Of course, I get all the glamorous vehicles to review. What's that, a dump truck to road test? Give it to that guy Crash! But seriously, I actually asked
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| (Photo: Kevin ''Crash'' Corrigan) |
to test drive Daimler/Chrysler's Dodge Sprinter van, and for a very good reason. Many moons ago, back in the U.K., I was employed in the building trade. Much of my time was spent driving around London in my white work van, so I kind of have a soft spot for them. Now I've heard that they call the truckers in their big rigs "the kings of the road", so, with that in mind, I guess van drivers must be "the little princes". Although I doubt that my fellow road users would have called me that, especially when I was flying around town running late. Van drivers over there tend to have a similar reputation to that of taxi drivers worldwide. Actually that's not strictly true, at least taxi drivers occasionally wave to you as they cut in front of you.
In some ways the Europeans look at vans in the same way that we look at pick up trucks and they seem to be just as popular. They're basically
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| (Photo: Kevin ''Crash'' Corrigan) |
everywhere! You see, over there pick up trucks aren't exactly ideal for carrying tools and materials. They have an old saying in the U.K. "if it's not bolted to the ground, it goes missing" and that can be while you're stopped at the traffic lights or when you pop in to buy a newspaper! Vans, therefore, are much more practical and secure vehicles in which to carry your expensive equipment. Over the years, van owners have realized that they can not only carry all the tools that they need for their days work, but also everything that they might possibly need. Manufacturers are taking note and have started to produce larger vans with greater carrying capacities.
All of this brings me to the Dodge Sprinter vans, which to all intents and purposes are actually Mercedes Benz vehicles. Yes, they carry the good old Dodge nameplates but these are just stuck on as they leave the factory in Düsseldorf, Germany (although I understand that they are soon going to start production in the U.S). Why it's not sold as a Merc is anyone's guess. I feel that the company thinks that we North Americans aren't quite ready
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| (Photo: Kevin ''Crash'' Corrigan) |
for the revelation that MB not only make high end vehicles but also a phenomenal range of trucks and vans.
Phenomenal is actually a great word for this van and it sums up the Dodge Sprinter perfectly. It is powered by an incredible 2.7 litre 154 HP in-line five cylinder turbo diesel engine. Although "whisper quiet" might be pushing things, it would be hard to tell the difference between this and a competitor's gas powered van. The same could be said for its performance, more than enough power for a van of its size.
Speaking of size, this is where the Sprinter starts to leap and bound away from the competition. The 2500 SHC offers a cargo capacity of 367 cu.ft. (The largest model offers 473). To put this into perspective, I worked out that I could put my Austin Mini into the back of it and still be able to get all around the sides of the car.
