Off-roading the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 Crew Van 4x4

You’ve seen them dropping off packages and hauling plumbing supplies, but how does a 2018 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van handle off-roading? Shockingly well. Tom Voelk takes a 2500 Crew Van 4x4 model out on The Ridge Motorsports Park’s motocross track and over a series of log features to find out if the Sprinter delivers on tough terrain.
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About Tom:
Tom Voelk is an award-winning automotive contributor to The New York Times. His podcast was the first to win an Emmy Award. He also married way out of his league. Now, stop reading this promotional copy bragging about Tom's photography and editing skills and watch a couple episodes. It's much more interesting.

[@firebir11]

They bounce over a 4” pipe and they’re impressed, your joking.

[@jamesellsworth9673]

Tom must be angling for access to more Mercedes products to test. I'd like to see him do a 'Sprinter-based' camper conversion!

[@warika1208]

After owning a Sprinter and several other makes over the years I can say without a doubt that the Sprinter is less expensive to own in the long term and retains a higher resale value than anything else on the market except the Crafter. Iveco, Ford, Renault etc all cost less, but they bleed you dry with much higher fuel consumption and they generally break (a lot) more often. There is a very good reason why everybody from small artisans, rental companies, construction companies, taxi companies and big fleet operators use them more than all other makes in Europe.

[@rvboondocker2559]

I’ve had mine for 5 months and love it! It’s a beast and, you don’t need 4x4.....until you need it! Twice seriously already....tall camper at 8500 pounds on the deep mud at the end of a trail on a slope and we had to turn around, and deep sand on Amelia Island Peters Point Beach. Worked frighteningly well! Hey, it’s a Mercedes and 4x4’s are hard to find in North America right now.

[@richardupton19]

So Tom releases a video of him chatting up a MB girl.... Even the van felt like a gooseberry

[@ignacionaudon2908]

Yeah definitely not 24" of ground clearance

[@jamesbensch6]

1:54 my neighbours bought a Ford Transit for this very reason. They sold their Focus and use the Transit not only for camping but for daily driving too

[@accuratehvacr]

not 24" ground clearance

[@andrewsmactips]

When it absolutely has to be - over that log.

[@daem3n]

I need one of those. Great overland rig.

[@michaelhenry8451]

For further comparison, I'd be very curious to see a standard sedan take on the "easy" course. I live in Peru and Toyota Corollas would be all over some pretty poorly maintained mountain roads...

[@Prodigalson0078]

You'd have to get one hell of a lift to get 24 inches of ground clearance.

[@nunyabiznatch9312]

My Excursion could have done any of that in 2wd. Room for 8 of us, camping gear, and haul 10k lbs with ease. I bought it for less than the MB 4wd option......

[@cadsux]

And it'll hold 48 sheets of gypsum board, flat. Not to mention a payload of 2800 to 3400 lbs, and tow 5000 lbs. A camper conversion would be great, like the VW California Van. A V6 option would be nice too, but I'd doubt they'll make an AMG version, or would they...

[@DrivenCarReviews]

Yup. I'm kind of surprised more people don't use them as a replacement for pickups. Everything is enclosed and watertight.

[@DrinkWhiskeyRaiseHell]

4x4 automatically includes the 3.0 V6 Turbo Diesel.

[@warika1208]

Don't understand what is so "shocking" or "unbelievable" about this, especially since it was being at 2mph...if you did your homework you would know why these (and the VW Crafter) vans are the kings of this category in Europe. Drive the van and stop trying to chat-up the girl.

[@rorycahill]

What are you talking about? She is a PR person, of course he would ask her about the vehicle. That's the whole point of a PR person

[@warshaue1]

My Jetta could run that course.

[@DerAnstreicher]

Für diese Feldwege braucht man keinen Allrad. Da kann der Past auch besoffen durchlaufen.

[@sgbradley]

No Spec;s??? No inside pics either???

[@pianopeach]

not that kind of video. I'm pretty sure he just wanted to add a bit more on this particular vehicle because people commented about it a lot on his most recent video before this one.

[@DrivenCarReviews]

Exactly.

[@Aliakbar.m]

Nice!

[@CalvinHikes]

You can get caught up but the reality is that still a 2-wheel drive course. Let's give you a steep hill and some snow and ice and see what happens. That's why I just can't own a sprinter.

[@DrivenCarReviews]

I'd like to see a two-wheel drive vehicle get over the logs. It tripped up even some of the 4WD vehicles.

[@Dumontjon]

Driven Car Reviews give me a break buddy. Those logs were 90% burried in dirt. Any front wheel drive suv could get over that

[@villLe]

$7500 for 4WD is pretty steep...

[@hyperlogos]

Because of engine placement the van requires expensive front end parts. Also Mercede$

[@headcas620]

I see what you did there.

[@cristim5620]

more acceptable than 3000 for a bed frame or 640 for a bug screen.

[@bosse641]

Sure would love to own one. And to build a camper out of it.

[@sabisajisimon2824]

1 st! 😉 .....Great video btw!

[@Dumontjon]

There is no possible way that this has 24 inches of ground clearance. I'm on 35's with a 6 inch lift and I don't even have 24 inches of ground clearance

[@DrinkWhiskeyRaiseHell]

What a pitiful course. Any normal sedan could handle that course.

[@verlekersey24]

That Benz is a Bad-A#$...!! It's a "sleeper 4x4". You'd definitely would get surprised looks heading off road with it. Only problem I have is, it's a Benz, meaning it's expensive to work on.

[@markharvey18]

Did she just say 24 inches of ground clearance?

[@ernestoquintero747]

Yea, that's obviously wrong.

[@DrivenCarReviews]

Yup.

[@LX450_Adventure]

She misspoke. As soon as she said that I said "What?" She meant 24" of wading clearance for water crossings.

[@joseffischer2352]

Maybe centimeter not inches...???

[@venom5809]

So basically this is a Sprinter 4x4 squared?

[@JamaicanMeCrazy]

Is this even in America?

[@leightonmann]

24 inches of ground clearance?

[@nreitman]

Leighton Mann “cm” maybe?

[@DrivenCarReviews]

Nope. Inches.

[@nreitman]

Driven Car Reviews room to camp underneath! Btw, always enjoyed your NYTimes reviews. Glad to have found your channel!

[@TinLeadHammer]

BS. Fording depth, maybe.

[@LX450_Adventure]

@Driven Car Reviews, I assume you are an automotive journalist? As soon as she said that, I was like "what?" Why didn't you? It has 24" of wading clearance. Ground clearance is only about 8", the same as the 2wd version. I can't think of a civilian vehicle with 24" of ground clearance and the original hummer is only 16", but was designed to cross a 2 foot wall.

[@awesomelife3680]

Take it to the actual trail

[@VlauableFather]

$7,500 for 4WD? Nah...

[@averagealice8877]

Sorry to be critical but this is a wimpy course and you failed to show very many road shots- mostly talking (and promoting the van) in the cab.

[@Scrambler85]

I thought that was Ellen DeGeneres driving

[@75arkady]

It’s not Off-roading

[@mikescott6097]

#5

[@troysmith9007]

what kinda of BS offroad is that a prius can go through that

[@DrivenCarReviews]

I would pay good money to see a Prius try to get through that course.

[@RafaelReyes2504]

I am now having to consider unsubscribing... what happened to your channel? No more car reviews... just lame press clips and interviews.

[@DrivenCarReviews]

I do the same amount of reviews Rafael. Thursday is having some fun and trying new things for me.They are additions to the channel not replacements. BTW, I shot every frame of this video, it's not a press clip.