ArcaMax

ON THE ROAD

The Sprinter is easier to drive than you'd expect it to be - given its size. This is perhaps its chief draw - or at least, one of them. It's a vehicle you can drive almost anywhere - unlike say a Winnebago. It will fit in a standard-size outside parking spot - although just barely. The "cab forward" layout - the front clip is very short relative to the length of the vehicle; the driver sits only slightly setback from the front axle centerline - makes it seem less huge from the driver's point of view and fairly precise maneuvering in close quarters is easier relative to the NV - which has a truck-like snout that extends much farther forward. The Sprinter's no Smart car, but it could feasibly be driven - and parked - most places you could drive a Smart car, including a Starbucks parking lot. Forget parking a Winnebago there.

The size of the thing manifests mostly as length - and height. It is a climb to get in - and down - even for a six-footer (me). Strangely, there are no grab handles for the driver or front seat passenger. The not-young/not-coordinated/those with bad knees will have issues. Interestingly, Mercedes provides acceptable access for the rear passengers via an automatically folding out running board step that comes out whenever the side slider is opened up. The height also affects the ride. Especially when it is windy.

What you're dealing with here is something with the side profile of a super-sized UPS truck. Which is probably why Mercedes added that Crosswind Assist feature as standard equipment. It's needed. That - and both hands firmly gripping the wheel. A sudden gust of wind can push the slab-sided Sprinter halfway across the double yellow - or halfway onto the shoulder. It's a function of the shape and Benz has done what can be done to mitigate the problem. Like any specialty vehicle, the Sprinter's extra capabilities entail certain limitations in other areas. Driven with respect for the vehicle's susceptibilities - there ought to be no problems.

I test drove a Sprinter with the standard 2.1 liter turbo-diesel, which did an impressive job (given its size) motivating the Sprinter (given its weight - 5,071 lbs. empty for the standard wheelbase version). Wind resistance limits maximum speed to just under 85 MPH, but it gets there in good time and there's enough power available to hold a steady 70-75 (current highway traffic flow) without struggling. Amazingly, it did not feel top-heavy in the curves - even when driven into those curves at speeds a few notches above the recommended speed. The Sprinter objected less to lateral movement than the last G-Class I drove a few years back. That one did feel top-heavy in the curves - at belowrecommended speeds.

At lower/non-highway speeds, the diesel burbles quietly, its low revs (and low noise output) contributing to a pleasantly noncommercial truck driving experience. Being a Mercedes diesel, the Sprinter is quieter than others, whether a function of the engine itself or the insulation built into the body. All the controls are grouped within easy reach of the driver, including the gear selector, which is mounted stalk-style just to the right of the steering column. The huge frontal (and side) glass area provides superb visibility - and a panorama view of the world outside. The view to the rear is somewhat limited by the sheer length of the vehicle as well as the design of the rear doors, which are dual Dutch door-style. The metal "T" bracing of the door glass obstructs the view slightly, but Benz addresses this with an excellent close-circuit back-up camera and a pair of huge outside (door mount) rearview mirrors.

What sucks, then? The cupholders. The two located in a flimsy fold-out tray below the audio and climate controls on the center stack are shallow. Round a curve - or hit a pothole - and your Starbucks grande may topple. Mine did. Fortunately, there are also cupholders built into the top of the dash for both the driver and front seat passenger. Use these. Please.

The absence of a center console between the driver's seat and front passenger seat. While Benz has thoughtfully designed in a top-of-dash storage compartment for a clipboard and a "tray" embedded into the dash above the main gauge cluster, there is a surprising lack of contained storage space in the Sprinter. If you put say a sack of groceries on the floor in between the driver and front passenger seat (or even in the footwell ahead of the front passenger seat) your stuff is guaranteed to spill and roll all over, leaving you to hunt for each item whenever you get were you're headed. There's oceans of space inside the Sprinter. It's just a matter of compartmentalizing some of it.

AT THE CURB

The Sprinter - in standard wheelbase form - is actually the least-long of the three vehicles in this class. At 233.3 inches overall, it is 2.7 inches shorter than the Dodge ProMaster (236 inches ) and seven inches shorter than the Brobdingnagian Nissan NV (240.6 inches). But the measurement that really stands out is the height - especially relative to width.

The Sprinter is the skinniest through the hips - 78.4 inches wide vs. 82.7 for the Dodge ProMaster and 79.9 for the Nissan NV. But its standing height - "Tall Roof" versions - is 76.4 inches. Tall enough for a 6 ft. 3 inch man to stand upright inside. Neither the NV nor the Dodge have as much walking around room as the Benz. And the because the Sprinter's not as thick, it doesn't seem quite as oversized, despite its 12-passenger capacity.

But the biggest difference is the obvious one. The Sprinter is a Mercedes-Benz and as such, is a step above, both literally and figuratively. It is the only one of the three that - as it sits - is other than purely utilitarian. Or rather, which you might want to turn into something other than a delivery truck, jitney bus or contractor vehicle. I've yet to see an NV or ProMaster turned into a mini-me Madden mobile. But I routinely see Sprinters - fully fitted out - serving as homes away from home, trundling along the Blue Ridge Parkway, their interiors as swank as many 5 star hotel suites. And - key point - it was not necessary to remake the factory dash, which is already comparable to what you'd find in other Mercedes passenger vehicles. The interiors of the NV and ProMaster have more in common with FedEx trucks. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

THE REST

Of course, that three-pointed-star and all that goes with it isn't free. No should it be. There's the intangible of status, but - as noted above - you are also getting the very tangible higher-line experience. A nicer, not blue collar, interior. More sophisticated equipment, too - viz, the suite of electronics, including the Crosswind mitigator and Load Adaptive stability control. A standard five-speaker audio system - not a mere radio with maybe two speakers (Nissan NV).

And in addition to being classier - and better-equipped as it sits - the Sprinter can be ordered with optional amenities such as you'd expect to find available in, well, a Mercedes: Eight rear speakers, bi-xenon HID headlights, heated windshield, auxiliary rear heater for passengers, rear AC, sunroof, various alloy wheel/tire packages. None of these features are even available as options in the NV and the ProMaster comes up empty on all counts except for the heated seats. The question you'll have to ask yourself is whether it's worth the price bump. Jump, actually.

The base Sprinter is priced nearly $10k higher to start ($35,920) than the base Nissan NV ($26,000) and $7,270 more than the base trim ProMaster. If you're looking for a purely work-minded large van, the NV's low entry price point is hard to overlook, especially given that - like the Sprinter - it is built on a heavy-duty RWD chassis and can safely pull (and carry) a lot of weight. The major functional variable is the diesel vs. gas engine thing. Not so much the mileage disparity, but the potential/likely longevity disparity. The Sprinter is made by Mercedes and Mercedes diesels are renowned for their biblical patriarch longevity. This one ought to be solid for 300k-plus. Will the gas-engined Nissan survive as long?

The Dodge also offers diesel power. But the source is Fiat - which is iffier. But what's inarguable is the lighter-duty (front-wheel-drive) layout of the ProMaster. It cannot carry - or pull - nearly as much. And the FWD layout is inherently less sturdy than the RWD layout of the Sprinter.

THE BOTTOM LINE

What you need - vs. what you want - filtered through what you're willing to pay for - will determine whether the Sprinter or one of its two rivals is the right choice for you.

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www.ericpetersautos.com or EPeters952@aol.com for comments.