2019 4x4

asimba2

asimba2

ourkaravan.com
I think you made a smart choice. I wouldn't trade my 4 cyl diesel Sprinter for anything, but if I wanted 4WD I would not get a Sprinter and instead get a Transit with the QuadVan 4WD. For one, the Sprinter 4x4 has a 4" body lift that does absolutely nothing for clearance under the van but does make it incredibly tall, difficult to get in and out of, looks ridiculous on it's factory wheel and tires, and is somewhat of a neutered 4WD system to begin with. You can get larger tires to make it look "right" but then the excellent diesel fuel economy goes out the window. At that point you'll do no better MPG-wise than a gas Transit. I like that it's possible to get a Transit 4WD system using factory parts.

Enjoy your build and your van.
 
T

TheSandman13

New member
asimba2 said:
I think you made a smart choice. I wouldn't trade my 4 cyl diesel Sprinter for anything, but if I wanted 4WD I would not get a Sprinter and instead get a Transit with the QuadVan 4WD. For one, the Sprinter 4x4 has a 4" body lift that does absolutely nothing for clearance under the van but does make it incredibly tall, difficult to get in and out of, looks ridiculous on it's factory wheel and tires, and is somewhat of a neutered 4WD system to begin with. You can get larger tires to make it look "right" but then the excellent diesel fuel economy goes out the window. At that point you'll do no better MPG-wise than a gas Transit. I like that it's possible to get a Transit 4WD system using factory parts.

Enjoy your build and your van.
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I'll probably just stick with the 2WD on it. I can always change that later if I really need it. That's big chunk of cash that I can use to do the conversion.
 
Sprinter SS

Sprinter SS

Well-known member
Spotted a VS30 sprinter on I10 170" 4x4 over the weekend. Passenger version, but what was wierd was rooftop AC was all the way at the back compared to the mid roof config now.

It was all black, sat the same as the current 4x4.
 
J

jostalli

Member
Sprinter SS said:
Spotted a VS30 sprinter on I10 170" 4x4 over the weekend. Passenger version, but what was wierd was rooftop AC was all the way at the back compared to the mid roof config now.

It was all black, sat the same as the current 4x4.
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Certainly a test vehicle. If a customer has one already I will be upset.
 
CactusJackSlade

CactusJackSlade

Active member
My first post (I usually lurk over on the Expedition Portal or SMB) considering a 170 4x4...

What are peoples thoughts as to the old 4x4 system vs the new AWD. The dealer seemed to think it was simply to streamline manufacturing and build more AWD versions.
 
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CactusJackSlade

CactusJackSlade

Active member
Also, the dealer said the new full time AWD is most likely going to bring the fuel mileage down. Thoughts?
 
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Z

zither99

Active member
CactusJackSlade said:
My first post (I usually lurk over on the Expedition Portal or SMB) considering a 170 4x4...

What are peoples thoughts as to the old 4x4 system vs the new AWD. The dealer seemed to think it was simply to streamline manufacturing and build more AWD versions.
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the 4x4 (techically selectable AWD) is the same for the previous generation 4x4 as for the 2019 4x4 vans.

Same retrofit of transfer case and front diff sourced from Oberaigner.

The difference on the 2019 4x4's is that now they will be mated to a 7spd transmission instead of 5spd of the previous generation. On paper, fuel economy should improve. The 5spd had quite high RPM's at highways speeds IMO
 
J

JIB

Well-known member
zither99 said:
the 4x4 (techically selectable AWD) is the same for the previous generation 4x4 as for the 2019 4x4 vans.

Same retrofit of transfer case and front diff sourced from Oberaigner.

The difference on the 2019 4x4's is that now they will be mated to a 7spd transmission instead of 5spd of the previous generation. On paper, fuel economy should improve. The 5spd had quite high RPM's at highways speeds IMO
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I have been told exactly the same with regard to the 4x4. All the same except for the 7-speed transmission.

jack
 
OffroadHamster

OffroadHamster

Well-known member
zither99 said:
the 4x4 (techically selectable AWD) is the same for the previous generation 4x4 as for the 2019 4x4 vans.

Same retrofit of transfer case and front diff sourced from Oberaigner.

The difference on the 2019 4x4's is that now they will be mated to a 7spd transmission instead of 5spd of the previous generation. On paper, fuel economy should improve. The 5spd had quite high RPM's at highways speeds IMO
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Just judging by the 18mpg I get at 65, versus the 14mpg I get at 75 I would say that is a good bet. Granted drag scales with velocity^2, but the power required to maintain 75 certainly isnt almost 25% higher. I havent crunched the numbers but I am sure its an artifact of engine speed to some degree. 7spd should be good for a token increase in economy at elevated speeds and a noticeable bump in city driving.
 
M

mdhutch2

Member
Using Hamster's numbers, 18 mpg is almost 29% better than 14 mpg and (75 mph/65 mph)squared is about 32% higher so I'd say wind drag explains almost all the difference he experiences. Hopefully the 7 speed will help a lot in the city, but I'm not too hopeful for the highway.
 
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