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Few vans for sale can lay claim to the breadth and strength of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. There are hundreds of different models to choose from, giving buyers the opportunity to pick the used large van they really want and need.
The Sprinter is renowned as one of the best handling large vans on the market, with light and responsive steering that makes it easy to navigate around town or guide the van into a tight parking space.
The load area is as versatile as before with load securing rings and lashing rails in the floor, sides and roof as an optional extra - essential if you're moving large and bulky items. You can choose plywood for the sides for extra protection, plus this boxes in the rear wheelarches making the space more usable.
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A large van mainstay, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter was overhauled in 2013 to add to the already appealing package it offered. As part of the extensive revisions over the previous Sprinter, Mercedes-Benz improved economy and emissions, added new safety equipment and mildly refreshed the Sprinter’s looks.
The first van it in its class, which in Europe is referred to as ‘Sprinter Class’, Mercedes-Benz claimed its new large van could return up to 44mpg. Helping achieve that was the addition of Mercedes-Benz’s BlueTec diesel engine, which featured SCR technology that uses AdBlue to clean up the exhaust gases. The changes not only benefitted economy and emissions but also improved refinement due to the reduction of combustion noises.
Outwardly a new three-slatted grille presented a more striking appearance up front, this framed by new headlights. Changes in the functional, smartly finished cabin included new seat upholstery, a thicker steering wheel, larger air ventilation outlets. The radio was improved, allowing Bluetooth connection for telephony and music connection, while a Becker Map Pilot system became available, too.
Mercedes-Benz’s focus on safety with its passenger cars is carried over to its commercial vehicles, with the Sprinter gaining a number of industry firsts relating to safety. Standard equipment on the Sprinter included Mercedes-Benz’s Crosswind Assist, a system within the ESP (electronic stability program) setting that helps prevent the Sprinter from being blown about in crosswinds.
Optional safety equipment like Collision Prevention Assist, Blind Spot Assist, Lane Keeping Assist and Highbeam Assistant were offered as individual options or as part of a bundled package - these being Driving Assistance Package and Lane Tracking Package. From 2015 all Sprinters were equipped with a Rescue Assist QR code, which allows rescue services quickly ascertain the position of vital vehicle components, like the fuel tanks, cables and airbags, Mercedes-Benz making these available as a retro-fit option on all vans built since 1996.
The chassis was lowered with the introduction of the new Sprinter model, addressing one of the criticisms of its predecessor, that being a high loading floor. That lowered chassis also helped the Sprinter improve its drag co-efficient, to the benefit of economy.
The changes were instrumental in maintaining the success of the Sprinter, it a strong seller against its competition from Ford, Fiat and Volkswagen, winning plenty of awards in its life. An indication of its enduring appeal was in its run-out year it beat all its previous year’s sales records, before Mercedes-Benz replaced it at the tail end of 2018 with its third generation model. Built in Dusseldorf, Germany, it’s worth noting that the Sprinter had a German twin (not quite identical) wearing Volkswagen badges as the Volkswagen Crafter.
Body styles include the panel van, chassis cab, crew cab, Tourer (minibus) in short, medium, long and extra long-wheelbase models - those to longer-wheelbase coming in high-roof specification. The majority of Sprinters sold are rear-wheel drive, but four-wheel drive is an option for those needing the additional traction it brings. Payloads vary depending on model, ranging from 714kg through to 2550kg.
The mainstay of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter engine line up is the 2.1-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel, it offered in 95PS, 129PS and 163PS guises, with 250/305/360Nm of torque respectively. Above that Mercedes-Benz offered a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel, with a 190PS and 440Nm output.
The engine line up were badged the 210 CDI for 95PS, 213 CDI for 129PS, 216 CDI for 163PS, with the 190PS V6s getting 219 badging. The 2 on the badging denotes 3.0 tonne Gross Vehicle Weight changing that to 3 signifying 3.5 tonne, 4 for 4.6 tonne and 5 for 5 tonne. Mercedes-Benz also offered a 156PS natural gas/petrol four-cylinder 1.8-litre engine, this was a tiny seller in the UK.
From 2016 all EU Sprinters were switched to Euro VI emissions ratings. The entry four-cylinder is 114PS badged 211/311/511 is not 114PS, with 214/314/414/514 models getting 143PS and 216/316/416/526 versions being 163PS. The V6 remained rated at 190hp. As standard all were specified with a manual transmission, though an automatic transmission was available on some models. Mercedes-Benz also offered Sprinter 4x4 versions throughout the range, too.
The entry point currently to Sprinter ownership is around £4000. At that price you’ll be looking at high mileage models, deep into the 100,000+ sphere with many having double that. Don’t rule them out as inexpensive workhorses, though, as high miles doesn’t necessarily relate to a tough, abused vehicle, those previously owned by large operators which typically are rigorous with their servicing.
Even at this price point the variety of vehicles on offer is sizeable, so if you’re not after a regular panel van you’ll find Lutons, Curtainsides, Dropsides, Chillers, Chassis Cabs and more, allowing you to find the vehicle that best suits your business’s specific needs. Between £5000 and £8000 and the choice just gets wider still, with masses of choice across all body types. Engines, as in any price point tend to be the 2.1 turbodiesel, mated to the manual transmission. Automatics and 4x4 versions are much scarcer, though they’re out there if you’re prepared to search.
£8000 and above gets you into newer, lower mileage vehicles, again the choice being expansive, though in every price point you’ll do well to find anything other than white examples.
Spend over £10,000 and the choice is newer still, with light use and excellent order throughout. Up the budget further and you’ll likely be buying off Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle dealers forecourts.
All Sprinters were fitted with Mercedes-Benz’s ASSYST service computer, which brought flexible, needs-based servicing to the Sprinter. It would assess usage and schedule services accordingly. For short-drop vehicles service intervals would be shorter, while longer-haul users would have lengthier intervals between services and oil changes.
These could be as much as 37,000 miles or two years although we'd always recommend an oil and filter change every 12,000 miles or 12 months, whichever is sooner. All Sprinters also came with MobilioVan lifetime mobility guarantee, as well as Mercedes-Benz Service 24hr, which provided breakdown cover throughout the UK and Europe.
From 2016 Mercedes-Benz introduced national service pricing in the UK, with a small ‘A’ service on the Sprinter costing just £130, right through to a comprehensive full service for £443. An approved used service plan, costing around £17 was offered to Sprinter owners, too.
Independents currently offer a full service in the region of £250, with interim servicing costing about £140. Standard maintenance costs should be around £200 for new front discs and pads, around £500 for a replacement clutch, under £20 for an oil change and oil filter.
As with rival vans, the second-generation Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is offered in a wide variety of body styles, heights, weight, seating and cab arrangements. However the load space not quite as big as some rivals’ with the Sprinter, which shows the basic design of this van is beginning to age.
That said, there should be something to suit every need with regular, high and super high roof specifications and seated minibus bodies. There are even specialist campers and 4x4 versions too for more specific requirements built by a number of specialists.
The Sprinter has always had a powerful reputation that lives up to its speedy name. Power came initially from a range of 2.1-litre four-cylinder and 3.0-litre V6 diesels with a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes - the auto being relatively rare.
Engine start/stop, dubbed Eco-Start, was added in 2008 as an option, while 2009 saw the entire engine range overhauled with 95, 130 and 165PS versions of the four-cylinder engine, and a single 190PS V6 3.0-litre option.
With mk2 Sprinters now 14+ years old, there’s plenty of choice out there. Prices start at under £3000 for massive-mileage examples with a lengthy list of previous owners; these can represent good value for builders who need an inexpensive workhorse, but avoid vans that have no service history.
Up your budget to £5000 and you will find box vans, tippers, dropsides and panel vans with a history folder full of receipts, old MoTs and service documents. You won’t be short of choice so you can afford to be picky when it comes to mileages and specifications.
Spend £6000 and you find a rich selection of 2013 vans that have been well-kept with two or three previous owners and documentation that traces its mechanical life all the way back to the original Mercedes-Benz Vans dealer.
One of the Sprinter’s most common faults is problems with the diesel engine’s high pressure injection system. It’s called the ‘black death’ in the trade, though it’s not as bad as is sounds if it’s caught early enough. The seals around the injectors go, causing a chuffing sound from under the bonnet.
Put the heater and fan on in the cab and if there’s a faint smell of what should be coming out of the tailpipe then they’ll need looking at. A black build up around the injectors also highlights the issue. Depending on how bad it is, you could be looking at anywhere from £150 to £500 fix.
Check the propshaft on any prospective purchase, they tend to fail at about 100,000 miles though they’re not too expensive provided you don’t source it from a dealer where they’ll charge around £800. For all other parts we'd suggest genuine only, particularly brakes.
Servicing is around £250+VAT for a small service, to around £300+VAT for a larger one. Security isn’t a strong point, the Sprinter is easy to steal. You can't beat a traditional steering lock as a physical deterrent.
Likewise catalytic convertors are often targeted by thieves for the metals in them. Again an aftermarket physical add on will make stealing them trickier - or at least send thieves looking elsewhere.
Other niggles include check straps on the doors failing, sliding doors jamming and brake light switches failing - the latter confusing the ECU into thinking you’re braking when you’re not. There have also been a few recalls for fuel leaks.
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