![]() But if you are used to driving vans, box trucks or RVs, getting behind the wheel of a Sprinter will be easy. Unlike pickup trucks, the floor height in a Sprinter is low at 27.5 inches, and you don’t have to lift things past the tailgate.ĭriving a high roof van, you really would want to be cautious about taking curves too fast, especially with a lot of weight in the back. The best part is that it would all stay secure, dry and low to the ground. You could carry about six to 10 refrigerators, or enough drywall to remodel a small house. In the cargo van we tested, you could probably fit all the furniture and personal possessions from a one-bedroom apartment. Road noise is about what you expect a bit boomy from the big rear cargo area, but that would probably get quiet if you packed a bunch of stuff back there.Īnd packing the stuff is what sets these vans apart. The long-wheelbase, high-roof, V-6 diesel, rear-drive cargo van we tested weighs in at 4,916 pounds, so it rides over bumps with surprising smoothness. ![]() The amazing thing about the Sprinter is how well it drives. Best of all, Mercedes has implemented its Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) advanced voice control system to the Sprinter. You can have a 7-inch or a 10.25-inch screen with navigation and support for Apple and Android phone integration. There’s no option for a 14-inch tablet-style infotainment system. On the technology side, things are slim by modern standards. ![]() Adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitor, a 360-degree camera, lane-keeping and parking assistance are all available. There’s also a long list of optional safety you can add onto your van. There are two diesel options: a 2.0-liter turbo 4-cylinder and a 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6. This is important because anyone who drives a lot of payload can tell you that any vehicle handles differently with a couple of tons in the back, and anyone with a big, tall van can assure that a sudden crosswind can push your van into the next lane, or worse. However, the Sprinter comes with the usual standard safety features, plus a load-adaptive electronic stability system and crosswind assistance. Vans like the Sprinter are not subject to the same tests as passenger cars, so they are not rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The 2500 we tested is good for 5,000 pounds, but you can buy the 3500 or 4500 models and tow up to 7,500 pounds with either diesel engine option. Towing is rated at 5,000 to 7,500 pounds, depending on the specific model. The gasoline engine option offers the same 188 hp as the V-6, but only 258 lb-ft of torque, but passed through a 9-speed automatic. You get a firm, comfortable seat trimmed in leatherette upholstery and an easy-to-clean vinyl floor. ![]() Mercedes-Benz outfits the Sprinter with the buyer’s choice of 4- or 6-cylinder turbo-diesels or a turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline engine. The chassis is available in a shorter 144-inch or longer 170-inch wheelbase, and the body is available in both low and high roof varieties. The Sprinter is a body-on-frame front-engine, rear-drive or all-wheel-drive working van. The fact is, these versatile vans by Mercedes-Benz, and their counterparts from several other automakers, are gaining a devoted following not only among commercial users, but also by regular consumers who find the vans more useful and affordable than the Great American Pickup Truck. So here we are 57 years later, reassembling cargo vans because no one will lift the tariff.īut that’s not really what’s important about the Sprinter. The tax was imposed in 1964 in retaliation for European tariffs on, you guessed it, American chicken. They do this to avoid paying the “chicken tax,” which is a 25% tariff on imported trucks. Mercedes’ versatile Sprinter van is gaining a devoted following not only among commercial users, but also by regular consumers.
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