I remember when we brought the Sprinter to the U.S. through Freightliner. Initially it was to meet a requirement from FedEx for a smaller van. FedEx’s commitment to purchase, maintain and support those initial units was instrumental to the initial success of the Sprinter. They were the pilot customer in the U.S. although they had operated them in Europe. The vision and commitment of Lynn Gorman, FedEx’s v.p. of ground equipment, was the key.
The V6 in sprinter is a pointless engine, always has been, Solely for North America market where big is best mentality. Modern efficiency rules large commercial diesels pointless. In Europe a Bmw 2.0 4 cylinder diesel produces between 190 to 240 bhp on a single or twin turbo 0 to 60 in 7.5 or 6.8 sec up to 140mph and 55mpg on highway. I remember a late 80s Chevy 350 v8 irocs z making less power, what a pile of shit they were , only car worse than them were the Russian Ladas.
And now Amazon Prime is buying them up. Our Sprinter dealership, right in the back yard of MB North Charleston, never has a large inventory of Sprinters. Either supply is low or just not a big demand for them here??
The limo company I work for has 2 Sprinters, a 2nd-gen and one of these new ones. The biggest change for me is the driver seat; the older one feels like it's tilted forward, and you can only raise the rear to make that problem even worse. Makes it easy to get in and out of, life if you're on a mail route, but it's pretty agonizing on an 8hr drive. The new one has more adjustment and is much better for it. General experience with both has been good; they're low-maintenance and use a TON less fuel than, say, a V10 E-450 it replaces. The Transit lacks the Mercedes badge for limo work. That wasn't a problem the Econoline had with the same badge, but hey, brand cachet never was rational in the first place. As a driver, the big thing I notice is the turbo lag on the 3.0 OM642 engine. Holy God. It makes a 250cc 2-stroke feel smooth and linear. The newer one has a power and torque display on the infotainment screen - when the turbo comes on it goes from 120lb-ft to 324 in about 1 second. If you're trying to make a tight left onto a busy street, you're going to be making an insurance claim. Zero to just 10mph takes like 5 seconds, just because it's so hopeless for those first 2,000 revs. One nice feature of the newer one is the 7-speed transmission instead of the old 5-speed. The 5-speed is smoother if we're honest, but the top gear is shorter than a Civic. We're talking 2,800rpm at 65mph, in an engine that redlines at 4k. Has to be that way to deal with the turbo. The 7-speed is turning more like 2,200, which is a much happier place for the engine and contributes to a very impressive increase in fuel economy, bolstered further by a larger fuel tank.
The only reason I see companies paying the premium for a Sprinter is if they need a big van. Transit is a big van but the longest Transit is still almost 2 feet shorter than the the Sprinter. For most configurations a Transit is a no brainer, the base 3.7 has enough punch for say a high roof 2500 and you still have the diesel and the big 3.5 ecoboost. The highest configurable Transit falls several thousand short of a loaded Sprinter.
Can you please do a driving comparison on the top Vans such as sprinter, promaster, and the transit? How they drive and handle would be super appreciated!
Just bought a 2021 Midwest Automotive Designs Passage 170 which is sitting on a dually 2019 Sprinter 3500XD chassis. Excited take delivery tomorrow and get on the highway with it!
Get a transit. I just lost my ass on a conversion I did which was followed by a failed cp4 fuel pump which require the entire fuel system to be replaced. Over 16k. Traded it in.
I've always liked these MB vans and Frightliner vans driving one for work if I owned a fleet I'd get a MB van there oil change intervals are some crazy 25k miles.
I'm really happy these vans (sprinter, transit, promaster )are taking over. I think there is alot of ignorance about these vans. I won't be able to change there minds so I'll let sales speak for themselves. ☺️
If the Promaster is anything like the original Fiat Ducato/ Citroen Jumper / Peugeot Boxer, I'd stay far away from it if electrical problems is not your favorite thing. They are plagued with all sorts of mysterious gremlins especially when the outside temp is hovering around 0°C.
@@user-bo8yt4uc8b my employer just ordered a high roof promaster so we shall see. It's a super versatile chassis. They are also assembled in Mexico along the side of most of the ram truck line.
no thanks,, I am glad I sold mine at 146K km... let's talk about maintenance .. basic oil chance service B $850, service A $1500. glow plugs replacement $3000 every 2 years very likely occurs. brakes $1500 for per set. Oil heater cooler sealant problem $3000, for any other problems $180 per hour labor charge plus material. They will just rip off your pocket!
Kenan, wow! I am so happy I decided to check YT about these vans as I was considering replacing my beloved Ford E250 for one. Thank you for all those price quotes, I didn’t realize maintenance was that expensive on them. I will look for another E250 instead.
Considering the experience you stated are from Mercedes dealership services. They don't own much from the sales of the car but on services and maintenance you bring for them.
Nice rundown! But getting a Transit fixed will always be far cheaper than getting a Sprinter fixed. In a fleet of vehicles, those costs really add up. Until Mercedes does something about that, Sprinter will always be an also ran.
I bought 2019 Sprinter 2500, diesel engine, long wheel base and I did only 9168 miles and transmission is broken, waiting 30 days on new transmission from Germany
When a new car is bought, the front door is flooded, and the back door keeps ringing. After a week of maintenance, the back door still has a sound, and the driving heart has a shadow.
On a budget I think the RAM Promaster is the better deal here. Especially with their existing available rebates. I would love to have a nicely equipped Sprinter van though. Good report. Just wished you gave the RAM equal spotlight as the Ford when discussing cost.
Well, since the Transit is the market leader, it makes sense to primarily compare it to that. The Ducato / Promaster with front wheel drive is kind of boring to me as well. I don't even like how it looks.
These things are absolutely all over the place, where I live. Lots of companies small and big are employing them, and there are even people living in them. Frankly, it's quite annoying... but, I can't deny how cool these things are.
Reviews like this one is why I enjoy TFL so much. I say more Andre and less Sarah. If I wanted to "car chicks" I'd go to a Hot Import Nights show again.
From one Andre to another, welcome to my back yard:) Thanks for the tour of the 2019 Sprinter. I think our MB dealer here is ashamed of Sprinters because they keep so few in stock. (Charleston has become a bit snobbish). They need a better representation here, especially since the plant is in their own back yard. Doesn't make any sense to have to drive all over just to check them out.
Great review. I loved the pictures flying though all the interior features, A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say. I hope you can get one of these back to Colorado for a fuel economy test and "Ike Gauntlet" like you guys do with the pickups.
What about fuel? Mercedes says do not use greater than B5 diesel. You could have warranty issues using diesel B5-B20 which is at the pumps in the Midwest. Their emergency breakdown response is terrible. They do not have enough shops that do work on Sprinters. Just got rid of 2016 Sprinter chassis motorhome with 3000 Miles. But I guess if you breakdown you have a bunch of features you can play around with while your waiting for help!
In my city, the best Sprinter maintenance is a couple Ukrainian guys who literally don't speak any English, but they charge half of what Mercedes does, do it in 1/10th the time, and we've never ever had to take something back. Mercedes shops and dealerships in the US absolutely hate Sprinters because everything about them is so different to the dentist's cars they normally work on. They're not equipped to deal with fleets so they treat commercial customers just like the GLA-class owner. "We'll have that done by early October. Here's a base CLA loaner, surely that will be adequate to replace your Sprinter in the meantime. What do you mean $400 is too much for an oil change? Can't you see how fashionable our lobby is?" If it weren't for Viktor and his guys, we probably couldn't use Sprinters for business in this city.
I really like the sprinter van this was a great video the only thing that I would like to see is more towing capacity with the Mercedes and preferably an exhaust break for when you're up in the mountains
When they find a hack to the computer controller so the DPF can be deleted , I'll definitely buy one. Made in USA too, that should solve any rust problems caused from overseas shipping. Parts should cost a lot less also.
I like the new interior, much better than the previous version. However, the new front looks old, reminds me of a Volkswagen. Ford did the same thing with the new rear drive Explorer.
nice to see Mercedes Benz drop the price on the Sprinter, too bad it is still at a serious performance disadvantage when compared to the more powerful Transit. Yes sure, it can haul more, and that matters to those that it matters too. But for the mainstream market, it does matter that even the base Transit packs almost a hundred more horsepower and two more cylinders.
Just a few of questions to this presenter... Will all new sprinters be made in the US or just the left hand drive US versions ? Is the US just assembling the parts or actually making panels from scratch ? In other words - will your US versions be rust buckets like ours ? I'm being honest and genuine - I own a sprinter and am a fan but I do hate the fact that on the whole Mercedes couldn't give two shits about their rust issues. I'd really like to invest in a large 4x4 version but there's no way I'd shell out 55k for a van that rusts within 5yrs, I want my van body to last as long as the engine. Another question - you mention a petrol / gasoline 2ltr version - what's the mpg of this and the diesel ?
Sprinter finnaly offers Gas engine which was the biggest consert for many many ppl including me. America doesnt like Diesel period!!! And the last thing i wish Sprinter would’ve been as wide as Transit at least and promaster at most would make Sprinter the best van in everything from a-z
The Merc is a overall good design. But .. once the warranty ends the possible repair cost could be high. Yes some people in Europe say "Merc" instead of Mercedes. Just like in the US we say "Chevy" instead of Chevrolet.
I don't know anybody who calls a Mercedes Merc.. Saying Merc would require us Germans to pronounce it the English way.. Pronouncing Merc the German way just sounds silly.. Germans don't really use abbreviations like Merc or Bimmer (well some petrol heads might use Bimmer), more like VW because it's easier and faster to say in German than Volkswagen.
Affordability is the key to customer satisfaction in America these days. High maintenance costs for a "Quality Brand" is a no-starter dumb thing to me. Maybe a Mercedes cargo van is a status symbol or something like a fool and his money will soon be parted kind of thing. Or get three Fords for the price of two Mercedes.
Excellent review, straight to the point. Regarding the vehicle itself, I'm concerned about the power of the smaller engine versions of the passenger vans. I'm thinking of starting a business where I would be traveling and transporting about 12 passengers and I'm concerned about power. I know turbocharged engines deliver more power, but they also run very hot with possible engine and turbocharge issues. Any thoughts?
In Europe you can set a timer with rust year six they start to rust onwards. Most sprinters are 4 cylinders here up to 160bhp , pointless v6 rarely ordered, unless in RV/ motorhome spec. 4cyl all you need and very reliable . Of all model vans sold here, there are king of rust, followed by transit. All other models here rust free. Early days here for Turkish built transit on rust yet. Sprinter best thing to happen to North America van market, forced ford to import transit from Europe to compete. You would still be driving pointless econline fords and Chevys shoe box size vans and gas guzzling. I see you now have excellent rebadged iveco daily rebadged as dodge/ Chrysler. In Europe the two vans of choice for 300k durability are iveco daily and 4cyl sprinters. All other models life cycle are 200k and fleets dump them. VW now build there own sprinter size van now and will become third van in that durability class of 3.5 tonne plus. Here 95% are manual transmissions, which helps for long term reliability, 7g autos common on motorhomes/RV.
You know how fast American semi trucks drive? Our European trucks are limited to 50 mph but American semis can easily drive 100 mph in theory.. But since there are general speed limits in the US it's possible to drive that speed neither with Sprinter nor with a semi.. And what's the top speed of a Sprinted? 110 mph maybe.. So not much faster..
Bergbau Hansi hello, but then again T/TRUCKS IN EUROPE ONLY HAVE 1 TYRE PER REAR, X2 AXLES , IN YSA, SMALLER TYRES, DUAL AXLES , DUAL WHEELS , CHEERS FROM NJ
repairvehicle -- no, previously they were just assembling the engine and transmission into a prebuilt van body. That allowed them to avoid paying the 'chicken tax' on imported trucks.
Thank you for the video,I’m planing to purchase a Mercedes sprinter 319 CDI 4x4 V6 3000cc 2012 what do you about this Van is it reliable ?? Thank you in advance.
Uhh from reviews apparently they’re horribly expensive long term or just general maintenance. Guess it’s not a Toyota Tacoma obviously lol. *and they can’t do above like 60 up hills
I couldn't recommend the MB sprinter. they are unreliable, the service is nightmare,most dealers don't have a diesel tech, and the roof rusts after 3 years.Oh parts are expensive if you try to have your friendly mechanic do the work. They are nice when they work...NO Thanks again
Amen brother, 460k and counting on mine. Better built and unerring reliability is what I have come to expect and enjoy. I used mostly MB parts as they are much better quality and last longer than aftermarket parts. These 460k+ miles are hard miles, I NEVER go across the scale less than 8200# and routinely tow between 5000#-16000# without issue. The first break job I did was after 200k. Seems pretty damn good to me??
This is the worst vehicle I have ever unfortunately had to deal with on a professional level. the Mercedes sprinter is very expensive to maintain the average diesel in America only cost $0.01 to maintain per mile the Mercedes sprinter cost as much as ten cents per mile just to maintain the bluetec system. Average cost to replace is $7,500 up to 10,000 I cannot see how this system could possibly cost much to replace. Wake up people don't let Mercedes tell you there's nothing better. All these people who are in these videos are being endorsed by. if they say they are not being indoors they are getting something from Mercedes in return for their positive review.
Sprinter is a great van, but for the USA it needs a powerful gas engine. The new heavy 2019 Sprinter will get a 190HP 2.0 4 Banger Gas Engine, whats is compare to the 310HP Transit and 280 HP Promaster V6 engines very underpowered. But Mercedes has a kinds of powerful engines even with good gas milage, so hope that they will use something in the future out of there great performance engine series for the Sprinter Vans.
ArcolaBridge I do believe they start @5 cylinder outside DE, speaking of which, DIESEL is less expensive than petrol, BUT None of those,,or relatively FDR are ‘CLEAN’ BURNING DIESELS, so,they can NOT BE REGESTERED IN USA, many vehicles have to be 25 years old before they can come here. Cheers from NJ
I would like to know what is the difference in prices between the low roof models and the high roof the one you can stand up in ,because ive seen a low roof version being almost 5 grand cheaper than the high roof vehicle ,is this a fact or is the dealer ripping me off s
Don’t by it not worth it go by Ford /: The shipper oil change will cost you $850 I went to the dealer today and I tried to get my first oil change they asked me for $850 I told them you guys told me that will cost me $250 when I bought the van they told me you heard us wrong so basically you’re going to get ripped off it’s not worth it by Ford
I'm thinking of buying a new sprinter can you shine some light. I like the Mercedes Diesel or Ford diesel. What do you recommend and why. Any bad experience? Thanks
We have a 2016 diesel 4x4 and have not had any motor issues yet. But with that being said, I think this is going to be the last diesel I will own. There is a ton if information out their documenting the maintenance problems with this motor and most of this issues seem to start at about the 100,00 mile range. I didn't discover any of this till after we made the purchase. And its not just the MB diesel, its all modern diesel engines thanks to the EPA's requirements. There are several things I do that I believe will help increase the life of this diesel. #1 is, I don't idle for more then a few minutes and I don't lug the motor at low RPM's during slow speed driving. I will down shift and keep the engine in the 1800-2000 rpm range. The motor runs more efficiently at these speeds and I get the same fuel economy as if I was lugging it 1200 RPM. #2. I never shut the motor down with out cooling it off for a minute or so. I want to give the turbo a chance to cool down so that the lubricating oil does not cook off in the turbo bearings #3. I switched my engine oil over to Amsoil 5-30wt European Formula. This oil has one o the lowest NOACK ratings of all motor oils an it is approved by MB in the 3.0 liter diesel motor. This means, it wont evaporate or cook off as quickly allowing the oil to protect as designed and last longer. #4. I do oil changes at 10,000 miles and not the 18,000 that MB recommends. I think my next van is going to be a gas motor.
Since we don't have emission control inspections where I live, I have looked into eliminating those. Unfortunately that is way above my skill and mechanical level.
Also would be hard to pass inspection and register the vehicle with all those OBD II codes going off if you delete the EPA stuff--at least here in Texas.
Jerry Serrano emmissions Requirements are Federal. California may have stricter requirements and manufacturers adhere to them. Texas and other states require annual inspections to register vehicle.
Import one from France or Germany. At least the wheel will be on the correct side, not to mention the engine is NOT detuned for the US market. I drove one in Germany on the autobahn and it could easily go more than 110mph (yes I converted from kph for our US readers.)
Have you priced any other oil changes lately? Ford or GM diesel trucks? GM gas trucks? What are you expecting? 8.00 oil changes on a $40k (bare bones) diesel van? Plus you can go well over 10,000 miles
MrBertstare no but I can make up a ridiculous number to support my point though? It’s higher cost of parts and labor rates of MBz dealerships. So you’re saying cost per mile is equal with Ford? I’m sure that’s why all the initial Sprinter fleets have been replaced now that buyers have options. Google Sprinter emissions issues and you’ll figure out way.
no need to google, replaced my 2006 with 256k miles with a 2014 with 50k miles. Love my vans, loved my duramax trucks too but to get pissy about expensive oil changes on a diesel is ridiculous. All oil changes are expensive, new honda accord? almost a 100 bucks, chevy cruz, same, most new vehicles require a synthetic oil to maintain the powertrain warranty, most synthetic oil changes on passenger cars are creeping on a 100 bucks. As far as speaking with fleet guys its a love hate relationship with any of the eurostyle vans. We service all makes and models and its pretty even on the amount of bitching we hear on the transits and the sprinters. only one that out weighs them all is the promaster guys, still have yet to meet a pleased driver/owner/fleet manager.
I have a sprinter and I don`t haul anything:-) it`s so comfortable for camping or very long trips. beside that, there is no other 4x4 van on the market.
Don't buy a diesel there emissions system sucks. we had a def level fault come on and took it in to Mercedes and of course it was not just the def level indicator it was the whole def system needs to be replaced. and of course the extended warranty did not cover it because it is emissions and that is not covered. So over 6000.00 later they can fix it and give you a 90 day warranty , on there work. looking on the internet it seems there is a problem with this system, I have seen a lot of comments on it. Maybe the should move the plant back to Germany where the workers are proud of there product not just looking for a big union paycheck
Cristi m what the heck, are you Faulkner’s about, FYI the 4X4 in MB, is NOT MADE BY THEM,,it is an MB AUHORISED DEALER, BUT MB COVERS IT ,FYI,, THERE IS a QUIGLEY conversion available for 4X4 for THE FORD TRANSIT , so help smoking whatever is is you smoke ,, CHEERS from NJ
Marcel Deman Until Merc reinvents the whole system, you can’t rely on a new Sprint that hasn’t been kitted, unfortunately. But, thankfully~ there is a fix. Rawtek sells a DEF delete kit~ exhaust, resonators, etc. Bye, Bye DPF... But, yes- pre 2008 Gen1’s like my 2.7litre CDI with over 350k miles are sensational. The classic Sprinters are a marvel. Also, a heck of a lot quicker & with better economy than the new 2019 Diesel 4x4 170 that’s been in my driveway for a just a few days now. 😁 The new ones do, however, feel like a dream to drive. Damn, I love being in it. I love looking at it. But, you can’t do either when it’s in the shop, curtesy of the Gremlins installed free of charge right at the factory.
I loved my Sprinter Sportsmobile conversion....however Mercedes neglected to establish a world class network of in dependent sprinter DIESEL shops. That leaves a person to limp mode to the next MB dealer and a repair bill that gives a person nosebleed. Even though the Chevy Express is shoddy work it is easy to repair from Anchorage to Miami.
I work for Salt Lake Express for 9 yrs as a mechanic Service and maintenance on Mercedes-Benz sprinter and they reach pass 700k miles on original engine, burn little oil over times at high miles, best reliable van I ever seen Thank god the engine design still the same, I don’t like the look of the new transmission shifter at all
