exploration, and for its part can easily carry 10 persons for hours or even days on end, from the depths of the urban jungle to the wide expanses of open highway.  Like the starship's crew, each passenger of the E-150 can look forward to having their own personal space onboard the vehicle. 

You'll feel like helmsman Sulu when you plop down onto the driver's seat.  Before you is a carlike cockpit, with power-everything activated by the typically chunky Ford switches. The gauge faces are almost identical to the F series pickups', but are completely analog, including the odometer and trip meter.  Only speedometer, fuel and coolant temperature gauges are included; there's no odometer.  There's no glovebox either, its space taken over by the passenger airbag module.  There's a surprising lack of storage bins in the cockpit area—even your cellphone and shades will have to sit on the floor. 

Pass-through between the front seats is also not possible, unless you’re a Tribble.  A huge column sticks out from the dashboard to effectively separate the front seats from the rest of the cabin. 

The second row of seats is made up of two captain's chairs, perfect for would-be Captain Kirks.  They're not really seats; more like armchairs, with their single-piece seatbacks and folding armrests on either side.  You can't rotate these seats; they're fixed facing forward.  From there, you can easily bark orders to your pilot to increase warp factor or even change the station.  A remote control for the radio would be a sensible and welcome addition. 

While the second row gives a feeling of absolute command, the third and fourth rows relegate you to sitting three-abreast on a bench configuration.  Still, legroom is adequate, and there's sure to be plenty of air between your head and the ceiling, even if you happen to be a Klingon.  However, don’t expect to be taking a snooze in these seats, as the 3^rd and 4^th row lack headrests.

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