Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Review (2019-present)
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter cars for sale
4.0
Expert review
Pros
A desirable package with a premium badge
Plenty of safety equipment
Wide range covers just about every payload and capacity requirement
Cons
High list price of the electric model
The 3.0-litre V6 is more expensive to run than other models
Sheer choice means you need to take your time to find the ideal Sprinter for your business
The CarGurus verdict
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is a big player in the large commercial panel van market and it's not difficult to see why. The kudos of having a premium badge on your business vehicle's grille is obvious, but with the Sprinter Mercedes really does seem to have an answer for any question any user might ask of it. There's a veritable pick-and-mix of choice spanning almost every payload and capacity requirement, as well as some real niches like a fully-electric choice and, at the other end of the spectrum, a V6 powered version.
What's more it should be a joy to operate, with fine driving characteristics, good economy and an interior that feels that little bit more special than its commercial vehicle rivals. Add some useful technology for safety systems, infotainment and vehicle management and running costs as standard across the line-up to that and sensible pricing and the Sprinter makes a very convincing case for itself.
Most of them can, too; after all vans are tools, and it's all down to the capacity and weights they can haul. Typically, Mercedes-Benz has an answer for any rivals, with the Sprinter variously offered in a combination of panel van with three seats or a crew van with six seats, in four body lengths, three roof heights and three trims over a number of payloads. There's a choice of bulkheads, be it full width, partial, partial with a door or window or no bulkhead at all. There's a Sprinter Tourer, too, with seating for nine including the driver, if your business is shifting people, rather than equipment/supplies.
Should none of the regular panel vans work for you, Mercedes-Benz's Sprinter Ready to Work conversions can add a Sprinter Dropside, Sprinter Tipper, Sprinter Luton, or a Sprinter chassis cab into the mix. Pick that chassis cab and you'll be able to send it to any number of specialists to have anything from a car-carrying flatbed, refrigerated box, minibus or even a camper van added to the chassis. Again, all these are offered in a variety of wheelbases and drivetrain options to suit your particular needs.
With the Sprinter you really are spoilt for choice, then, with it also coming in front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive guises, with a choice of two six-speed manual gearboxes and two automatic gearboxes called 7G-Tronic and 9G-Tronic, with the first being seven-speed and the second a nine-speed automatic transmission.
That gearbox choice is matched by a decent selection of diesel engines, with two four-cylinder turbodiesels of 2.0-litre and 2.1-litre capacities and outputs spanning 141bhp to 168bhp, or a range-topping 187bhp 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel for the most demanding duty. The 2.1-litre engine is the older choice in the line-up, only fulfilling Euro VI emissions standards (as does that V6) while the 2.0-litre turbodiesel is Euro 6d-TEMP compliant. The four-cylinder turbodiesels will suit most users, with all outputs offering comfortably over 221lb ft of torque, which should make light work of anything you're carrying in it or towing behind it. They all offer very competitive fuel economy, too, keeping running costs to a minimum. Mercedes-Benz has just released a new eSprinter, too, it's a battery-powered Sprinter that'll do around 96 miles between charges - though it's expensive to buy.
Being part of a global automotive giant plays strongly in the Sprinter's favour, not only does it allow that breadth of choice, but it sees the Sprinter coming equipped with the sort of safety equipment, connectivity and driver aids that are more common to the passenger car marketplace, while the driving experience is very car-like in its manners, too. The cabin is well-built and thought out too, with a comfortable driver's seat and plenty of cupholders and cubby storage making it a practical working vehicle.
Underlining Mercedes-Benz's technological lead is the fact the Sprinter comes as standard with a seven-inch version of MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User eXperience) infotainment system with Bluetooth connection and a touchscreen system first seen on the A-Class, with many of its controls being situated on the steering wheel. It comes with Apple CarPlay, a DAB Radio, a WIFI hotspot and incorporated Mercedes PRO connect services, which includes fleet communication and management, assistance, repair and emergency systems, digital records, trip management, remote access and driver style analysis among other business and cost-saving tools. You can upgrade to a larger touchscreen, doing so adding voice control among other additional features to the useful package.
As much as the payload and volume numbers associated with the Sprinter are, as with any van the most important figures are centred around the cost of running it. The Sprinter is competitively priced among its rivals, and a three-pointed star on the grille of your working vehicle does project a strong image for your business.
The eSprinter, Merc's fully-electric van, presents an opportunity to project an even more clean image for your company, and if you're running your business in an urban ultra-low emissions zone, then it might be worth paying the high list price for reduced running costs and superb potential marketing value running an EV brings.
For others, though, diesel remains king in the commercial sector, with all four-cylinder turbodiesel Sprinters capable of knocking on the door of 30mpg in the official WLTP combined fuel consumption cycle, and a handful bettering it. The 3.0-litre V6 will cost more to run thanks to higher fuel consumption, but if you need its additional grunt then that's the price you'll happily pay.
All Sprinters come with Mercedes Pro connect services to help keep your van running as smoothly as possible. As well as taking care of maintenance and repair management, there's fleet communication, in-car internet, digital trip management, driver's log, an eco and driving style monitor to help with mpg, as well as remote access - allowing easy access to several employees without the need for a key. Competitive pricing, good depreciation and a range of financial services from Mercedes-Benz keeps costs manageable, though you'll pay for some of the additional digital services if you need them after an initial free period of three years.
The current Sprinter has only been around for a year or so, meaning any possible reliability issues have yet to surface. The previous Sprinter scored reasonably favourably in user surveys, particularly in its second-generation guise, where it proved to be both reliable and gained praise from users in relation to how it drives.
Mercedes-Benz is confident enough in the Sprinter's reliability to offer it with a three-year unlimited mileage warranty, that applicable not just to new Sprinters, but to any from its approved used stock. As with any vehicle it'll prove more reliable if it's serviced accordingly, and Mercedes Pro aids here, keeping tabs on how the Sprinter is used, fluid levels and more, so it can be serviced to suit its usage. Doing so should be relatively simple, too, with Mercedes offering a fixed-price managed servicing plan for either individual vehicles or entire fleets, tailored to what you need.
The engines are strong, proven units, but there were some issues with the high pressure injectors with the old Sprinter – this a fairly common problem across all vans with diesel engines. Keeping on top of the servicing should ensure that's not a problem, Mercedes-Benz even having a third of its dealerships open 24/7 to service it when you're not working.
As the Sprinter ages some issues will likely arise from some of the higher tech equipment, but it's mostly proven kit in the existing Mercedes-Benz range, while all Sprinters will still be covered by the original warranty, and there's the possibility to add extra peace of mind with extended warranties for an additional payment.
- Being part of a global automotive giant plays strongly in the Sprinter's favour, not only does it allow that breadth of choice, but it sees the Sprinter coming equipped with the sort of safety equipment, connectivity and driver aids that are more common to the passenger car marketplace, while the driving experience is very car-like in its manners, too. The cabin is well-built and thought out too, with a comfortable driver's seat and plenty of cupholders and cubby storage making it a practical working vehicle.
- Underlining Mercedes-Benz's technological lead is the fact the Sprinter comes as standard with a seven-inch version of MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User eXperience) infotainment system with Bluetooth connection and a touchscreen system first seen on the A-Class, with many of its controls being situated on the steering wheel.
- It comes with Apple CarPlay, a DAB Radio, a WIFI hotspot and incorporated Mercedes PRO connect services, which includes fleet communication and management, assistance, repair and emergency systems, digital records, trip management, remote access and driver style analysis among other business and cost-saving tools. You can upgrade to a larger touchscreen, doing so adding voice control among other additional features to the useful package.
- The city short dropper: The eSprinter might seem ideal here, but for the price of it you could have a pair of rear-wheel drive (rwd) L1 H1 with the 2.0-litre 148bhp CDI turbodiesel Sprinters and optional nine-speed automatic transmission to make the perfect inner city short drop choice. The automatic eases urban traffic, while the rear-wheel drive has a slightly tighter turning circle than its front-wheel-drive alternatives, which is likely to be more useful around town than the slightly bigger capacity the front-wheel drive offers. Entry-level Pure specification is fine, too, with keyless start, an impressive range of standard safety kit and that MBUX multimedia system.
- The heavy hauler: The van with the maximum payload isn't actually the one with the biggest volume thanks to the gross weight limit of five tonnes, so if you're after a Sprinter that can haul as much as 2,529kg in the back then you need the 514 CDI L2 H2 rear-wheel drive model in Progressive specification. If you need your Sprinter to carry bulky, heavy stuff, then that's the one to go for.
- The voluminous one: If you want the largest possible loading volume in the back of your Sprinter panel van - without going for a Luton version - then you need the L4 H3 model, which has 17 cubic metres of load space in the back. It'll not be able to haul as much weight as some of its smaller relations, but if you're in the business of moving large, but light stuff around (inflated party balloons perhaps?) then it'll suit your needs. It's absolutely massive, though, with the rear load floor being 4,810mm - that a few mm shy of the length of a Mercedes-Benz E-Class saloon - and tall, at 2,243mm.
- The most economical one: The bottom line counts with vans, and the cheapest to buy will also be the most economical to run, with the 214 CDI L1 H1 front-wheel drive in Pure specification returning a combined fuel consumption figure of 32.1mpg, when fitted with its standard manual transmission. You can pay more to achieve that same figure, though, with the 315 CDI L1 H1 model matching that, though it's only offered in more expensive Progressive specification.
