Test drove a 4x4 sprinter!

Clubin

New member
Wow is all I can say. Loved it.

The extra height is noticeable but will be nice to have during our Canadian winters. Thank you to mercedes benz of Winnipeg.

As soon as the pricing is established I will be ordering a crew van standard length high roof.
15 of September pricing should be set.

I'd post pics but this forum appears to not want me to.
 
Wow is all I can say. Loved it.

The extra height is noticeable but will be nice to have during our Canadian winters. Thank you to mercedes benz of Winnipeg.

As soon as the pricing is established I will be ordering a crew van standard length high roof.
15 of September pricing should be set.

I'd post pics but this forum appears to not want me to.
Post up pics asap!

What trim did you test drive? :cheers:
 

Clubin

New member
It was doing a east to west pass through Canada. I was called when it was dropped off. It's for testing.
 

StanStill

Member
I also got to test drive the 4x4 sprinter in Calgary last week. It was the same van too. The dealer told me that it was then headed to Edmonton, Vancouver and then back to Germany. It was actually a German model which can't be sold in Canada.

Personally I'm not sold on the 4x4 for one reason. To shift into '4x4' (It's actually AWD) you have to stop and shift to neutral before it will engage the AWD. Living in Calgary this is a big pain in the butt. (I should also say that I'm looking at this van for an adventure van conversion) Since the mtns begin 45 mins west of the city we are usually driving on the highway. It's often the case that we'll leave Calgary and the road are bare and when you get to the mtns you're in the middle of a blizzard. Having to stop on the highway just to shift into 4x4 maybe very difficult and dangerous. Many trucks have this ability so a brand new Sprinter from a company like Mercedes-Benz should definitely have it too.

What do you guys think? I haven't completely made up my mind but I'm leaning toward the 2x4.
 

NYC SPRINTERS

New member
Well all i can say this is not what we will get!!!
This is beautiful EUROPEAN model
#1 no UGLY orange reflectors inside the headlight assembly
#2 small lights inside the molding running along the vehicle!!!!!
#3 319 badge on the rear door
When i got my sprinter firs thing i did put my headlights in the oven to open them up so i can take those ugly orange reflectors out and replace them with clear ones!!!
 
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zither99

Active member
I also got to test drive the 4x4 sprinter in Calgary last week. It was the same van too. The dealer told me that it was then headed to Edmonton, Vancouver and then back to Germany. It was actually a German model which can't be sold in Canada.

Personally I'm not sold on the 4x4 for one reason. To shift into '4x4' (It's actually AWD) you have to stop and shift to neutral before it will engage the AWD. Living in Calgary this is a big pain in the butt. (I should also say that I'm looking at this van for an adventure van conversion) Since the mtns begin 45 mins west of the city we are usually driving on the highway. It's often the case that we'll leave Calgary and the road are bare and when you get to the mtns you're in the middle of a blizzard. Having to stop on the highway just to shift into 4x4 maybe very difficult and dangerous. Many trucks have this ability so a brand new Sprinter from a company like Mercedes-Benz should definitely have it too.

What do you guys think? I haven't completely made up my mind but I'm leaning toward the 2x4.
Hey I test drove this same sprinter here in edmonton tonight, will add some photos. I paid attention to how the 4x4 mode turns on because of your post. I didn't have to put it into neutral but had to be stopped for it to indicate in the dash that 4x4 is engaged and the red light on the switch to stay on. I didnt pay attention exactly if I had to be completely stopped or at low speed though... i thought i read somewhere that you have to be at a low speed to engage it but stopped to engage the low range mode.

for most driving the 2x4 is alright with the proper tires, in our climate, a dedicated winter tire i think is a must. I experienced this when my 2007 had brand new michelin LTX tires, with weight in back, and I was stuck in deeper snow, whereas the 2014 was empty with the factory continental winters going through it no problem.
 

CheckMax

Member
I also got to test drive the 4x4 sprinter in Calgary last week. It was the same van too. The dealer told me that it was then headed to Edmonton, Vancouver and then back to Germany. It was actually a German model which can't be sold in Canada.

Personally I'm not sold on the 4x4 for one reason. To shift into '4x4' (It's actually AWD) you have to stop and shift to neutral before it will engage the AWD. Living in Calgary this is a big pain in the butt. (I should also say that I'm looking at this van for an adventure van conversion) Since the mtns begin 45 mins west of the city we are usually driving on the highway. It's often the case that we'll leave Calgary and the road are bare and when you get to the mtns you're in the middle of a blizzard. Having to stop on the highway just to shift into 4x4 maybe very difficult and dangerous. Many trucks have this ability so a brand new Sprinter from a company like Mercedes-Benz should definitely have it too.

What do you guys think? I haven't completely made up my mind but I'm leaning toward the 2x4.
Ive owned several 4x4s - generally the old school manual transmission, manual shift 4x4. I think the shift on the fly is a gimmick and ultimately prone to failure. The notion of driving down the highway at 50 and all of sudden needing 4wd seems to me unrealistic. Facts are mating a spinning driveaxle to the transmission/transfer case causes more problems than just slowing down or stopping. I like to know the transfer case is engaged. Reality is if weather conditions are turning bad to the point one needs 4wd, you're not driving at normal speeds but much lower ones. I agree pulling over on the side of the road, especially highways has its risks. I think some foresight and a quick stop to engage is worth the little hassle it may cause versus the technological and long-term challenges shift on the fly involves. People have forgotten the days of locking wheel hubs when you actually had to stop, get out of your car and turn the wheel hubs to engage 4wd. That was a hassle!
 

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