Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 10.00

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  2015 Crew Van - 2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By SilverFire General Manager - June 16 - 8:43 am

  I have owned 3 Sprinter vans previously (cargo, passenger, & now the crew) in all roof and wheel base configurations. Sprinters vans have been significantly superior to the first generation Ford Transit Connect I owned (limited cargo capacity, paltry power on grades, unstable in high wind, and had non existent towing capacity (underpowered Ford Focus engine). I am a commercial van user and participate in lots of trade shows. I require significant cargo room and cargo doors for constant loading & unloading freight. I prefer the standard roof option over the high roof models, due to high wind instability experienced traveling cross country on multiple occasions with all Sprinter roof van roof options. I prefer the crew or passenger model increased visibility the cargo versions do not offer, despite having backup camera option on all models (recommend). The fact is the 170 wheel base is more difficult to maneuver at trade shows and park than the 144 wheelbase option, and has more interior cabin road noise. I have had significant reliability issues with starting my 4 cylinder engine since purchase. My dealership implied no codes existed with the 2015 BlueTec 4 cylinder, when scanned. I took photos of the "Return to Workshop" display code to verify code light issue. At 39,000 miles, the dealership states MB has finally sent service notes confirming BlueTec 4 cylinder starting issues. The torque converter, water pump are scheduled to be replaced, and the flywheel needs to be re-polished to address the documented starting issues at relatively low mileage. Fortunately I opted for the extended warranty package at time of purchase. Due to the high number of complaints and complexity of each new Sprinter model introduced moving forward, I highly recommend full service warranties, if purchasing a Sprinter van. Repair costs on Sprinter vans are extensive and expensive. Big picture: I prefer diesel cargo vans and the Sprinter is much more comfortable than other brands I have tried with long distance driving and personal lower back issues. The cargo capacity and power has been adequate on grades and long pulls to date. I currently have a new product offering that requires greater vertical clearance than with my existing standard roof option permits. I am now going to have to evaluate returning to a high roof Sprinter or larger Ford Transit diesel cargo van. I prefer not to trailer if possible, although I currently am trailering a small additional product trailer (due to height restrictions of current standard Sprinter roof cargo door configuration). Trailering requires reduced highway speeds in many States and additional wear and tear on engine & transmission, so I am currently considering returning to the longer 170 wheelbase option with extended roof height, to avoid trailering. Nothing is perfect, change is constant, so you adapt. The taller roof option means you slow down in high wind and longer wheel base with more cargo capacity means requiring more braking distance and slower speeds. Safe Driving!

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  Sprinter 4x4 Family Hauler - 2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By Eric Hibma - October 29 - 6:34 am

  We sold our 2012 Mercedes Sprinter, which we loved, for a 2015 Sprinter 4x4. We needed the 4x4 as we live on a hill that gets icy and snowy in the winter. With 2wd there is so much torque coming from the turbodiesel that even with Blizzak snow tires we had trouble getting out. With the 4x4 this is a true go-anywhere vehicle! We have 7 children, so our family vehicle options are very limited. We drove Chevy express vans and they were horrible! This is the best van available for this size family. It is definitely far from perfect, but still the best available. Pros: -strong, efficient motor -4x4!! -each seat has a head rest -rubber flooring that is easy to clean -comfortable impact-absorbing front seats. -the HID headlights are wonderful for night visibility -heats up quickly in the winter with the auxiliary heater. With the roof height it is ideal for getting the kids coats off and buckled in their car seats -the crosswind assist is definitely a nice feature that has made driving this on the highway much nicer compared to our 2012 model. -decent towing capacity -good backup camera -great side mirrors with blind spot mirrors. -pass-through cabin so that a parent can get back and forth to help the kids on trips. -finally a USB connection so I can plug in my iphone -excellent gas mileage for such a large vehicle -excellent storage capacity inside the van. Carry-on luggage items fit under the seats! -You can slide large items all the way through the van under the seats (I did have to build a divider to keep our groceries from sliding all the way to the front of the van, but I love that I can fit lumber along the floor of the van even with all the kids loaded up) Cons: -the 4x4 system is quite an antiquated system. When engaged it is awesome, but very hard to get engaged unless the van is on level ground. You need to be going less than 5mph while moving before it can engage (no on-the-fly engaging really). Once engaged this is awesome and we even took this off roading to one of our favorite hikes. It made it through some incredible ruts and washouts that I was not expecting. -the brakes squeal (our 2012 model had the same issue). It is intermittent and not terrible, but still annoying. -only one intermittent setting for the wipers which is just dumb. -there are some rattles as we go down our dirt road. It sounds like a cargo van at times on our dirt road, but still much better than the Chevy did. -radio and sound quality are so-so. Better than the 2012 model. -a very sensitive traction control system. Trying to go through deep snow the vans computer wants to apply the brakes to avoid even the slightest wiggle from the rear end. I want to keep up my speed and maintain forward progress and have to fight the van to go in deep snow sometimes. Now with 4x4 this is much better, and not really an issue any more unless I leave the van in 2wd. Even when turning off traction control if there is rear slippage it will automatically re-engage. This is horribly annoying. -no automatic headlights -I still cannot remove the last row of seating, which is the one you would want to remove the most. The first 2 rows of passenger seating is easily removable with 2 people. The seats are heavy, but they come out through the large slider door well. -we have had intermittent issues of the slider door mechanism freezing in severe cold here in Michigan. It is easy to correct, but it seems like that could be improved. -dealerships are often far away unless you live in a city. The nearest dealerships to us are 1-2.5 hrs away.