why don't more people choose the Sprinter vans?

[One Awesome Inch]

Seems like the perfect van with stealth, high top etc.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

it is a very good van the only issue is cost and the availability of used ones. Now that Nissan, Ford, and Fiat are coming into North America with this style of hightop van it won't be long before more vandwellers will be using them. I hope Toyota and Mistubishi see a market for their hightop vans in North America as well they make some real nice ones too. Perhaps they are not allowed to bring them in for whatever reason???

 

[BigT]

I drive a 2015 Sprinter every day for work (used to drive a 2012) and can tell you that a month doesn't go by without some warning/service light coming on, requiring a trip to the Mercedes dealer ($$$$$).  They're also ridiculously expensive to purchase, register, insure, etc.  

Nice van's, though, and they drive great!  I love that I can stand up in the back, and I'm 6'4"!  Well, I can mostly stand up straight.  Close enough.

Personally I'm waiting for the Promaster's to prove their reliability.  They look like they'd be a good platform for a mobile dwelling.  My Transit Connect is fantastic for camping, but I don't think I want to live in it.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

it is a very good van the only issue is cost and the availability of used ones. Now that Nissan, Ford, and Fiat are coming into North America with this style of hightop van it won't be long before  more vandwellers will be using them. I hope Toyota and Mistubishi see a market for their hightop vans in North America as well they make some real nice ones too. Perhaps they are not allowed to bring them in for whatever reason???

Getting them certified as meeting US emissions and safety standards is a non-trivial process and expense.  Especially if you are doing it honestly, unlike VW. 

And if they are already selling every one of that model that they can produce in their home - or non US markets - There's really no reason to try. 

Regards
John

 

[karl]

I drive a 2015 Sprinter every day for work (used to drive a 2012) and can tell you that a month doesn't go by without some warning/service light coming on, requiring a trip to the Mercedes dealer ($$$$$).  They're also ridiculously expensive to purchase, register, insure, etc.  

Nice van's, though, and they drive great!  

My experience tends to agree with these opinions, though I have been challenged by a couple owners who claim no issues.
I would add that they appear to be quite susceptible to "frame" and body rust here in the NE

 

[SoulRaven]

I also did some looking on the internet at the comments. Ah, no, I just wouldn't go there. We have a 1993 Ford Club Wagon E350 and I tend to think it will still be on the road after the Sprinters are just a memory. We bought it in 1997 and the costs for repairs and maintenance have been very low. I also see that they have "fleet" sales of the basic Ford van, some 150 and some 250, and the prices are so much better than the Sprinter. I'm older and the classics will probably always be my favorite. For me, if it hasn't passed the "test of time", I'll pass.

 

[66788]

it is a very good van the only issue is cost and the availability of used ones. Now that Nissan, Ford, and Fiat are coming into North America with this style of hightop van it won't be long before  more vandwellers will be using them. I hope Toyota and Mistubishi see a market for their hightop vans in North America as well they make some real nice ones too. Perhaps they are not allowed to bring them in for whatever reason???

Hate to say it, but Mitsubishi is not making vehicles here for the US market. They will be importing them from Thailand and other countries.

I agree, the Japanese vehicles in other third world markets are very practical and economical.

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/07/29/mitsubishi-motors-pulling-american-production.aspx

 

[KMAG YOYO]

I've had a mid-roof LWB Transit since September, and it's the bees knees. Sprinters are sweet too but I wouldn't want to pay for the maintenance. Promasters come at a nice price but they are uuugly and Chrysler has always had odd ideas about how humans should fit into vehicles.

 

[MikeRuth]

Seems like the perfect van with stealth, high top etc.

I have previously read up on these over the net, seems like a common theme is repair, repair repair. And expensive to boot on the repairs. 

do some digging you won't like what you find. 

Mike

 

[Patrick46]

why don't more people choose the Sprinter vans?

I don't want one!

My stepvans are significantly roomier, (even the short ones) and I can get 'em with a diesel, or with gas engines....my choice!

They're funner to drive, and I can drive 'em with my driver's door slid open! (Let's see you do THAT with your silly Sprinter!!!)

 

[66788]

why don't more people choose the Sprinter vans?    

I don't want one!

My stepvans are significantly roomier, (even the short ones) and I can get 'em with a diesel, or with gas engines....my choice!

They're funner to drive, and I can drive 'em with my driver's door slid open! (Let's see you do THAT with your silly Sprinter!!!)

Indeed!

Plus the big one for me is that the Sprinter is a high maintenance vehicle with very expensive parts.  When looking at a diesel motor, a mechanical injection system is more reliable than an electronic one.

 

[Wanderer]

Seems like the perfect van with stealth, high top etc.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I'd like a Mercedes...But again it's simply $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[GotSmart]

why don't more people choose the Sprinter vans?    

I don't want one!

My stepvans are significantly roomier, (even the short ones) and I can get 'em with a diesel, or with gas engines....my choice!

They're funner to drive, and I can drive 'em with my driver's door slid open! (Let's see you do THAT with your silly Sprinter!!!)

So that was you!

 

[NW Van Man]

I also did some looking on the internet at the comments.  Ah, no, I just wouldn't go there.  We have a 1993 Ford Club Wagon E350 and I tend to think it will still be on the road after the Sprinters are just a memory.  We bought it in 1997 and the costs for repairs and maintenance have been very low.  I also see that they have "fleet" sales of the basic Ford van, some 150 and some 250, and the prices are so much better than the Sprinter.  I'm older and the classics will probably always be my favorite.  For me, if it hasn't passed the "test of time", I'll pass.

 

[wagoneer]

If I had to I would get one pre 2008, They are finicky and underpowered if they had put that great inline 6 from the late 80's I would be inline for one my 3 cents

 

[Goshawk]

Also compare MPG. Sprinter gets 20 plus. While Chevy-ford get 10 plus with mpg. Thats worth something in a year. Twice the gallons to go same distance. But it's not worth a lot of you have to get a $1000 repair every six months with special sensors and components failing early.

 

[Kroswind]

Right now I'm looking at the new Ford Transit cargo vans for the reasons mentioned above. It must be cheaper to maintain the Sprinter in European markets, because they seem so common over there, but over here in the US it seems out of the question. Constant maintenance sounds to me like I'd be spending more time in hotel rooms while my house is in the shop for weeks for repairs. Kinda defeats the purpose of living on the road doesn't it?

As for the promasters, they seem nice too, but Dodge also produced the Freightliner, which was just a re-branded sprinter, and from what I've heard, the promasters are having similar issues to what the sprinters have. (I assume they must have taken some design/features/reused Mercedes parts to build these). I haven't done a ton of research on them, so I could be wrong, but just from what I have gathered both here and through google, the consensus seems to be "give these time before you decide to go with one, they aren't that great right now". The new Ford Transits though, seem to be the best deal right now. You can get the extended frame with the high top, which provides tons of room, and these don't seem to have the common maintenance issues the others have. Plus, Ford Dealerships are very common, and maintenance costs don't seem like they will be too expensive for these, as they don't seem as high maintenance. Compared to the other vans, I've heard mostly good things about the Fords. Much better things than all the others anyway. I'd love to hear more about these from people using them.

 

[Dewave]

I like both vehicles, transit and promaster, but lean towards the promaster because of FWD which essentially lowers the overall height of the vehicle by 1 foot compared to the others. Also I lurk the promaster forums, promasterforum.com and transit forums,  fordtransitusaforum.com, both have some very creative and professional looking DIY conversions.

However the promaster diesel has some sort fluid that you are supposed to maintain called diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) I think for emission purposes. Can't quite wrap my head around that one.  The gas version has complaints of frequent downshifts on small inclines reducing it's mpg efficiency.

The promaster is the result of FCA, Fiat Chrysler automobile,  I believe the diesel engine is made by Fiat Ducati.

 

[rvpopeye]

O P ? Why don't more people choose the Sprinter ?

I'd guess it's because this forum is Cheap RV Living and most people here just couldn't afford one.

 

[SternWake]

A friend of mine bought a 2005 sprinter, and it has been a money pit with electrical/ fuel delivery issues and is mostly parked down at the mechanics for about 10 months now while they attempt to troubleshoot the issue.

But he is 6'5" and can stand upright in it.

Not much use when he can't trust it not to stall and not restart.