2018 Mercedes Sprinter Van is as Versatile as a Swiss Army Knife

The hypothetical 'Tilley and Sons' moving company rebranded this week and became 'Tilley and Daughter' moving company. My daughter had been traveling around the world the past year; so when she returned to Dallas, she needed to move some of her things out of a storage unit into her new apartment. Fortunately, I was able to make a quick call and schedule the current Mercedes-Benz 2500 diesel Sprinter Crew Van for the week to make the move really simple.

The Sprinter crew van came standard with a three-person leather bench seat and fixed panel size tinted window on each side of the van. The bench seat had plenty of room to safely seat three adults comfortably; and for those coffee drinkers, there were also cup holders. Because this Sprinter had the 170'' wheel base, the bench seat didn't take away from any of the cavernous cargo space the 170" provides. One of the largest items we had to move was a queen-size bed comprised of a mattress, box, head board, and foot board; but as you can see, it all fit easily behind the seat. When it comes to cargo areas in delivery vans, there are really just a few things to compare; but if you have ever used one for any length of time, you will quickly realize those few things are important.

The floor in the Sprinter is a smooth wood floor that cuts down on road noise and also makes it a snap to slide items in and out of the van. There are also six D-rings located in the floor for quick and secure restraint of anything that might need to be secured and tied down. There is also a rubber mat that comes with the van that is not shown here. And finally, to help keep noise levels down and also maintain a constant temperature, there is side wall paneling and a full headliner that has four bright dome lights for night loading and unloading.

One little accessory that made a big difference (and that I really appreciated having) was the 270-degree hinges on each rear door. It was windy on the day we moved, and the hinges helped keep the doors in place so that we weren't fighting the door and the furniture. The hinges also came in handy at the apartment complex where the loading area was really narrow. I didn't have to worry about the doors getting scratched or dented on the vehicle or damaging the walls that were on either side of us.

With my daughter successfully moved into her apartment, it was time for me to move onto my other chore for the week. I had to reopen the (hypothetical) family chauffer business, so I could pick up some family in Tyler, Texas, and deliver them to Dallas International Airport for an overseas flight they were taking.

The three-hour round trip from Dallas to Tyler and back is usually an easy and straightforward trip. You drive due east for about an hour and a half, then you turn around and retrace your steps due west back to Dallas. When I woke the day of the trip, I saw on the news the wind was going to be a crosswind out of the south at 15-20mph gusting to 25. I figured with the 170" extended wheel base and a 2500 spring package the massive Sprinter would act more like a sailboat on a three-hour tour getting tossed in the sea than a van running straight down the open road. Boy, was I wrong.

Safety has always been a priority at Mercedes Benz; so when you drive their Sprinter series vans, you are can feel confident you are in a van that will give you an extra level of protection. The Sprinter has two important standard safety features that allow the driver to maintain a smooth and easy drive even in heavy air days. One is the Crosswind Assist that will seamlessly and effortlessly stabilizes your van in gusting crosswinds for a safer and smoother ride. After manually turning it off for a few miles, I could easily see how the Crosswind Assist, when activated, would prevent you from being tired at the end of a long day of driving. With it off, I was always on guard and fighting the wind a bit to keep the van in the lane. The other is a safety feature (which only Mercedes offers in this class) is the Adaptive Electronic Stability Program (ESP). It is a safety feature that actively intervenes and automatically slows the van down by braking individual wheels and reduces engine power when it detects wheelspin, understeer or oversteer. Throw in blind spot assist, three airbags for each front passenger, and a host of other standard safety features like lane keep, collision prevention, and a high definition rear backup camera, and you might think were driving an E or C series Mercedes Sedan, not a Sprinter Cargo Van.

Once I arrived at my destination in Tyler, I was able to utilize one of the really nice features that the Sprinter offers: the electronic slide step. The family members I had to pick up are in their seventies; and because of the step, it was simple and easy for them to climb in and out of the tall 2500. It works similar to hideaway running board on most pickup trucks except is it a much wider platform that tucks away nicely when the door is closed.

For the size of the Sprinter (170" with a 3.0L V6 turbo diesel 2500), it drove with ease in the everyday city traffic. I had no issues maneuvering around tight streets, and it cornered like a luxury midsize truck. It was a diesel; but a lot of the diesels that are being produced today are so far from what people think a diesel should act and sound like that when you tell them you are driving a diesel, it surprises them. This diesel would surprise many as well. For added comfort, the driver and passenger seats are heated leather and the steering wheel is leather as well. The entertainment system is similar to what you might find in a luxury truck with Bluetooth for streaming music and navigation. If this van was used as a daily commercial van, the person who had to drive it all day is not going to feel tired and worn out like as in a few of the other commercial vans I have driven.

There are two distinct lines of vans that Mercedes offers giving the buyer nine different types of cargo vans to choose from. You have tall and normal height. You have extended and shorter. There is petro or diesel. If you can't find a Sprinter to fit your needs, you really don't want a van very badly. So if you are looking for a safe vehicle for any of your commercial endeavors, taking a look at this $41,495 vehicle is a must.

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