Spotted on a Saturday in September, parked a short distance apart. Two black, third gen Mercedes-Benz Sprinter panel vans. Both powered by a 190 DIN-hp turbodiesel and with an RWD drivetrain. Other full matches are the wheelbase (3.67 m), overall length (5.93 m), and the raised roof. And in both cases, a tridem axle trailer was coupled to the van. So far the similarities.
The 2022 Sprinter 319 CDI is the light-duty version of the duo. The number 319 in its model designation refers to the factory gross weight rating of 3.5 tonnes (7,700 lbs) and the 190 DIN-hp engine. The power unit is a 1,950 cc inline-four.
Tridem axle trailers towed by a van, light truck, or SUV have become quite common over the past decade. Exemplary is this 2022 Henra PL35 flatbed trailer with dropsides. The folding support legs behind the tridem indicate that the trailer is suited for transporting wheeled equipment, like a small loader.
And the vehicles in the background of the picture are, from left to right: a DAF XF tractor with a semi-low loader, transporting a yard truck, and then three VeeDubs (Golf Plus, Transporter, T-Cross).
The more beefy, 2021 Sprinter van comes in the form of a 519 CDI with dual rear wheels and a 5.5 tonnes (12,125 lbs) factory gross weight rating. The horse stable is a 3.0 liter V6.
The 2021 Hulco Terrax-3 trailer is a dedicated transporter for machinery with wheels or tracks. Both the Henra and the Hulco are legally allowed to carry approx. 2,600 kg (5,700 lbs) of cargo. Yet in daily practice, that number must be taken with a grain of salt.
Author’s note: though the vans are anonymous and windowless -one of them is actually looking rather sinister- there’s really no need to call the SVU.
No V6 available in the US, just the standard and high-output diesel fours.
But it’s a V4, if you go by the graphic on the MBUSA website.
2021 was the last year for the V6 turbodiesel here, it was replaced by the 1,950 cc four-cylinder CDI, 190 DIN-hp for the most powerful version, just like the V6 (150 and 170 DIN-hp are the other turbodiesel power ratings, also 1,950 cc displacement).
Are Sprinters in Europe known as overpriced dog shit like they are here in the USA?? They have a HORRIBLE rep and it isnt just the diesel engines/emissions equipment, which both suck. Had a lot of them blow the diesel v6 up before 50k miles. Something about water condensating in the intercooler and getting sucked into the engines hydrolocking them.
Doors that dont shut right, all kinds of electrical issues, seat belts that wear thru the steel cable attaching the buckle when you wrap the seatbelt behind the seat. Which is standard operating procedure for fleet drivers.
We were so damn happy when we started replacing the diesel sprinters with gas transits. Those Ford Transits gave us ZERO issues, at any one time in our fleet of 20 sprinters 4 or 5 would be broke down. Mercedes never had parts in stock and always left us waiting(3 months for a tailight!!) These were brand new 2020 vans as well.
A friend of mine drove one as a FedEx courier. He said the mechanics HATED the Sprinters.
Funny you should say that, people I know rave about Sprinters, though I’m not sure how many have owned one, but a BIL of mine, a mechanic by trade absolutely hates those things. Almost red in the face hates them and he’s normally a pretty easy going guy.
Actually, it’s our best selling full-size van, by a wide margin. And it’s the undisputed first choice for ambulance conversions.
Three friends of ours have bought vans recently, after asking us (Transit owners for 4 years now) for advice, or at least opinions. Two bought Transits and seem, like us, happy with them. The third couple bought a Sprinter against my gentle suggestions. They still haven’t got delivery yet, but we’ll see how it goes. For private passenger/camper use the Sprinter seems far more popular here and I see a lot of them in remote locations. And I know several happy Sprinter owners. But Amazon uses only Transits in our area. By the way, I have seen the 319 badging on some older T1N Sprinters in the US but never 519, and now it’s just 2500, 3500, and 4500.
I don’t see any mention of Promasters. 🙂
They’re actually quite popular. I don’t think it’s confirmation bias, but I seem to see more of them than Transits. The Sprinters mostly tend to be high-end and/or 4WD versions, but for cheaper and DIY conversions, the Promaster seems quite common.
Yeah, more ProMasters around here and in campgrounds than Transits. And more and more ProMasters bearing the logo’s of local small businesses. If I can believe what I read on the Internet, starting around 2020 the Transit started taking over from the Sprinter at Amazon, and suddenly Amazon got priority and the availability of the Ford for consumers became more constrained, exacerbated by Fords’ supply issues. There’s a delivery driver with an interesting YouTube channel about his work experience and opinions on the vans. His favorite Amazon vans are the Ford platform stepvan, which has the 7.3 liter gasoline “Godzilla” engine (!) and the Rivian. He likes the Transit next, as a driver, but appreciates the ProMaster’s lack of a handbrake between the seats for the frequent trips the drivers take from driver’s seat to cargo area. I can relate; a year or two after we got ours Ford switched to an electric parking brake.
Amazon opened a delivery station not to far from my house back right around the time they first started taking deliveries of Rivians. It is located a couple of blocks from a crossroads of two state routes. Of course we often travel those roads so I often see literal streams of vans either coming or going. At this point it seems like Rivians make up 80-90% of the fleet at that station. Transits and Promasters are still pretty common in other areas and yes the Sprinter isn’t very common any more.
The Sprinter is the only european van that is sold in a diesel version in the US.
The european Transit has been sold in the US for more than a decade, but here it is used with gasoline engines. In the case of vans, modern diesel engines are more than efficient as well as being as fast as gasoline engines.
The Transit was sold here (US) for several years with a 3.2 liter 5 cylinder “DuraTorq” diesel. Liked by drivers, but not by fleet owners. For 2020 it was to be replaced by the 2.0 liter 4 cylinder diesel, at least on paper at the announcement, but none were actually built or sold here and it was quietly dropped. Since 2020 we’ve had the choice of 3.5 liter naturally aspirated or twin turbo gasoline V6-es.
You are right about everything, diesel Transits are more than difficult to see nowadays.
As for vans, diesel is more adaptable and gives better performance.
Triaxle trailer makes heavy towing easier the tow vehicle only had to tow it not carry it, whats the torque figures for that 4 banger
450 Nm (332 lb-ft) @ 1,400 rpm.
Nick, the gas Transits were getting 14mpg, which I thought was pretty good for delivery work. The Sprinters did 18, which is excellent for the hard stop/go driving.
Problem is here in the USA diesel fuel is $.70 to $1 a gallon more expensive than regular 87 gas. The economics dont work out. Then you get a $3000 repair bill when one of your idiot drivers fills the diesel van with gas.
So we switched to an overnight refueling service that came to our parking lot. Come in and they proceed to tell me they filled all of our diesel vans with gas. Luckily they owned up to the mistake, no vans were started, they drained all the tanks at their expense.
We get very few dual rear wheel Sprinters or Transits. The common setup is a 2 axle trailer or 2-3 axle gooseneck for hauling skid steer loaders or mini excavators, or just a few round hay bales. Oddly dump trailers are very popular locally, possibly as an alternative to dedicated dump truck on a 1 ton pickup chassis.
Vans are a mix, most of the Pro Masters I see are campers, and same with Sprinters, work trucks are a mix of al three plus old school GM vans