I suspect other people see it as a monolith. I liked the tall shape, the long lines and the interior. I suspect that for most people, the Sprinter’s looks are polarizing. Lane changes were easily accomplished and there was no drama. The side mirrors had a great combination of standard flat mirrors plus some convex mirrors on the bottom that gave me a wide view of each lane on either side of the van. That’s a lot of storage space, my friends. Even with enough suitcases and bags for eight people, there was plenty of storage space behind the last row, so my view out the back window was never blocked. In something of a gain over last year’s cars, visibility was no problem in the Sprinter. I will admit I was more cautious than I would have been in any of the SUVs I drove for last year’s vacation blog. No matter the speed, I found myself being more cautious as I took curves, but I never felt like I might tip over. Because the Sprinter is so large, even a small push down on the decelerate lever dropped the speed quickly, so I could drop back when I had to. The cruise control was a huge help for me once it was set, just toggling the accelerate/decelerate lever at my left, above the steering wheel, provided enough throttle control. I kept it between 65 and 72 for most of the trip. It was nothing dangerous, just an unsettled feeling. Getting up to 70 mph was no problem, but once I passed 75 there was a growing disconnect I could feel with the road. That being said, there was definitely an upper limit on how fast I could drive and feel comfortable with. That’s thanks largely to its diesel engine, which not only provides enough oomph, but also kept its gas mileage pretty low for a van this size. After only a short drive, I found the acceleration, shifting and handling to be very similar to my Kia Sedona (and minivans like it), and I can honestly say I really enjoyed driving it.Įven though it’s a big van, I never lacked for power to get going or to pass on the highway. While there are adjustments you’ll have to make, it’s a very small learning curve. Sure, there were a few things we’d have changed, but all in all I wouldn’t hesitate to rent one of these for another long road trip.īeforehand, what unnerved me most about driving the Sprinter was the way I expected it to handle on the open road. The Sprinter is a more-than-capable travel van, one that took my family to upstate New York and back in style and comfort. I asked myself, “What have you gotten yourself into?” In some ways it was smaller than the van I had been picturing in my mind, but in person it stood awfully tall and was verrryyy long. I have to admit, when I saw the Dodge Sprinter in my driveway I was intimidated by its size. Click here to compare the ’09 Sprinter with the ’08. I tested an extended-length Sprinter 2500 wagon with the higher of two available ceilings. The Sprinter was last redesigned for the 2007 model year it’s available in a number of lengths and roof heights, with cargo (25) and passenger-carrying (2500 wagon) configurations, as well as a stripped-down chassis version. It was comfortable and roomy, but it needs some entertainment updates to make it truly competitive. All in all, I really enjoyed driving the Sprinter. Turns out, that was a great foundation for driving the 2009 Dodge Sprinter, a 12-seat van in which I took my family (and my sister-in-law and her two boys) from Chicago to Rochester, N.Y. Growing up in a family of eight kids, I learned how to drive in a 10-seat Ford Econoline van.
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