Good For: Small empty box on wheels. Compared to a passenger car, the function of a cargo van lies not with what has, but what it doesn't have. Mechanically the drivetrain and two seats up front resemble a normal car, but behind the seats everything has been stripped out to a hollow box of empty space. There are no windows, sound deadening, or carpeting. The NV200 is a narrow city vehicle, but the cargo area extends almost 7 feet long. The car chassis has a low floor, so you can pile quite a bit of stuff into it from floor to ceiling. Hooks are built into the exposed, bare metal chassis, allowing you to strap things down. I didn't fully appreciate how tall this van is until I started backing it into the garage, and found myself getting out to double-check that it would clear the garage door. It's sits almost as tall as full-size SUVs. But the cargo doors swing out, which work well in tight spaces, and you don't have worry about the hatch colliding with garage doors.
Compromises: Despite being a purpose-built work vehicle, the NV200 seems to lack consideration that a person might spend all day working out of it. While the Ford Transit Connect has the thoughtful overhead storage area, the NV200's storage slots are few and slim, and the overall driving experience resembles a base Versa. Seat comfort is austere, and while the standard audio system has USB ports, the speakers have poorer range than my 24 year old truck.
Overall reaction - Thumb down: Compact van heaven would be a useful mix of big cargo capacity with the civility of a car-like driving experience, serving the function of a super versatile wagon. Vans like the Ford Transit Connect seem to nail this. But the NV200 messed up the recipe, and feels like a 7/8th scale alley van missing any car features that make it tolerable as a daily driver.