V20E22: Sprinter Van 4WD vs AWD Face-Off 

I was not aware of the fact that the current AWD can be equipped with a locker😮 - thank you !

The locker will help keep you from exploding the differential. When you have a tire spinning, then it grabs traction, you can blow out the spider gears or worse the ring and pinion and then your stranded. Ask me how I know 😅.

I’m out in Anza Borrego several times a year. The issue is traction in the sand, which can be very deep and even more slippery. This was a good challenge and the advice at the end was spot on. Thanks, Chris !

Great video- those are some gnarly tracks for an AWD vehicle! AWD & these "4WD" MB systems will absolutely get you stuck, just like any other AWD system. Ruts are their executioner. It is very easy to get into a spot where a wheel lifts and due to the positioning, the other tires just won't grab. AWD will get you into places that you cannot get out of when trying to go off-road driving. The practical reality is that the "4WD" with the low range is actually a AWD with a low range because both systems are computer-controlled traction systems which shift power from wheel to wheel as demonstrated, so you never have all four actually driving you as with a traditional 4x4 with at least locking hubs. Rear lockers are a minimal requirement on these IMO. If MB created a true human-managed 4x4 capability with front locking of some type in conjunction with the full-time AWD, it would be an excellent system!

Its about reliability and simplicity, 4wd for the win

That was a great comparison. We bought the 2023-AWD in late 2022 and drove it all through a frozen Montana winter. We live at high elevation in the Rocky Mts so lots of snow, solid ice covered roads, hilly terrain etc. Equipped only with stock size studded snows it went everywhere just fine. I really think that AWD is the better for most people and situations. More so for people that aren’t familiar with true 4-Wheel Drive. Unless you plan on going seriously off-road in which case you’re probably better off with a low range capable 4x4 and a locker. We installed slightly taller BFG-AT tires for the summer and the traction in dirt, mud, eel snot etc is more then adequate. The traction control handle lose slippery surfaces with ease. I’ve have been in uneven, bumpy, uphill, off camber trails like you demonstrated and it was nerve racking. Don’t know how people do it. Nerves of steel I suppose. Rolling or even getting some trail damage would be a serious bummer and a buzzkill for sure. BTW when people put taller tires on their Sprinters you are changing the final gear ratio and losing massive torque and low range/speed capability. The standard fix on Jeeps and off-road vehicles in general is change the gearing in your axles to get your crawl ratio back to normal range or even lower then stock. Going from stock 30” to 33” tall tires is seriously going to effect your low speed off road crawling ability and not in a good way. Plus these Sprinter’s suspension articulation is poor even with upgraded suspension kits installed. They lift a wheel extremely easily on uneven terrain. Remember everyone, Keep the Shiny side up and be careful out there.

11:20 I'd have a heart attack. Tipping one over is the equivalent of totaling one of these.

Planning on a sprinter purchase in the very near future this was great information. Thanks Chris for doing this. Take care fella.

Wow that was fascinating to watch In still leaning on the 4wd van

Interesting. Per the Sprinter manual, and many reviews, the stock Sprinter "4x4" is an archaic AWD third party product. After Ford Transit came out with a superior AWD Mercedes designed their own and looks like they did a great job. However, when in gnar like that the Transit has Mud/Ruts Mode and that turns Traction Control off. In this mode my 2022 Transit climbs gnar like a goat. In normal mode the response is as your AWD did. Transits need a granny gear option. The Manual 1 level isn't low enough. However, I would only need it for descents for relieving the breaks. I do every 4x4 ascent in just Automatic and Mud/Ruts. Most of my off-roading is in the Colorado Rockies and south Utah.

Thanks Chris! I always eat up technical comparisons like this.

Shannon, don’t be surprised when Chris comes home saying he had a rear locker installed on the Revel

Pucker up moment at 11:25! Great demo on the differences. I have a 2023 AWD but I don't think I'd push it into areas like this without the locker.

Under rated video. Seeing what stock anything should be a baseline for all these "performance" mods.

awesome review! big thanks!

Excellent comparison. Learned a lot and glad I watched.

Very impressive. Would of never thought. And yes AO are great to work with, a ton of knowledge and very friendly.

Thanks, this is the best comparison I've seen on the 4wd/AWD options. It looks like the locker makes the biggest difference regardless of 4x4/AWD versions. Another key difference is the turbo setup. I have a 2021 and have to wait thru turbo lag to gain the torque needed. I think that is the main power difference. The new twin turbo helps with the turbo lag issue. Thanks for sharing.

I had a 2020 Revel with Agile upgrades. I used my brake just a tad and I frequently drove some sketchy hills and desert terrain. The brake worked every time to get the power to the traction tire. It also helped with the throttle and speed control. I did have high and low range on mine. As always, I enjoyed the video.

My guess is that transfer case in the AWD is heating up a ton in these situations and I wouldn’t expect it to last long if this happens frequently.

11:24 that launch, wow!

Love the guy at AO. They know there stuff.

Thank you for the video 😎👍

Time taken to complete the obstacle between the 4x4 and AWD was pretty much the same. But the AWD version lost its 4matic system 🤣 Agiles system clearly works and its great if you are planning to do these kinds of trails with a sprinter van.

Do not like how much time it has to take to think . shouldn't have to play games with 4x4 and the traction. My wife and I are thinking about buying one but the more I see about the 4x4 the more I think about a different option. to much money to be anoyd and having to out think a computer . I want full control of my 4x4 . Having to figure out it's tantrums . You have to put it in park on a hill to get to shift . No thanks. Thanks for the review . Even though I know you don't read the comments. RIDE ON.

Rear lockers for the win

HI CHRIS 👋 THANK YOU FOR COMPARING THEM ! THIS SHOULD HELP ANYONE LOOKING TO BUY ! OR JUST THINKING ABOUT GETTING ONE . THAT ONE PART LOOKED A LOT TIPSY GLAD IT DIDN'T TIP OVER ! BE SAFE ! HAVE FUN ! ENJOYED 🍨 🍨 🍨 🍨 🍨 🍨 🍨 🍨 🍨 🍨 GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS ON YOUR ADVENTURES 🙏 THANK YOU 🙏

Great video thank you!

I have a Quigley 4x4 Transit with a rear e-locker from a F-150 and it's surprisingly capable. Would've been interesting to see it in this comparison, but I should probably finish installing my sliders.

Cant wait to see your arb airlocker install video chris haha.

love anza borrego! thanks for the comparison :-)

I have seen you have been testing the Sprinter for a while now. I must say I am not too crazy about it. Since so many people are using it, the stealth factor is essentially gone. Plus given my budget, it is also rather expensive to risk taking it on difficult trails and then have to worry about it. I probably would feel more comfortable with an older beater for the trail, alike a 4x4 converted E-250.

I don't think it matters how many wheel are driven, if they're off the ground and you don't have a lockable diff or a LSD then all the drive goes to the spinning wheel. That's 4WD or AWD, but yes a low ratio will provide better control. AWD will just try to grab the spinning wheel a bit, but it's just a bit. The diff makes all the difference if you don't have articulation or suspension travel to keep the wheels on the ground. A rear diff lock (or LSD) is all (most) people need. A front locking diff is only really for extremes. Lots of articulation or suspension travel is an issue on tarmac, unless you're getting very trick and pricey! Nice vid!!

Great video!

Interesting. Thanks for the video.

Nice. Good thought provoking video. First thought is…Air lockers for the win!

Very detailed and informative.

GREAT video!

So glad I bought a 2021 E350 cutaway van with the 7.3 Godzilla motor. A 4wheel drive conversion and its still cheaper than the Sprinter.

Until you get a locker you should try a little BTM (brake throttle modulation). Apply a little brakes when slipping. Sometimes helps push power to the spinning wheel.

Excellent !

Well done!

Not an apples to apples comparison, especially with an empty van being 3-4k lbs lighter. No mention of whether ESP and parking sensors were off. That said, still appreciate the efforts by you and AO to show some differences.

I commented on John’s page this is not a fair comparison. The AWD van is empty so it weighs 2000 pounds less than your Revel.

This isn't a good test. 1. AWD is just more of a stability control rather than independent driver control. The AWD system is to help maintain a control automatically with the PCM such as icy roads or slippery surfaces also such as rain. 4WD are dedicated offroading systems. With the help of the PCM on some new or modified vehicles (exluding manual hubs) this can provide the locking differentials to set a much lower gear ratio to gain that traction on the independent tire. Well at least try too. Overall keep this in mind. AWD is not offroading capable. In fact you might even do more damage to the powertrain doing so.

Chris-- i see alot of these kinds of videos from auto-focused channels, but even so, I enjoyed yours more, it felt more relevant to me and to overlanding in general. Just make a promise that you'll never do a winnebago revel drag race and call that content ;)

Lockers front and rear would make them so much more capable and look after the tracks without digging holes everywhere to.

That is good information

Why didn’t you lock the trans in 1st gear it’s lower than the 4x4 ? Try that in the next video please

RU-vidr MORR's driving a Sprinter off Utah's Honeymoon Trail is interesting to compare to the driving in this video. A lot of the same technical limitations had to be overcome, but it made it.

Check out Matt’s off road recovery 7/8/23 had big problems with the AWD.

I’m tired of seeing the sprinter comparison with the Agile AWD which has the ARB locker, it’s just a sales pitch. I would say rather see a comparison between similarly equipped 4WD and AWD sprinters with STOCK drivetrains.

Interesting comparison. I don't have or need something like this in the UK. I do watch an off-road recovery channel in the USA. He had to rescue a stuck Sprinter and drove it out as the owner was scared it would tip over. He (recovery guy) complained that the van would cut the throttle if it revved to high driving off road. I assume then it's done to protect the drive train. Still got it out though. I don't know the specification, of that van though.

So funny, I thought I saw your van (I live in the Anza-Borrego ) but I was like nah, can’t be . Haha it was !! Cami ask if you remember what trail you were on ? It almost looks like you are in the OHV area . Thanks for the comparison

Great review. Are front lockers possible?

The expedition camper vans such Sprinters cost so much that adding a locker is like filling up the gas tank.

Hi Chris, always enjoy your videos. I’m curious what you think of the Ford Transit AWD with the Eco boost engine. I just bought the Storyteller Overland Mode LT with their standard upfits for this Mode and I find it quite capable on rough roads (but nothing like in this video) and very stable on both highways and dirt. I didn’t go with one of the Sprinter Modes because as a former MBZ owner I am biased against the brand…too many problems and too much time in the shop. Thanks for all you do!

Definitely nice ; trailcon did a trip in one an Marcus had a 2wd one was pretty impressive would be greate for tourer

I honestly dont know why mercedes didnt used the gwagen hardware for this Offroad sprinter! It wouod have been really awesome! 😅😅

The tires look rock hard , did you lower the pressure?

I suppose with the rear lockers there is less wear and tear on the engines and transmissions.

We want orangie.

You need a locker in the back, minimum. Front would be good too, especially on vehicles that do not have enough suspension travel to keep all the wheels on the ground.

They work best with traction control off. A throttle controller also helps a great deal with acceleration.

Looks like Chris trying to squeeze the last drop of viewers out of this video before posting next one. Or , maybe it's too hot for him outside.... Lol

Thanks for this video. I’m looking to build a custom 170 and I wasn’t sure if I should find a 4x4 or go with the new AWD. I have an agile kit on my current econoline and they are on the short list for my suspension upgrade in the van build

Thanks!

good stuff! Thinking of buying the Revel (for the east coast) my Revel probably will never see "serious off-road" stuff just a dirt road up in VT, NH or ME, but surely some snow? Does anyone have good content suggestion to watch about winter capabilities of Revels?

LOL hurting the earth with a small rut.

Curious how things would have gone with the AWD and some judicious brake application to kick traction back to the planted wheel (which I assume is what the traction control ultimately does after spinning a bit).

Have a VW transporter 4motion with factory rear locker. The traction control with the locker engaged or not is very impressive . Also a fairly small light vehicle, so quite capable off road with a small lift/ bigger tyres.

I found my 24’ class c coachman with a Dana 60 up front and a Detroit TrueTrack in the rear is a better and cheaper alternative to a Sprinter with a locker. I also don’t have a def system. My Ford chassis is more reliable and most auto shops can work on it.

Thank you! This was really interesting to see the different behaviors. Super amateur question: At about the 7:30 mark, how is this not frying a clutch somewhere?

I wish the AWD vans were loaded to make a true comparison. Not sure how they can be compared with fully-loaded vans. Entertaining video, though.

I was waiting for this episode: Thanks Chris. I am between Land Cruiser 200, 2023 Nissan Armada and this Sprinter Van. Test drove a sprinter too. The AWD is not ideal compared to true range transfercase. At 9:18ish (slow motion) you can see the shockload (driver tire) going in the front drive lines when disengaging the power to front. These shockloads eventually destroys teeth/tooth in drivelines. Also 4 Cylinder to move that big van is also a concern. Keep your 21 Sprinter. Will look for a low mile 21-22 4x4 sprinter unmodified.

Awd has no load. This review is not comparable

Been looking at Toyota 4 runner, if I could rely on a van that could track like the 4Runner that would be heaven sent

Is the difference between the two that the 4WD has a Transfer case with low range and the AWD is just clutches or is there another difference ?

Interesting.

So Chris, if you could only choose one, AWD with rear lockers, or 4WD with rear lockers, what’s the verdict. Also, MB or Ford Transit. I’m an over landing rock crawler with a Jeep gladiator fully outfitted from the bottom up. I plan to do the same with a van with a lot less rock crawling. Keeping my JT.

Well I thought is was a great video. Some apparently didn't. Nice job. Too bad about the smash up on the one van.

Great video! So, is there an air locker in your future? Also, did you notice much difference with the 2.5 Fox shocks vs the 2.0? I plan to get the rear shock brackets that you got in a visit to Agile in a couple months. Also on the schedule for the air locker. I might not use it to its full potential, but I kind of look at it as a "Recovery mitigation" option. Hoping I don't need to use the winch or Maxtraxx boards as much..😇

Airing up and down the tires makes a big difference

Aaaaaaaand now I need a locker!

Locker is the way to go

I've been told you want the AWD traction control off when in difficult terrain or sometimes snow and Ice.???

Hi guys, i see those sprinters doing wonderfull things, I have a 516 CDI 2013 4x4, i went to the desert in tunisia and after 2 days only I have a join loosing grease, and problem to the rear suspension leafs, can you tell me what upgrades should I do to make the whole think more robust in order not to fear to under take some good full wheel driving?

So this 2023 AWD Sprinter has a lift, larger tires, and a rear locker. I'd like to see how a stock 2023 AWD compares to a 4wd sprinter. What engine does the 2023 have?

love these vans but they look way too tippy... cheeks clenched haha

did you guys lower the air from tires ? its a big factor for success specially in the sand . Thanks for the video it nice to see sprinter in action :)

Long therm. Always lockers if you do it a lot. Friction uses material and material cost

If you’re off-roading a big vehicle like this, just know that a lot of roads in the West have suffered from significant washouts over the past year.

How much more does yours weigh than the others? I'd be interested to see how it would perform without the conversion weight

@venture4wd maybe I missed it but im not sure you clarified if you compared the new AWD to the older 4hi or 4low? Im assume 4low was engaged due to the use of the locker but can you confirm? Also, did you try with and without traction control?

I have arb Lockers on front and rear diff. That way when I get stuck, a bulldozer needs to be called to pull me out 🤷‍♂️

What air pressures are you running? Those tires all look almost flat!

Interesting comparison, AWD is slowly improving, wondering if it’ll someday be the norm?

Great video, completely convinced me that Sprinters are NOT made to be off road and to drop that dream altogether.

These van are everything you don’t want for off roading: extremely long wheelbase, top heavy, and unibody. I own a high roof converted 2wd Ford Transit and Jeep Rubicon JL. From 0 to 10, I would rate my Jeep a 10 for off road capability and a 1 for my van. Where do you think these van are on this scale?

awesome video! Getting an AWD in the future! basic question: does anybody know what color the "light tan" sprinter is? Pebble grey? stone grey? Whatever it is, I like!