Question Any experience with the Mercedes Sprinter

5littleH2OBabies

New member
DH are looking at buying this in the next year, looking to see if anyone has played with this vehicle IRL or has any insight aside from the canned online reviews. Looking at the lower ceiling model. Currently we have 7 of us in a Dodge Grande Caravan and I loathe/hate/despise taking all of us in it. We frequently have road trips to tournaments and are loaded with stuff that ends up in a topper and often we have to pack lighter and stay in hotels instead of camp because of the lack of cargo space. My 11 & 16 year old are getting more cramped as they grow and I imagine this won't get easier as the rest get older.

Because of the lack of cargo space we aren't interested in another mini van and due to fuel consumption are not considering SUVs at the moment. Dh also did not like the Nissan NV, so were down to the Sprinter (it will make carpool easier too). Are we headed in the right direction or is there anohher vehicle to consider?
 
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danteod

New member
Hi,

I own a 2012 standard roof 144" short wheel base Sprinter Passenger Van. One of the links above points to my short review of the van.

There are 6 of us and we have enough room for everyone and their belongings. There is plenty of headroom. Huge cargo space in the back behind the 4th row. Plenty of nooks and crannies to stuff things in.

I also looked at the NV passenger van and found it to be too small inside. There's no space for luggage/stuff and no headroom at all... I also recently found out that the NV has terrible gas mileage.

I also looked at the bigger SUVs like the Suburban/YukonXL/Sequoia but they were too small inside. They are also more expensive than the Sprinter.

The Sprinter is perfect for our growing family. The kids love the van. My kids friends love the van. Heck - every child that has seen it likes it.

Having said that, all is not perfect:
1. It's a Mercedes... every visit to the dealership is costly.
2. Diesel fuel is costly (good thing the engine is very efficient - We have the V6 but a 4cylinder is now available and is even more efficient).
3. Parking is difficult but you get used to it... Get the rear view camera option!
4. You need to pay attention to height limits of parking structures - the van probably won't fit in 95% of them
5. You need to pay attention to height limits on roads - the van may not fit under low bridges, spans, etc. The minimum height limit I usually look for is 9'. (There is a road in Connecticut called the Merritt Parkway that is restricted to vehicles under 8' in height. The sign that shows this restriction can only be seen when entering the parkway going south from I-91. If you enter it in NY going north, you won't see this restriction and blissfully enter the parkway unaware. Luckily, all bridges are higher than 9' and we made it through with our roof still in place.)
7. You need to get the rear AC if you want your passengers to be comfortable during the summer months... unfortunately, we have had issues with water leaks during thunderstorms (it's been fixed 2x now)
8. You need snow tires during the winter (I don't have snow tires on it now but wish I had.. maybe next winter I'll get a set)
9. Not very luxurious for a Mercedes Benz (it's a commercial vehicle after all).
10. You might end up paying higher tolls because of the size of the vehicle (this happened to us while crossing the George Washington Bridge - the attendant saw the van and charged us more - we get around this by having EZPass on the van and we get charged like a regular car/van)

We recently drove the Sprinter down from MA to FL and back and had no complaints about room, etc. The van will get plenty of looks... some people will appreciate it, some will wonder why you even need it. Very positive comments overall though. I computed the average MPG and got 19.7mpg for the whole 3000 mile trip... best I got was 22.5mpg when going 65-70mph. That's pretty impressive for such a big vehicle!

As for alternatives to the NV and Sprinter - there is only the 2015 Ford Transit (which is not available yet). I'm not sure if you can get the Ram ProMaster as a passenger van.

Hope this helps.



DH are looking at buying this in the next year, looking to see if anyone has played with this vehicle IRL or has any insight aside from the canned online reviews. Looking at the lower ceiling model. Currently we have 7 of us in a Dodge Grande Caravan and I loathe/hate/despise taking all of us in it. We frequently have road trips to tournaments and are loaded with stuff that ends up in a topper and often we have to pack lighter and stay in hotels instead of camp because of the lack of cargo space. My 11 & 16 year old are getting more cramped as they grow and I imagine this won't get easier as the rest get older.

Because of the lack of cargo space we aren't interested in another mini van and due to fuel consumption are not considering SUVs at the moment. Dh also did not like the Nissan NV, so were down to the Sprinter (it will make carpool easier too). Are we headed in the right direction or is there anohher vehicle to consider?
 

5littleH2OBabies

New member
Wow, never got notifications that I got a reply, was talking to dh about vehicles and thought I'd see if there were. Thanks for the in depth reply!

I'm updating as I've come across lots of other people in the search for a vehicle with a large family.


I also looked at the NV passenger van and found it to be too small inside. There's no space for luggage/stuff and no headroom at all... I also recently found out that the NV has terrible gas mileage.

I also looked at the bigger SUVs like the Suburban/YukonXL/Sequoia but they were too small inside. They are also more expensive than the Sprinter.


Totally agree. We put a lot of kms on our vehicles (my Caravan is just shy of 300,000km), so this was a huge factor in crossing these vehicles off the list. Plus the appalling lack of cargo room. I also don't care for crawling in and out of the 3rd row of the SUVs.

Here's how we addressed the checklist:

1. It's a Mercedes... every visit to the dealership is costly. We have a mechanic that is certified by BMW and Mercedes, owns his own independent shop. His rates are half of the dealer. He gives us invoice price on the parts. Still costly? Yes, but after owning a vehicle of this type and doing regular maintenance, we were actually spending less than our Chrysler per year.

2. Diesel fuel is costly (good thing the engine is very efficient - We have the V6 but a 4cylinder is now available and is even more efficient). Working out the mileage/cost vs any of the GMs and Ford Excursion, it is far far more cost effective.

3. Parking is difficult but you get used to it... Get the rear view camera option! Well, not sure how to solve this for everyone, but DH has a commercial drivers license (Fire Trucks/Cement Trucks/Long Haul Trucks/Concrete Pumps/Dump Trucks, just a few he's driven). I used to drive for oops, and can parallel park a 5 ton. The Sprinter, sans backup camera, is a breeze to park. At least for me.

4. You need to pay attention to height limits of parking structures - the van probably won't fit in 95% of them

Good thing to note and I did think about that. Fortunately, it's extremely rare I'd ever be anywhere that would have those restrictions. Only one place I frequent has a parking garage and there are, oddly, Sprinters parked inside.

5. You need to pay attention to height limits on roads - the van may not fit under low bridges, spans, etc. The minimum height limit I usually look for is 9'. (There is a road in Connecticut called the Merritt Parkway that is restricted to vehicles under 8' in height. The sign that shows this restriction can only be seen when entering the parkway going south from I-91. If you enter it in NY going north, you won't see this restriction and blissfully enter the parkway unaware. Luckily, all bridges are higher than 9' and we made it through with our roof still in place.)

Bridges like that are rare where I am (Western Canada). The only bridge with that kind of height restriction in the closest city has frequently stuck out of towners in their motor homes. That one is duly noted! :jive:

7. You need to get the rear AC if you want your passengers to be comfortable during the summer months... unfortunately, we have had issues with water leaks during thunderstorms (it's been fixed 2x now) Duly noted. While the kind of weather that would necessitate using AC is short here, I am a baby and need it. Same could be said for heat in the winter. Need vents everywhere, no need for Noggle city, if it can be helped.

8. You need snow tires during the winter (I don't have snow tires on it now but wish I had.. maybe next winter I'll get a set) Done and done. Tire Rack is on my bookmarks already.

9. Not very luxurious for a Mercedes Benz (it's a commercial vehicle after all). This is a plus, actually. It means it may take the abuse from regularly hauling 5+ children. After inspecting it at the Auto Show, I was actually quite happy with these features, including the flooring. It can be swept out and wiped down. I can't stand carpet in cars.

10. You might end up paying higher tolls because of the size of the vehicle (this happened to us while crossing the George Washington Bridge - the attendant saw the van and charged us more - we get around this by having EZPass on the van and we get charged like a regular car/van) Good to know. Luckily, the nearest toll to me is about 3000km away.


As for alternatives to the NV and Sprinter - there is only the 2015 Ford Transit (which is not available yet). I'm not sure if you can get the Ram ProMaster as a passenger van. Checked out the Transit, and it's now out for passengers. I got as far as looking inside it and walked away. Looks very cramped. The Ram Promaster is out as a passenger, currently looking for info on it, pricing, etc. It may be more economical than the Sprinter.

The Sprinter is now out in AWD now, and may be worth looking at, except for the sticker shock of new. :eek:
 

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