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Dodge Sprinter [aka Mercedes-Benz Van]

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Sherlock

Sherlock

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I know there has been discussion of the Dodge Sprinter van on here before.

Just watched one of those new cars shows/magazines that are on TV and they tested it, quite favourably. Overall they liked it alot, and I got the feeling they were quite impressed with a full-size van that didn't need a V8 or V10 engine, unlike certain other vans on the North American market, instead sporting a 5-cylinder. They also seemed impressed with driveability, particularly turning circle. And this program did state quite clearly that the Sprinter van is a Mercedes-Benz design re-badged as a Dodge.

So... do the British and Europeans build a better/more versatile van?

I have always wondered why North American pickups have never incorporated the drop-down sides (on all-three sides!) to make a flat loading area on all sides of the box. This is seen over here most commonly on the VW pickups that are based on the vans. My friend's old 1950's DKW pickup (German...) has the same thing and seems so handy rather than just having one side to work with.
 
While not true of all NA pickups, it holds up for most. Just run an informal survey at the local Mall or other gathering place. Look into the beds of the trucks, how much use do you see. For a lot of NA truck buyers actual usability is not an issue. IMHO.
 
Ive been watching these for a couple of years now, My local UPS driver has one and loves it (22 MPG). If it were not for the salty price tag that came along with one Id probly own one by now
 
I paid a visit to Austria a couple of months back and was ferried around in a Ford Transit.

I don't spend much time in commercial vehicles, but I was quite impressed with the Ford anyway.

Back home, the Australian market has long been dominated by Japanese vans, but the Europeans are flooding in now. Mercedes and VWs have been popular for a while, and now I'm seeing Renault Trafics and Fiat Ducatos.

I wonder whether GM will bring in the Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro now (it's the same thing as the Renault Trafic!)

Peugeot-Citroen are also missing at the moment - their van is the same thing as the Fiat Ducato.

I guess in the commercial vehicle market blatant badge engineering is easier to get away with.
 
i had a mercedes-benz sprinter on hire for a week last autumn and i was sooooooo impressed with it. when it was empty it will keep up with most common cars on accelleration, and fully loaded i managed to get 110mph out of it on the M1! it was as quiet as a car, it did have an amazingly small turning circle considering the length of it and all the creature comforts of a luxury motor (elec windows, air con, cd etc). without question the best van i have ever driver
 
[ QUOTE ]

... I have always wondered why North American pickups have never incorporated the drop-down sides (on all-three sides!) to make a flat loading area on all sides of the box...

[/ QUOTE ]

Flat loading trucks are very popular around the US. You just skip the pickup bed and go with a stake-bed version.

stakebodrear.jpg



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