Used 2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

The vast majority of Mercedes Sprinters will be commercial vans, acting as delivery vehicles, airport shuttles, executive transport, and far more. The Sprinter van is available in five configurations, ranging from the Sprinter minibus to the bare Sprinter cab chassis. All are available as either the Sprinter 2500 or the heavy duty Sprinter 3500. The larger size, greater carrying capacity, and more comfortable driver’s area of the Sprinter van will make it a favorite of professional drivers. The purchasing department will scrutinize Mercedes’ promise of lower long-term operating costs when it sees the Mercedes Sprinter van’s higher purchase price. Competition is led by the far-less-expensive Ford Transit and also includes the new Nissan NV and Ram ProMaster, and the aging Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana.

If your – or your employees’ – job description includes spending all day behind the wheel of a commercial van, delivering thousands of pounds of product or people, battling the angry ant mound of urban traffic, or hunting the correct address among a sea of identical suburban houses, the 2015 Mercedes Sprinter van offers the most comfortable mobile workspace possible.

While playing delivery driver with the Sprinter cargo van, our main objection was the position of the controls for the sound system and heating and cooling unit. The controls were small and largely out of the driver’s reach and vision. Perhaps that’s a way of saying, “Don’t listen to the radio on company time.”

Ride comfort isn’t perfect and there’s no doubt the Sprinter van is a working vehicle: In the rear is the same solid rear axle and leaf springs that have been fitted to trucks for around 115 years.

Professional drivers and private owners will both appreciate the Sprinter van’s driver’s seat, seating position and view of the instrument panel. The seat is firmer and offers far more support than those found on most commercial vehicles: ideal when it’s going to be your home for the next eight hours. The extremely high seating position gives the driver a superb view of traffic and obstacles ahead. The Sprinter’s side mirrors provide large flat areas for dealing with most traffic and smaller convex mirrors nestled below to keep track of vehicles alongside. Urban drivers will be pleased with the optional backup camera.

For the 2014 model, the Mercedes Sprinter van received a revised front end to bring it in line with other vans and heavy trucks from Mercedes-Benz. The hood slopes so steeply that it’s invisible from inside the vehicle. A new grille and headlights also tie the Sprinter van to working-truck and passenger-vehicle siblings.

The Mercedes Sprinter’s standard 144-inch wheelbase version is almost as long as its competition’s extended-wheelbase versions. The longer Sprinter has a massive 170-inch wheelbase. Except for a more horizontal hood, a different grille and specific badging, this the same vehicle sold as the Freightliner Sprinter van.

4-WHEEL DRIVE
A pair of part-time 4-wheel drive (4WD) systems are now available on the 2015 Mercedes Sprinter van. The buyer must truly need this option with a price of $6,550 without low-range gearing and $6,800 with low-range gearing. Mercedes emphatically says neither system should be confused with less-robust all-wheel drive (AWD) setups.

CROSSWIND ASSIST
The tallest and longest 2015 Sprinter van is 10 feet tall and 24 feet long, so high winds spell trouble. The new Crosswind Assist uses the Mercedes Sprinter’s electronic stability control to push back against Mother Nature.

New for 2015, the Crosswind Assist is standard on Sprinter 2500 models. This system uses electronic stability control to offset the effect of wind gusts. Extended wheelbase models of the Sprinter van come with 18-wheeler-style paired rear wheels.

An accident by a professional driver creates unhappiness in many departments of a large company and ends the driver’s career, so the Sprinter van is available with several high-tech accident-prevention features. Collision Prevention Assist is a radar-based system that helps prevent rear-end collisions by visually and audibly warning the Sprinter van driver of a vehicle hazardously close ahead. The optional Adaptive Brake Assist cooperates with the Collision Prevention Assist to engage maximum braking even if the driver fails to fully press the brake pedal. The optional rearview camera will help Sprinter drivers avoid backing into unseen objects.

The 2015 Sprinter van is available with a choice of turbocharged diesel engines. Standard is a 2.1-liter 4-cylinder that makes 162 horsepower and a very large 264 lb-ft of torque. It is coupled to a 7-speed automatic transmission. That’s a combination that gives the Mercedes Sprinter van more than adequate acceleration. While EPA fuel mileage ratings are not required for vehicles with Gross Vehicular Weight Ratings (GVWR) as high as the Mercedes Sprinter, Mercedes said the 2.1-liter diesel produces highway mileage of almost 30 miles per gallon. Optional is a 188-horsepower 3.0-liter turbocharged diesel V6, which boasts peak torque of 325 lb-ft.

2.1-liter turbocharged diesel inline-4
162 horsepower @ 3,800 rpm
264 lb-ft of torque @ 1,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: N/A

3.0-liter turbocharged diesel V6
188 horsepower @ 3,800 rpm
325 lb-ft of torque @ 1,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: N/A