2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Review

To the general population, a van is something to be ridiculed, bringing to mind frumpy family haulers designed to serve a single purpose, but to many others, vans are so much more. Sprinter vans aren’t minivans — they can be nearly anything you can imagine.

Upgraded for 2019, the Sprinter arrives with a fresh new face, a new trim level, a revised interior and high tech features that will definitely appeal to the van’s customers and outfitters.

It’s also now built in the U.S. Instead of being rebuilding the vehicles to avoid the chicken tax, Mercedes has invested $500-million into the creation of an advanced new plant in Charleston, South Carolina, which will help employ up to 1,300 people and supply vans for the U.S. and Canadian market. It’s also impressive that Amazon has already ordered 20,000 vans for its delivery service partnership.

That’s an interesting story in of itself, but seeing how the van is the lead actor here, it’s important to focus on what Mercedes did to make its cargo van even better. Newly available is a gas-powered Sprinter 1500 model with the short 140-inch wheelbase. It’s available with either a standard roof or high roof and as a cargo van or 12-seat passenger hauler. Powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 190 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, it’s also mated to a fuel-minded nine-speed automatic transmission. With a GVWR of 8,850 lbs, it’ll prove to be capable for most hauling duty with a tow rating of 5,000 lbs.

However, the beauty of the Sprinter comes with its many configurations. If you want an all-wheel drivetrain or a diesel engine, you’ll jump up into the Sprinter 2500, which is available in cargo, passenger, or crew body styles. Most of these come with a high-roof setup and can be arranged with a 140-inch wheelbase, a 170-inch wheelbase, or a 170-inch with an extended rear overhang for more storage in the cargo van. There’s up to 533 cubic feet or 15 square meters available here, which is more surface area than many downtown studio apartments. That diesel engine also makes 190 horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque. It’s also mated to a seven-speed transmission. With a GVWR of 9,050 lbs, it seems like a stop-gap between the 1500 and the diesel only 3500 models, can be had with a GVWR of 9,900 to 11,030 lbs depending on if 4×4 is equipped. These can tow up to 7,500 lbs depending on the configuration. While you can’t get a 3500 passenger vehicle, you can get a chassis cab, which will be ideal for creative outfitters who want to turn the vehicle into a swanky RV, an off-roading research vehicle, a mobile dental clinic, a food truck or more.

The exterior differences are definitely noticeable when you know what to look for. There are newly available body-color bumpers and front grille surrounds, and the car can be equipped with LED headlights. The magnetic rubber stoppers on the side of the vehicle have been removed and deemed unnecessary due to a more robust rear door hinge design. Mercedes said they tested the new hinges by leaving the doors open and letting other cars drive by at highway speeds and noted that the open doors didn’t move.

Having driven a new Sprinter 3500XD Cargo vehicle, I can definitely say that the truck has some serious hauling capability. There’s a wide 61-inch opening and the high roof makes it very easy to stand up and get around in the van. I’d argue that there should be a step into the cargo area from the rear of the vehicle, as some might not always be entering the van from the side entrance. Seeing how the pickups all have some way of easier access into their beds, the van should have this feature as well. On the other hand, some Sprinter cargo and crew vans feature work benches over the wheelwells.

The six-cylinder diesel has a lot of pull, and although it can feel a bit laggy at times, the vehicle will get up to speed quickly and easily, making life easier on stressed-out delivery drivers or mobile service trucks. There are no complaints about the transmission, which changes gears well before the 4,100 rpm redline. Both engines have a speed limit of 90 mph or 145 km/h.

However, the interior has been drastically updated and the Sprinter feels so much more modern and, in some cases, more upscale than before. The driver seat is plush and comfy, although the passenger seat had less support and felt a bit less comfortable. Both are power adjustable, and there are padded areas for your elbows to rest.

Necessary in a commercial or passenger van is storage space, not just in the trunk, but in the cabin too. The Sprinter more than complies with the needs of its drivers, with three big cubbies on the dashboard, two overhead storage areas, and three cubbies in each door. The cupholders seem a bit shallow, meaning Mercedes could learn something from the Big Gulp-supporting craters in most Ford F-150s and Transit vans.

There are forward-thinking additions like automatic climate control and USB-C ports for charging whatever gadgets you have. These are considered to be the future standard going forward, so it’s great to see Mercedes staying ahead of the curve here. Beyond that, the Sprinter is now available with a few multimedia systems. A simple base unit looks a bit more spartan than the outgoing one but does away with the goofy-looking dial pad. Beyond that are two iterations of the brands new MBUX infotainment system, which is a gorgeous interface. Available with a 7-inch or 10.25-inch screen, it has similar functionality as the Mercedes A-Class we tested in late spring, with the ability to trigger commands to the system by just saying, “Hey Mercedes.” It’s very much like a Google Home or Siri experience, except it seems a bit overeager to help, with it asking us for prompts even if we don’t say the “Hey” part of the command. Anytime we mentioned Mercedes, the infotainment system piped in, its ears burning for attention.

The tech offerings expand to the many available active and passive driver assistance features. No longer a second-class citizen in the world of Mercedes technology, the Sprinter can be equipped with handy features like adaptive cruise control, adaptive emergency braking, and an impressive 360-degree camera array to help place and park the van. There are also driver-oriented features like traffic sign recognition and attention assist, to help drivers take a break when needed. As before, there’s a crosswind stabilization system to keep the vehicle upright in heavy winds, and other safety systems include more standard airbags.

Starting at $33,790 ($42,900 in Canada) the Sprinter 1500 Cargo van sounds like a decent deal for a modern, comfortable hauler, while buyers can spend nearly $50,000 ($60,000 in Canada) for bigger passenger models.

While the vanilla Sprinter is much improved, the vehicle’s strength still revolves around the upfitters who will modify the car to suit their dreams. By making the foundation better in every way, the Sprinter will surely be a continuing hit with outfitters and regular customers as well.