Don Cohen is the Blogger-in-Chief of Winnebago’s blog, GoLife. Two years ago, he and his wife Terry bought a new Itasca Navion and put 40,000 miles on it traveling throughout the United States. The Navion had the Mercedes V-6 engine.
Don knew that Mercedes had made a big change to its 2014 Sprinter – the introduction of a 161-hp, 266-lb-ft 2.1-liter I-4 turbodiesel engine. This new engine has four cylinders in an inline layout, compared to the older V-6 model which has two rows of three cylinders in a V setup.
The two test subjects: a 2013 Itasca Navion (6 cylinder) and a 2014 Winnebago View (four cylinder).
He wanted to test out the new I-4 engine compared to his older, V-6 model.
With the help of Winnebago and Transwest Truck Trailer RV (they loaned him the new motorhome), Don was able to test it through the Colorado Rockies, up and down 5% and 6% grades.
Watch Don Cohen test the new four cylinder Mercedes engine in a new Winnebago View.
It seems one of the most useful features of the new I-4 engine is that it has 7 gears compared to 5 in the V-6. Don was able to use engine breaking to maintain a smooth 60 mph during descents, taking the load off the brakes. Based on this test, which engine would you prefer if you had to choose between the two?
Related: Get A Behind The Scenes Look At The 2015 Winnebago View (Itasca Navion)
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