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smart142

Sprinter Spotting

37 posts in this topic

When I am driving I'm always looking for another smart and for me in London that is pretty rare. What I do see instead is the Dodge Sprinter. That is that tall van that is fact made by Mercedes and get this is powered by a CDI diesel- 2.7 5 cylinder. It also comes with ESP(good thing because it is so tall that it looks like it should fall over). Anyways the other day when driving for over an hour it was smart-0,sprinters-3. It seems the couriers,repair folks,and the ambulance transfer service use them. Apparently more numerous than the smarts!

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That's the same in Florida... a lot of airport Limo companies are using them to transport people from the Orlando Airport to Disney and the other attractions.

The other oddity down here are the Scion xB's... it seems that every pizza and flower shop is using them as a delivery van.

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For my wife it's the Mercedes G-Wagons (G500, G55, etc.). You'd think there was a fire when she sees one of those.

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am I the only person that's repulsed by the G-Wagon? I thought they were cool in the Bourne Supremacy, but otherwise, I can't help but to snicker when I see them.

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Around here, FedEx has been using the Sprinter (both Dodge and MB badged) for a few years now. Funky little trucks, but I don't know a whole lot about them.

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Today I travelled from London to north of Huntsville and back: 836.4 kms

On the road from 0630-1930 hrs. Highways 23,89, 400,and 12

Smarts spotted- 1- parked near Cookstown

Sprinters spotted- 7- two camper conversions,two UPS,the rest trade vehicles.

So the smarts are still very rare on the road and the sprinters are more numerous.

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I love Sprinters! I got to ride in one a few years ago as an airport shuttle. They're tall enough I can just about stand up straight inside! I see more and more of them on the road. I think they just released a "2nd generation" one, but I didn't like it at all from the concept photo I saw. Same thing with the new fortwo - they broke up the flow of the windshield/hood line and made it have a pinch/kink in it (so it looks like every other vehicle now instead of a sleek, sloping front).

-Iain

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NB Power uses the Sprinters as their service trucks in New Brunswick.

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Greetings:

Sprinters replace the very-long-in-the-tooth full-size Dodge vans (which were made in Windsor until the end of the last model year, I believe). Sprinters come in a phenomenal number of variations (about the only thing missing is a cabrio!). It is nice to be able to point out to terminally-skeptical-of-smart friends that there are truly practical ways to use CDI technology. I may have to get me some new friends.

Cheers,

Ian Jay

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Depending on the route I take...

I do get to drive the Sprinter in both Dodge and MB badges for FedEx.

I love the vehicle and can drive it a lot like my smart with its autostick.

What upsets me is that the Sprinter will not be purchased any more as FedEx fleet. It will be Ford Econolines and Ford W700 (milk truck style step vans) only from here on.

Apparently the other couriers dislike the van for various reasons, mechanical issues being the number one (including rust)...

I think I'm the only one there that just ADORES this vehicle...

And in Edmonton, a Sprinter was toppled to it's side in a collision... Causing more panic to the other couriers. Of course, no real mention that the courier was UNSCATHED!

Currently the Sprinter rates as my favorite of the FedEx fleet, then the Hino FB (which we lease thru Ryder), then the GMC DuraMax diesel cube van (which hauls a$$), then the W600 short step vans (which are soooo fun to drive with the passenger door open), and then the other unique vehicles fall somewhere on my list...

Eddie

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Love those Sprinters, I'm looking into getting an RV and the Sprinter conversions look good in particular the Winnebago View.

When it comes to economy but unfortunately they purchase price is quit high so it will take a long time to break even with the much cheeper Ford based RV's.

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But those Fords won't have a Mercedes Benz CDI powering them. Some of those Sprinters are getting over 30 mpg.

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So I am hearing people say they have the Dodge and MB logos on them. I like the van but is there a difference in price or perfomance when looking to buy one from Dodge or MB? Is the engine the same in both?

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By the way, I have not seen as many of these vans as I have smarts here, or at least not noticed it, will keep my eyes open. I am seeing a lot of smarts as pizza delivery and advertizing smarts. Sometimes 3 to 4 a day.

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You cannot get them from an MB dealer...

The MB ones were brought here originally as part of testing for companies like FedEx.

Essentially they are the exact same vehicle. Here at FedEx, there are barely noticable differences.

Eddie

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But those Fords won't have a Mercedes Benz CDI powering them. Some of those Sprinters are getting over 30 mpg.

Yes but what is EDDIE getting for mileage on them? They are probably wondering why he never has to fill it up!

S

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They are probably wondering why he never has to fill it up!

S

Funny enough, this topic DID come up on Friday...

They wanted to know how come I have not used my new corporate fuel card ONCE since I've received it...

I just told them that when it got low on fuel... I switched vehicles... :P

And then they sent me on some errands to fill 215L of gasoline in the Ford van, and 127L of diesel in the DuraMax cube van...

Eddie

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I have a Sprinter van - they are fantastic - mine is the 416cdi 4.6tonne twin rear wheel model - with a coachbuilt rv body - it pulls 4.5tonne at 95mph doing 15 imperial mpg and sitting at 70 will do 22mpg. I'm about to get it remapped here to push it from 156bhp to 210bhp.

My only complaints are that it does in first 0-12mph in a millisecond but you have to change up straight away and it only revs to 4000rpm but obviously could do more in each gear.

There is indeed a brand new model that is shared with Volkswagen and both built in the same factory. I've driven the new one and it is even better to drive but not so nice to look at.

Campbell

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Saw a very slick looking RV mod Sprinter today in town. Looked like it had the roof extender mod making it look even more tippy!

S

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I saw a French registered Sprinter camper van on the Island Highway last Tuesday. It was registered in the Département des Alpes de Haute Provence (number 04 on the license), Digne is the Préfecture seat there. It was a SWB model.

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I saw a sprinter today, they do look cool and the more I see them the more I want a test drive, ooooh I hate this thread,,,,,, :tremble: I just know I am gonna like it.I have been a van person for much of my driving life. I have had about three camperized vans and they at that time were my main vehicles. Right now I have a wide body van motor home which is getting old and if I ever traded it to a new one I think a sprinter is going to be the one. Camperized that is.

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So as mentioned before...FedEx will not be purchasing the Sprinter anymore. They are being phased out for the E700 step van (milk truck) from Ford which is a diesel/electric hybrid.Both Edmonton and Edmonton Airport stations have not recieved any yet. We just took delivery of the new Freightliners...Anyways, I spotted a sprinter CUBE VAN being used by UPS!I absolutely LOVE this vehicle!Now I'm checking with the rental/leasing fleets in Edmonton to see who rents em out...For the international shuttle, I drive the GMC 3500 DuraMax diesel cube all day... And it sucks about 20L/100km in the winter!The tilt cabs (GMC W-series, Isuzus, Hino FB, Mitsubishi Fuso) are a better choice for me as my duties take me all over Edmonton including the downtown core where the extra visibility and maneuverability would be handy... I just LOVE their tight turning radius compared to my GMC which needs an airfield to turn around...Their only disadvantage is that I lose the access hatch from in cab, to rear cube...But the sprinter cube solves ALL these problems!!!Tighter turning radius than any other cube or commercial van out there... Better visibility forward and all round compared to what I currently drive...PACKED with MB safety features that I take for granted in my smart...I know Budget in Quebec rents them and I can only hope we get them our way here... As FedEx gets an INCREDIBLE rate thru them, and I'm allowed to walkin and swap vehicles with them as needed...During the morning international shuttle... It's handy to have the big motor of my cube as we sometimes pack the cube front to back, 3/4 high... And it weighs down good... But most of my day is spent helping the other couriers around town (and outside sometimes) with pickups/deliveries meaning the 6.8L DuraMax is overkill when I only have enough freight onboard to fill a mini van or less...I love digging up old stale threads! :PEddie

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I love the Sprinter so much. I saw one the other day on the highway, and I was going a lot faster, darting in and out of traffic... he caught up, just so he could give me a thumbs up and a wave, and then he slowed back down. It was great :)

The Sprinter is like the smart's big momma!

-Iain

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