Mercedes-Benz Sprinter review

It’s the thing your Amazon parcel will arrive in. And that package from DHL. And your big Tesco shop. Yep, without you realising it the Mercedes Sprinter has become one of life’s foundational pillars – like the air in your lungs and WhatsApp – dropping off all manner of goods at your door and probably blocking half the road in the process. Tut tut.

But more than that, it’s the quintessential posh van. Turning up to a job in a Sprinter says “I am trustworthy” and “I take pride in my business” and “You definitely can’t afford the quote I’m about to give you”. Just kidding. No-one has ever been ripped off by a tradie driving a Sprinter (TopGear.com has no evidence to support this claim).

Companies big and small love a Sprinter. And not just for deliveries: out there they’re operating as utilities vehicles, motorhomes, ambulances and police vans, ice cream trucks… yep, steal a 99 from Mr Whippy’s Sprinter and you’ll be taken to jail in one as well. A real cold case.

And there I was thinking it was a fashion statement not a Swiss Army knife…

Funny innit? Back on Planet Car Mercedes is one of the chief purveyors of luxury, high-tech comfort barges, or tries to be. And yet here it is rolling up its sleeves and getting stuck into all manner of proper labour. Apparently there are more than a quarter of a million Sprinters on UK roads. Not all of them selling Magnums though, sadly.

Mercedes’ big claim – other than versatility – is that no two Sprinters are alike. There are so many versions and an almost infinite number of ways to customise them, so you’re basically looking at the automotive equivalent of a snowflake. If snowflakes had hinged rear doors.

How many versions, exactly?

Oh loads. Navigating the configurator is like flicking through Netflix: by the time you’ve ruled everything out bar the one show you want to watch, it’s time to go to bed.

Power comes from a trio of 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel engines producing either 148, 168 or 188bhp; a six-speed manual is standard but you can have a nine-speed auto if you prefer; drive layouts are either RWD or AWD – FWD used to be offered, but isn’t currently; vehicle lengths include Standard (5,923mm), Long (6,967mm) and Extra Long (7,367mm), and there are two available heights. Payloads range from 965 to 2,479kg; GVWs from 3,500kg to five whole tonnes.

Then you’re into your trim lines, packages, equipment, interior finishes, ice cream hatches (presumably)... and that’s just for the panel van.

Mustn't forget the electric one either, cannily named the eSprinter: that comes with either an 81 or 113kWh battery, the latter capable of 272 miles WLTP depending on how much stuff you’re carrying, how warm it is, and how much of a hurry you’re in. Couriers adore e-vans for last-mile jobs because they can run all day without worrying about inner-city emissions limits.

So much choice. And so much competition.

Too right. The problem the Sprinter has is that it lives right next door to a genuine icon in the form of the Ford Transit, which is so recognisable and subconsciously understood by the general population that it’s basically Freddy Mercury from Queen, or the Queen from the Royal Family… they put every other member firmly in the shade.

The Sprinter also has to compete with the Renault Master, Volkswagen Crafter, and the Stellantis triplets that are the Peugeot Boxer, Citroen Relay and Vauxhall Movano. Not to mention the Toyota Proace and Iveco Daily. Elbows out.

But none of those come with the prestige of Merc’s three-pointed star, and by making the Sprinter comfortable and easy to drive Mercedes has firmly nailed its colours to the mast. Don’t mistake it for a prima donna either: it might be swanky, but the Sprinter is oft regarded as one of the most reliable vans on sale, built to withstand potholes, howling gales, huge mileages and nuclear strikes (TopGear.com has no evidence to support this last claim either). Now you just have to pay for the privilege.

Why, how much will it set me back?

Sprinter prices start from £49k (not including VAT) and climb all the way to £64k before you’ve even looked at extras beyond the dimensions, payload and powertrain. Meanwhile the eSprinter starts north of £60k and marches up beyond £75k for the big battery and most powerful motor. There is an Electric Van Grant though, which will knock five grand off the purchase price. Every little helps.

The Mercedes Sprinter combines reputational clout and a record of reliability with excellent comfort and drivability – do not underestimate the power of arriving on site in a van that declares ‘business is booming’. Not to mention the effect it’ll have on you behind the wheel; coming to work that little bit fresher having not had to fight a dodgy gearbox or rubbish suspension or shocking refinement on the way there.

Those things will cost you though. All of the Sprinter’s rivals are either cheaper, or can carry bigger loads, or won’t guzzle through fuel as quickly. Or a combination of all three. And with the economy in its current state, that makes a Sprinter a luxury item when most people are driven by necessity. It’s aspirational, not essential.