2010 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 Passenger Van Road Test Review

At 6'9” tall and close to 270 pounds, I'm no small guy.  I've been called every name in the book over my 50 years on Planet Earth,

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Goliath... meet your match! The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 Passenger Van is a heavyweight contender. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

including Jolly Green Giant, Sasquatch, Eiffel Tower and Goliath.  Goliath was eventually felled by the smaller David with a mere slingshot.

Well, I've been felled by smaller cars. Mazda Miata?  Only if surgery to remove my legs is on the docket.  Porsche Cayman?  Ditto.  Sadly, I'll never drive either of these excellent sports cars.  So when my neighbor strolled into my driveway and pronounced “so Brian, I see you've finally met your match,” I had little to say, as the test vehicle he was referring to was the colossal 2010 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 Passenger Van.

Folks, this thing is huge, take a look in the photo gallery that follows and you see it lined up with the Hyundai Tucson CUV for reference.  Another neighbor, certainly trying out for the comedy slot on late night television,

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Visibility is fabulous thanks to massive windows all-round. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

chortled, “so I see you are driving the Church van now!”  But she was on to something.  This is the perfect vehicle for groups of people trying to safely get from point A to point B.  Multi-passenger vans have been in the news over the years, mostly because of the poor crash protection they provide.  Rollover accidents are particularly dangerous in these vans, as they may not meet stringent roof crush standards set for passenger cars and minivans.  But not so with the Sprinter. When you finally get over the sheer mass of the Sprinter, you may wonder about its top heavy appearance. But this is a Mercedes-Benz with an advanced Adaptive Electronic Stability Program (AESP), and variations of the Sprinter have been plying German and American roads safely for years.