Archive for the ‘bluetec’ Category

It’s official; as of January 1, 2010, the much-loved Sprinter van, made by Daimler, will once again have the three-pointed star in the U.S.—and be sold by Mercedes-Benz rather than Dodge.

Automotive News reports that the Sprinter will be sold by 120 appointed dealerships as part of Daimler Vans USA, a new entity that shares its corporate headquarters with M-B USA. Meanwhile, Freightliner franchises, which have sold Sprinters as well, will continue to do so, and the vans will still be built in South Carolina.

And if you’re thinking about a Sprinter, you might want to hold off until then; the model will be relaunched with the more modern...

On quiet residential streets, the 2009 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty is about as far from subtle as you can get. From the front it looks like a (slightly) scaled-down semi, its hoodline almost at average eye level; and in the week we had the Ram, we actually looked down on a Suburban that was just ahead of us at the traffic light, and feared all week of sideswiping another vehicle with the huge, protruding towing mirrors.

I'm a lanky six-foot-six and had to heft myself -upward- to get into the truck. That's a rarity. Anyone normal sized will want to get running boards, or at least a step, installed.

And on a trip to the park, a worried-looking...