One day before the Fiat-Chrysler pairing hit the airwaves in 2009, I chose to put my life in extreme danger and ate lunch at a well-known fast food emporium.
There in the parking lot sat a fellow eating in the driver's seat of a 5-cylinder 2.7 L Diesel Sprinter high roof work van. Being interested in a Window Wagon for my personal use, I asked the guy what they were like, and what fuel mileage he was getting; and quickly asked what he thought of driving one ( this was a company vehicle; not his own). He said even in the city they get 'pretty high mileage', but he didn't elaborate. He did concede that it was better on fuel than the Chevy work van they had before. He seemed more concerned about telling me how the taller roof gets affected by the wind on the highway. He said it took a while to get used to, but he learned to cope; and that highway steering was a whole other thing.
I wanted a Sprinter because I'm claustrophobic. My interest remains the same for a ProMaster, but a ShuttleBus version hasn't been announced. I'd like a highroof model for the reason just stated. But also figured there'd be some negative to a prominent roof.
By the way, regarding my discussion with the driver - early 2009 I went to a couple Dodge dealers nearby to see a Sprinter for myself. They weren't available at all. They just were not on the lot. One Window wagon was used for the dealership's Courtesy Shuttle, but no other Sprinters were seen ... for weeks.
