Cars at a Glance
2009 Sprinter 2500
by Dave Stall
 
2009 Sprinter 2500

Got a big family?  Maybe a small church or a tour business, well if you need passenger space then the Sprinter by Dodge may be just your cup of tea.  The Sprinter I tested was the 170-inch wheel base which is the longest they make or you can opt for the smaller version that is 144-inch wheel base.  Single or dual wheels in the rear are available for added stability especially if you get the Sprinter with the tall ceiling that is over six feet tall.  My test van had single rear wheels and the high roof worked just fine, did get into a little wind in Alpine but no problem.
You get one engine to choose from a 3.0-liter V6 that burns diesel.  You can expect fuel mileage around the 20's which isn't real bad and with a 25 gallon fuel tank you're looking at a range in the 600 mile area.  I must admit the V6 was a little under powered but manageable. 
You get a lot of standard creature comforts like A/C front and rear, AM/FM/CD, power windows and door locks, power heated mirrors.  The driver and passenger seats were very comfortable with air ride adjustments for those long trips.  Sliding passenger side door that was pretty big but it slid on its tracks as if it didn't weigh a thing.  The seating layout worked great for unloading and loading passengers (I was going to head out to Viejas and see if I could make a buck or two hauling gamblers but no takers, must have been the lack of decals!).
The 1st row of seating held three, the 2nd row held three and the 3rd row held four passengers for a total of ten plus the passenger and driver.  Rear air was available and the windows were well tinted with a great view.  The rear doors opened barn-style and you had enough room in the back for luggage for 12 there was a nice step to help you into the rear of the sprinter and plenty of lights to help guide the way.
Safety was a concern for Dodge so they added traction control, air bags up front, Latch-Ready Child Seat Anchor System, Adaptive Electronic Stability Program, heavy duty stabilizer bar up front, power rack and pinion steering, and a emergency exit window.
My tester came with a lot of extras that brought it from a base price of $47,220 to a whopping $63,365 plus tax and license.  But I can tell you Rancho Dodge in Kearny Mesa have over 100 units in stock and they will do what they can to put one in your garage or driveway.  Talk with Doug Wilson and he will sharpen his pencil, just tell him "Dave sent you"!