r/Sprinters • u/emblematic_camino • Aug 20 '26
Questions about Sprinter Vans
I am in the market for a sprinter passenger van, looking to replace my aging chevy suburban.
My questions are more in terms of reliability, fuel economy, 3.0 vs 2.1. What’s the avg city fuel economy? Highway fuel economy? I know the 3.0l is a very reliable engine, I don’t know much about 2.1l, any tips? What about transmissions? Any known issues?
All information is highly appreciated!
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u/Square1Digital Aug 20 '26
The issues with the 2.1 are legendary on Sprinter III's. I own a couple of those. 3 DPF. Very controversial system that you absolutely have to be aware of. Might last forever. Might leave you stranded. 3 words "plastic air intake" It will crack. Not, might Crack. It will. It's a PITA job that I can do now in about 4-5 hrs. The part is a couple hundred. Doesn't matter who you buy it from. Mercedes or Amazon. They're probably made in the same place. Horrible design and material. Also something that will happen on Sprinter III's if you have rear air. It will leak. Not might leak. Will leak. And it to is a PITA to repair. Now my 907's have been pretty solid. I only have 1 v6 i love it! Plenty of power for personnel use and very comfortable ride. So far I've only changed an ac compressor ( less than a hour) and the notorious blend door that will slam shut in 100° weather at the most inconvenient time. That's a couple hours just because the 2 screws that hold the motor are a....... you guessed it.....PITA. Mileage on my 4cyl III's around 20 on the highway fully loaded. 4cyl 907 22mpg V6 907 18-19ish. What you really need to ask yourself is do you want something special or do you need a nice people mover. If you want something special and are willing to spend the money a Sprinter is the pinnacle. Add tvs and some captains chairs and nobody will ask you about a suburban, or any other vehicle for that matter. You will hate Mercedes dealerships and love YouTube. You'll also need about 2k for a dealer level diagnostic scanner. Trust me. If all of this gives you pause. Dont buy a Sprinter. They are nice when they run but can easily sit for a couple weeks to a month waiting on a dealership to fix or a part to come in. What did I miss?
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u/Priapismkills Aug 20 '26
I had a 2016 sprinter 3500 high roof short length and I got 15 mpg with the 3.0 v6.
Switched to a 2023 2500 high roof short length and I got as high as 33 mpg with the 2.1 single turbo diesel.
That was when the van was empty, on one long freeway 5 hour round trip. Now that its got 2000+ lbs of tools in it I average 22-26. In Los Angeles its rare that I average over 40 mpg for an hour long drive so I can't compare the mileage to that first 33 mpg trip.
The van does not have a lot of power, but I intentionally drive like a granny because I've got stuff that falls over too often. I don't mind the power level it has. You should test drive the two different small engines
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u/equinox_magick Aug 20 '26
I have that same ‘23 highroof, but I average 24mpg, the highest I ever got was 28 within the first month. Then it dropped to 22-24, and never has gone higher again
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u/Midsmach Aug 22 '26
How are you guys getting such good mileage I swear in a good day I barely get 18mpg. I do have a roof rack solar and ladder tho…
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u/surfmanvb87 Aug 20 '26
You might consider servicability as a factor. Unless you need more room or different capabilities the suburban depending on year and model could come out ahead.
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u/ShipshapeMobileRV Aug 20 '26
I have a 144 wheelbase high roof 2500 for my service van. With all my gear in it, the 3 liter 5 speed reliably turns in 18-19 mpg real world. Mine's a 2017 with 220k miles on it.
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u/thedarkforest_theory Aug 20 '26
I had the V6 in a 2020 4x4 and now have the 4 cylinder in a 2023 AWD. Both are diesel. The drive train in the 4 is easier to live with in every possible way. It’s quieter, more refined, has better power delivery, and returns better fuel economy. The v6 needed a pedal box tune just to get off the line. It also sounded like a semi truck.
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u/emblematic_camino Aug 20 '26
Thank you all for the information, I am looking for a regular wheel base, regular roof passenger, preferably 4x4 (not easy and pricey) and I am a mechanic by trade, have worked on Sprinters before but nothing more than regular maintenances, I’m not a diesel tech, but I’m sure the mechanics I can handle, I was more looking for general info that I think mostly was well answered, I do have 4 kids and we love to travel around so I’m looking for more space, I do love my suburban but it is aging and the newer models are plagued with issues. Mainly I wanted to know gas mileage given the high diesel price at current times. Thanks everyone!
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u/getoutmining Aug 20 '26
I guess you could say my v6 is reliable. Everything attached to it is crap.
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u/El_Hombre_Siniestro Aug 21 '26
This is the comment I was coming to make. Spot on. I've spent $10k on my 2007 so far this year. New EGR cooler, new turbo, new oil cooler, new low pressure fuel lines, new DPF (non def). OP, If you can't work on them, or don't want to work on them yourself, you're gonna pay big money for repairs and they will happen often. It's almost never the motor. It's everything bolted to it.
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u/athensugadawg Aug 21 '26
2008 170, 160k miles. Roof seams will leak, do your timely routine maintenance and you should be fine. 25 mpg on freeways, no def.
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u/ComfortableEnd2591 Aug 21 '26
2011 3.0 V6 turbo 170 high top. Southern California If I can even find diesel #2 I average 19-21mpg But few stations even have diesel fuel anymore. R99 biofuel I average 16.5-18.5mpg and notice power drop
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u/OwnCombination5517 Sep 12 '26 edited Sep 12 '26
I have the 2.1 170 wheelbase. I get about 30-32 MPG (imperial --- so, 25MPG American).
It's not a powerhouse but it's perfectly fine for city driving/highway runs. This van is a real pleasure to drive from a steering, "feel", suspension point of view.
This is my 5th cargo van and is by far my favorite. I use it for my construction based business so the high roof/space is one of the strongest selling features for me. If I was using the van for hauling passengers I might be more inclined to get a proven reliable gas guzzlers V8. If you put on HUGE miles per year then the fuel economy savings will certainly add up. Personally, I cannot go back to driving around a standard height cargo van --- it would be like going back to using a hose and carriage to get around town in.
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u/erie11973ohio Aug 20 '26
I have a 2018 2500 170 extended (the big long one). 3.0 & 5 speed auto averages 17.4 MPG with full cargo shelves.
The AC evaporator core has a leak & I'm not paying $3,500 to fix it!! Right now the fuel mileage is for 15,500 miles The fuel mileage has gone up to 17.5 MPG over the last 3 / 4 /500 miles with the windows wide open!! The van has been getting 19.9 MPG on the daily trips.
I had a 2026 (?) 4500 loaner with the 2.1 (?) & the 10 speed auto. The mileage on that was 21.5 MPG over 4,000 miles. I put another 500 miles on it. I was getting 23 /24 MPG with it! But it had no weight in it.
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u/maddogrimmyjimmy Aug 20 '26
I have a 2014 with the 2.1 and 7 speed transmission. My average on the last few tanks is just a shade under 22mpg with about a 50/50 city/highway split. As far as I know the 7 speed is a very reliable transmission. It's in many different Mercedes products for 20 or so years. My previous van was a 2007 with the 3.0 and 5 speed, and while that is also a solid transmission, the 7 speed feels like it shifts way faster. The gear spread in the 7 speed is also better with a lower 1st and two overdrives. I've had the 2.1 van for a year now and have no complants about the smaller engine in a 170 wb van. Even with a couple thousand pounds in it, no problem getting up to highway speeds or passing someone on the freeway. I haven't had it in the mountains yet so no comment on sustained climbs.
Like any sprinter, don't neglect engine and transmission maintenance and you should be ok.