The floor actually slopes down to the front. It’s made of a rubberized material that is both soft and washable. The seat's many adjustments were all manual. Feels like they’ve put some thought into this seat. It’s firm, with armrests in all the right places. All this is good, because Sprinter drivers will surely put long hours in the saddle each and every workday.
Materials in the cab are plastic. (You were expecting wood grain?) But good plastic, and everything seems well fitted. Forward visibility is awesome—the windscreen is huge. There is a special step you can use when cleaning said windshield, but even then, it’s a stretch to reach all its corners.
Rear visibility is not so hot, non-existent even, as there are no rear windows. A rear view camera is optional, and that’s one option box I would definitely tick off if I were buying a Sprinter. The side mirrors are narrow (a reflection of its European birth) but effective.
Moving On
The gear selector felt a bit notchy, and the transmission shifted better once everything warmed up. But after that, it was smooth sailing. Those 325 “torques” are available at quite low engine speeds. I never had needed to rev over 2,000 rpm around town.
It felt quite spry, though obviously I didn’t have a big load out back. But I was surprised how comfortable the ride was—compared at least to the unloaded 2500 series pickups I have driven, which bounced around a lot more.
It handles well, too, with little body lean. Combine that with its fairly narrow body, and you have a large van that can manoeuvre around town with the greatest of ease.
Compared to domestic competitors who sport larger engines, this German van seems pricey, and I guess it is. But is also an alternative that offers equal utility with greater agility and fuel efficiency.
Materials in the cab are plastic. (You were expecting wood grain?) But good plastic, and everything seems well fitted. Forward visibility is awesome—the windscreen is huge. There is a special step you can use when cleaning said windshield, but even then, it’s a stretch to reach all its corners.
Rear visibility is not so hot, non-existent even, as there are no rear windows. A rear view camera is optional, and that’s one option box I would definitely tick off if I were buying a Sprinter. The side mirrors are narrow (a reflection of its European birth) but effective.
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| Those 325 “torques” are available at quite low engine speeds. I never had needed to rev over 2,000 rpm around town. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz) |
Moving On
The gear selector felt a bit notchy, and the transmission shifted better once everything warmed up. But after that, it was smooth sailing. Those 325 “torques” are available at quite low engine speeds. I never had needed to rev over 2,000 rpm around town.
It felt quite spry, though obviously I didn’t have a big load out back. But I was surprised how comfortable the ride was—compared at least to the unloaded 2500 series pickups I have driven, which bounced around a lot more.
It handles well, too, with little body lean. Combine that with its fairly narrow body, and you have a large van that can manoeuvre around town with the greatest of ease.
Compared to domestic competitors who sport larger engines, this German van seems pricey, and I guess it is. But is also an alternative that offers equal utility with greater agility and fuel efficiency.
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