Why was I not told!?

[2001 ZTS]

You guys have apparantly had the Dodge Sprinter for a while now? I've just learned it is only now comiming to Canada. If my family expands or I start a business or any other thing where I need a van I'm all over this thing!

http://www.dodge.com/sprinter/?conte...pe=sprinterImg

[img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[size="1"][ 01-30-2003, 09:06 AM: Message edited by: 2001 ZTS ][/size]

[emulous]

I read about it in one of the car magazines a while back, but not as a dodge, just that it was coming to the U.S. and is essentially a Mercedes. The only place I have seen them on the road is as FedEx trucks. Freightliner I believe sells them too.

[pitchblackzx3]

FedEx uses them. I have seen local businesses use them. MAde by Freightliner. Kinda fugly too!

Hey will ya look at that....i just checked their website...and they are made by DaimlerChrysler.
http://www.daimlerchrysler-vans.com/index.html

[racerx]

You want to drive an airport shuttle? [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[familyman]

I want one. "hey kids, hop in the bread van, we're going to the store!'

[2001 ZTS]

Originally posted by pitchblackzx3:
...Kinda fugly too!...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I love fugly! or as I prefer to call it ecentric. Pre-Paul Hogan Subaru's, Saabs any French car, VW cargo vans even the Focus fit the bill.

EDIT: 5 cylinder Mercedes turbo diesel 154Hp & 243ft-lbs.

[size="1"][ 01-30-2003, 09:45 AM: Message edited by: 2001 ZTS ][/size]

[CTZX3]

i saw one the other day, looks really cool

[xerofall]

Originally posted by familyman:
I want one. "hey kids, hop in the bread van, we're going to the store!'

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Bwahahahaahahahahahahahaha!!!

[hatched]

Haha – a bread van! [img]graemlins/lol.gif[/img]

If i've ever seen a car with a huge forehead, that's it.

[familyman]

Ok, after looking it over I really like it. 2.7 liter common rail direct injection diesel. 22mpg city (higher highway though they wuoldn't say how much. Extremely durable interior materials. The smallest one has seating for 8, can fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood flat on the floor (with the seats out) it's all mercedes design and it's assembled by freightliner. The bloody thing should last for 500K miles. Short wheelbase model will tow a race car and starts at $27K. I'm sold, where do I pick it up?

[2001 ZTS]

Originally posted by familyman:
Ok, after looking it over I really like it. 2.7 liter common rail direct injection diesel. 22mpg city (higher highway though they wuoldn't say how much. Extremely durable interior materials. The smallest one has seating for 8, can fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood flat on the floor (with the seats out) it's all mercedes design and it's assembled by freightliner. The bloody thing should last for 500K miles. Short wheelbase model will tow a race car and starts at $27K. I'm sold, where do I pick it up?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">[img]graemlins/thumbup.gif[/img]

$27K is cheaper than the VW Eurovan right?

Anyone know towing capacity? It says 3600lb of passenger and cargo so I assume a 2500lb boat a a family of four is possible?

[AnthonyD]

Reminds me of the POPE MOBILE!!!

[img]graemlins/lol.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/lol.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/lol.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/lol.gif[/img]

[familyman]

Originally posted by 2001 ZTS:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by familyman:
Ok, after looking it over I really like it. 2.7 liter common rail direct injection diesel. 22mpg city (higher highway though they wuoldn't say how much. Extremely durable interior materials. The smallest one has seating for 8, can fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood flat on the floor (with the seats out) it's all mercedes design and it's assembled by freightliner. The bloody thing should last for 500K miles. Short wheelbase model will tow a race car and starts at $27K. I'm sold, where do I pick it up?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">[img]graemlins/thumbup.gif[/img]

$27K is cheaper than the VW Eurovan right?

Anyone know towing capacity? It says 3600lb of passenger and cargo so I assume a 2500lb boat a a family of four is possible?</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">That's 3600lbs inside the van. I expect towing to be at least 5000 lbs though the web site doesn't say.

[bitwiz]

I actually think this was posted here before (I've seen it before, but it could have been posted on a different board). Anyways,
finally a Euro van coming here. What we need now are Citroen, Renault and other vans... They look funky, are very manuverable, driver positions and ergonomics are usually excellent. IMO, they make way more sense than pickup trucks or real vans for small businesses.

[2001 ZTS]

Something else. A VW camper type arrangement of the Sprinter is/will be available through Westphalia and called the "James Cook" (as in James Cook Travel of the UK):

http://www.dcx.net/customer/commerci...evement2_e.htm

EDIT: First Mod! "Euro Grills", ditch the Dodge "crosshair" design and drop in the Mercedes piece. Actually it looks OK as is.

I'm surprised the photoshoppers haven't "done it up" yet. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] yes that is a challenge!

[size="1"][ 01-30-2003, 11:04 AM: Message edited by: 2001 ZTS ][/size]

[Jared]

It might not look like what you expect from Dodge, but it still drives and works like a Dodge.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">haha, they say that on the website. it makes it seem like they are kinda uneasy about how the public will recieve it.

[2001 ZTS]

Originally posted by Jared:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"> It might not look like what you expect from Dodge, but it still drives and works like a Dodge.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">haha, they say that on the website. it makes it seem like they are kinda uneasy about how the public will recieve it.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">It's rarely smart to get something the first model year (though it's been around for many) but in this case it may be a good idea.

Getting in early will ensure you get it in its purest Mercedes/European spec form and before it is "improved" [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] , so they say, to appeal to the North American market. No doubt the things I would like best about would be the first to go and the end result would be just another Big 3 van with no flair.

[familyman]

Ed, what do you know about the towing capacity on these suckers? Tell me all you know about them and their variants. I'm pretty excited about this as a kid hauler/work van/tow vechicle. It should be able to do it all.

[Ed]

Hmm....I'm not too sure about the towing capacity, but I saw plenty of Sprinters in Germany towing HUGE loads. Obviously you can't tow like you would with a Dodge Ram Cummins Diesel, but the thing can be equipped in high GVW ratings.

There are numerous variants. There are both passenger and cargo version, each available with your choice of high or low roof. There are 1500 and 2500 versions as well.

They come in three wheelbases - 118", 140", and 158". The 158" 2500 version can be had with dually rear wheels.

All US Sprinters come with the Mercedes-Benz 2.7 liter CDI turbodiesel engine. This has 155hp. Not a lot, but it does have respectable torque. All are equipped with a Mercedes-Benz 5-speed automatic with tiptronic.

These things are identical to the European version in every way, save for badging. Even the steering wheel is pure Mercedes - the US versions simply substitute the star emblem with either a Freightliner or Dodge logo - and that logo is separate from the airbag cover so it's replaceable with the Mercedes emblem.

There's a Yahoo group at http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/sprintervan/ and these people are rabid enthusiasts - almost as much as people are here at focaljet. If you look at the gallery section, there are some, ahem, interesting Americanized Sprinters there.

Well, seeing as how the Sprinter effectively replaces the Ram Van, this isn't surprising. It won't be long before we see Sprinter conversion vans!! In fact, there are pics of a few in that gallery - they look SO weird. German delivery van looks with American conversion van graphics, wheels, and ground effects.

Ed

[2001 ZTS]

http://www.sprinteraccessories.com/

I see a nice motorcycle ramp in there, with the high roof version I wouldn't even have to duck. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] 550 miles between fill ups.

That site also sells a tow hitch and it says (EDIT 5000 trailer weight, and 500 tongue weight. Thats enough to tow your Focus and any sailboat I could afford.

Like "family man" said. Looks like a real do everything vehicle, more SUV than what are commonly called SUV's. There I said it! [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[size="1"][ 01-30-2003, 02:11 PM: Message edited by: 2001 ZTS ][/size]

[Jared]

sweeeet, ha ha

[hotrodkris]

OMG!! Race Van!! I want one!!!

Imagine showing up at the track with your FWD drag car on a trailer behind it... sweet!!

[hatched]

I've seen these around as FexEx trucks but I can't believe I was oblivious to the fact that they were going to be sold as Dodges!

Kris – I like your racecar idea!

[2001 ZTS]

Originally posted by hotrodkris:
OMG!! Race Van!! I want one!!!

Imagine showing up at the track with your FWD drag car on a trailer behind it... sweet!!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Better than that take the van to the track!





[img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

From:

http://www.whnet.com/4x4/sprinter_crashtest.html

[Ed]

Call me nutso, but in addition to being the biggest Smart fan on the planet, I'm also likely the biggest Sprinter fan and know anything there is to know about them.

They went on sale last year as Freightliners, and are now showing up at dealers as Dodges to replace the ancient Ram Van.

For those that don't know, the Sprinter has been around for several years, badged as a Mercedes-Benz everywhere in the world except North America. The reason we get them here as Dodges and Freightliners is because business owners told DaimlerChrysler that they did NOT want a Mercedes-badged van. Why? Their customers could perceive them as having a higher overhead (because they're driving a Mercedes van) and therefore charging them higher prices.

Of course, me being a fan of anything weird and European, I've loved the Sprinter for years, and nearly fell over when I found they were coming here.

Of course, my first mod would be to change the grille and badging so that it's once again a proper Mercedes. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] And before anyone says that's rice - it's not. While Sprinter cargo vans are assembled in the US to avoid the 25% chicken tax on imported trucks, Sprinter passenger vans aren't subject to the tax and come from the Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle factory in Germany. So it really is a bona-fide Mercedes.

Unfortunately, California doesn't get them till 2004 because of emissions issues surrounding the diesel engine. So I haven't actually seen one here in the US, but I'm going to the Chicago Auto Show in a couple weeks, and it's apparently supposed to be there at the Dodge stand, so I AM STOKED!!

Ed

[size="1"][ 01-30-2003, 12:24 PM: Message edited by: Ed ][/size]