When eight is not enough, or your family comprises the entire sports team and you prefer to buy your vehicle by the pound, then the new Ford Transit passenger van will make a strong value statement for you.

Don't confuse this rolling add-a-room with Ford's compact and tidy Transit Connect. The Transit is Ford's new, full-size cargo van that replaces the E-Series van, which was available as a passenger van that could handle up to 15 occupants. And so is the Transit, which can be configured with three roof heights and seats for eight, 10, 12 or 15. And there's a choice for dual rear wheels, but no four-wheel drive.

There are three engine choices, ranging from the standard 275-horsepower, 3.7-liter V-6 and options for the 310-horsepower, 3.5-liter EcoBoost (turbocharged) V-6, which with 400 foot-pounds of torque has more power than the V-10 it replaces, or the 185-horsepower, 3.2-liter PowerStroke diesel five-cylinder with 350 foot-pounds torque. All are connected to a six-speed automatic transmission. Pricing starts at $35,290, including $1,195 freight charge.

The regular-length, eight-seat 2015 Transit tester ($35,735 as tested) had the base engine, for which the EPA cites 14 mpg city, 19 highway and 16 mpg combined. I was able to work up to a combined fuel economy average of 17 mpg. And that didn't seem bad for this van's seven-foot height, its eight-foot width at the mirrors and 18-foot-plus length. Its 39.2-foot turning circle isn't much worse than some midsize sedans. At the curb it weighs around 5,700 pounds. The extended wheelbase, high-roof rigs can top out at close to 7,000 pounds.

For those families who need a vehicle with specifications beyond the mainstream minivan, this van is the size of Paul Bunyan's wood shed, but more comfortable. Still it is a better commercial carrier than for family duty and most will be used as party buses or airport and hotel transporters.

The bus-like driving position for the driver is interesting and the really tall side glass and windshield create a fish-bowl-like driving environment. The also-tall side (power) mirrors integrate a lower wide-angle lens (very useful for helping to judge distance and traffic).

There is only one sliding door, on the passenger side, and it is a tall step into the rear rows and even up to the front seats. It would have been easier for me to rappel to the ground on exit from the driver's seat. Would it have busted the budget to include a grab handle integrated into the windshield frame? (Ram and the new Ford F-150 pickups have this handy feature.)

Obviously, this is a big vehicle but it doesn't drive awkwardly, and it is much more stable on the road than the van it replaces. Acceleration with the base engine was quite strong, though I didn't challenge it with a charter of passengers.

But for as big as this van is, the instrument panel has small features. The main touchscreen in the center of the dashboard top is about the size of a postcard, but it could-should be 12 inches across, which would really improve rearview camera viewing and accessing navigation, audio, etc. The gauge pod in front of the driver has wasted space for a large tachometer and then a small digital screen in the center next to the speedometer. The small center screen includes the useful diagram to show when the driver strays across the white lines. And that's easy to do, until the driver adapts to the Transit's commercial-class dimensions.

The XLT tester had many passenger conveniences and power features, Bluetooth audio and easy phone connection with a USB connection for digital audio. The visors are huge with covered mirrors. There are lots of storage slots, cup holders, pockets, cubbies and trays — areas that are handy for commercial users. And the front seats have good support and fold-down armrests. It's a comfortable front cabin and surprisingly well soundproofed from road noise and harshness.

The two rows of back seats in the tester were like church pews with short bottoms and very limited legroom. But cargo space behind the second row is huge — 4 feet deep, 5 feet wide and 50 inches tall. Plenty of room to chain up yard apes or stack cords of luggage.

Ford has done what it could to soften the commercial focus of the Transit, but as a passenger vehicle, there's room for refinement.

2015 Ford Transit Wagon XLT

—Body style: Large, RWD passenger van

—Engine: aluminum, 275-horsepower 3.7-liter V-6; 260 foot-pounds torque

—Transmission: 6-speed automatic

—Fuel economy: 14/19 mpg city/hwy.; 87 octane

—Fuel tank: 25 gallons

—Cargo space: 246.7 cubic feet

—Length/wheelbase: 219.9/129.9 inches

—Width/height: 97.4*/83.6 inches *w/mirrors

—Curb weight: 5,700 pounds

—Turning circle: 39.2 feet

—Standard equipment includes: remote locking, air conditioning front and rear, cruise control, front map lights, heavy-duty shock absorbers, 16-inch 235/65 R tires, full-size spare, 8-speaker audio system, power windows-mirrors

—Safety features include: 6 air bags, ABS, roll stability control

—Base price: $35,290, including $1,195 freight charge; price as tested $35,735

—Options on test vehicle: Blue Jeans paint $150; reverse sensing system $295

—Where assembled: Kansas City, Missouri

Whether church bus or family van, the Transit has seating options for eight to 15.

Mark Maynard is online at [email protected]. Find photo galleries and more news at Facebook.com/MaynardsGarage. To find out more about Mark Maynard and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.