Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 18:31:10 +0100
Reply-To: OOMKES Robin <robin.oomkes@SWIFT.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: OOMKES Robin <robin.oomkes@SWIFT.COM>
Organization: SWIFT scrl
Subject: Re: History of Westfalia-Werke
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Hi all,
Allow me to chime in once more - I was off list but saw this in the archives.
I'm no longer a Vanagonite though - I've traded it in for a '98 California
Exclusive TDI automatic (lwb Eurovan with Westfalia high top camper conversion,
separate bathroom in the back) and I'm over the moon! It's smooth, powerful, fun
to drive, roomy, nice to live in... Went skiiing over Christmas, temperature
dropped to -13 Celsius overnight and the Eberspächer heater never missed a beat
- kept the interior nice and warm and the water tanks fluid.
The van that MB will bring to the States is based on the Sprinter. This is a RWD
design with the engine mounted longitudinally - GVW range from 3000 to 6500 kg.
The Vito is a much smaller van, frontwheel drive, transverse-engined, designed
by MB to compete with VW's Transporter or Eurovan. GVW around 2600 kg. This will
not come to the US. Although I agree that the Marco Polo design looks nice, it
is also *very* cramped inside. If you're used to the space of a pop-top Vanagon,
you won't like it, believe me. Its only redeeming feature, as far as I'm
concerned, is that the downstairs bed (the one in the poptop is a $400 option)
is a full 2 m long, instead of the 1.8 m of the Vanagon and Eurovan California.
I've never driven one but if I must believe the recent road test in Promobil
magazine (www.promobil.de) the 10-year old VW Transporter TDI still beats the
much more recent Vito, on cabin space, cargo space, driving position, engine
noise, fuel consumption, steering feel... Over here, although MB Marco Polo and
VW California compete head-on on price, you see about 10 Californias for every
Marco Polo...
If the Sprinter gets to the US in a Westfalia James Cook version, that would be
a very nice thing indeed. But IMHO, you shouldn't shed any tears over the Vito
Marco Polo...
BRs from Holland
Robin
98 California Exclusive TDI
90 Vanagon Westfalia Atlantic TD (formerly)
84 Westfalia Joker D (formerly formerly)
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