Sprinter vs Transit

montesagold
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montesagold
Edited Date/Time 4/11/2017 3:55am
What is everyone's thoughts? I new a lot more about the older Sprinters than the newer ones. I've read up a bit on the Ford when it came out, what does everyone think about them after a few years? I do believe they are just a little shorter and not as tall. I really like the idea of Ford's dealer network and lower sticker up front but the size of the Mercedes would be utilized as I would be converting into a fully contained RV/hauler. Thanks...
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mattbmx63
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mattbmx63 3/29/2017 7:13am
3/29/2017 7:13am Edited Date/Time 3/29/2017 7:14am
I've had both for work and currently have a transit 250 with the ecoboost engine. Transit is more comfy, better ride, taller roof let's me stand up, way more power than it should have, built good. Have had a couple minor issues, inverter and radio ecu had to be replaced. Sprinters had tons of issues, trannies, turbos, rear ends.

I had the option of a new sprinter and wouldn't take it.
Mini Elsinore
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Mini Elsinore 3/29/2017 7:33am
3/29/2017 7:33am Edited Date/Time 3/29/2017 7:34am
Looking at the same choices here.
Everyone that has owned a Sprinter (05-) tell horror stories. Still, the Sprinters look bitchin when cherried out.

Leaning Transit, but have a few months to decide.
wideopen198 3/29/2017 7:37am
3/29/2017 7:37am Edited Date/Time 3/29/2017 7:39am
mattbmx63 wrote:
I've had both for work and currently have a transit 250 with the ecoboost engine. Transit is more comfy, better ride, taller roof let's me stand...
I've had both for work and currently have a transit 250 with the ecoboost engine. Transit is more comfy, better ride, taller roof let's me stand up, way more power than it should have, built good. Have had a couple minor issues, inverter and radio ecu had to be replaced. Sprinters had tons of issues, trannies, turbos, rear ends.

I had the option of a new sprinter and wouldn't take it.
Nothing wrong with a Sprinter. Almost all delivery men here in Europe drive a Sprinter or a Crafter. (basically the same van with a volkswagen logo on it) Also a lot of people in the moto community who use them. Even most factory teams. I never hear people complaining about them.
mattbmx63
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mattbmx63 3/29/2017 7:54am
3/29/2017 7:54am
The company I work for has 100+ sprinters throughout the US and we've had a lot of issues, major ones. I know a lot of people who have the same experience. None of the transits have had major issues. Transits have more room, better ride, more comfortable overall and a lot more power. I loved my sprinter and tried to do all I could to keep it, wouldn't go back after having a transit for 1.5 years.

The Shop

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kkawboy14
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kkawboy14 3/29/2017 7:58am
3/29/2017 7:58am
I have 13 Dodge Promasters. $3000 lifetime unlimited miles, bumper to bumper warranty!
ob
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ob 3/29/2017 8:04am
3/29/2017 8:04am
mattbmx63 wrote:
I've had both for work and currently have a transit 250 with the ecoboost engine. Transit is more comfy, better ride, taller roof let's me stand...
I've had both for work and currently have a transit 250 with the ecoboost engine. Transit is more comfy, better ride, taller roof let's me stand up, way more power than it should have, built good. Have had a couple minor issues, inverter and radio ecu had to be replaced. Sprinters had tons of issues, trannies, turbos, rear ends.

I had the option of a new sprinter and wouldn't take it.
wideopen198 wrote:
Nothing wrong with a Sprinter. Almost all delivery men here in Europe drive a Sprinter or a Crafter. (basically the same van with a volkswagen logo...
Nothing wrong with a Sprinter. Almost all delivery men here in Europe drive a Sprinter or a Crafter. (basically the same van with a volkswagen logo on it) Also a lot of people in the moto community who use them. Even most factory teams. I never hear people complaining about them.
The US spec sprinters are not the same as the euro spec ones.
Shiftfaced
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Shiftfaced 3/29/2017 8:23am
3/29/2017 8:23am
Buddy just bought one of these. I think I would go this route:

Motofinne
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Motofinne 3/29/2017 8:27am
3/29/2017 8:27am Edited Date/Time 3/29/2017 8:59am
Transits have more room than Sprinters? Aren't there Maxi or Maxi XXL sprinters in US?

We have a 315 cdi 2009 sprinter Maxi. Just like any other vehicle, there will eventually be issues and parts that need to be swapped(380 000km).

olds cool
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olds cool 3/29/2017 8:30am
3/29/2017 8:30am
Shiftfaced wrote:
Buddy just bought one of these. I think I would go this route: [img]https://www.spacekap.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/DIABLO_DODGE_BACK_CLOSEDresized.png[/img]
Buddy just bought one of these. I think I would go this route:

Who manufactures these?
eeazye
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eeazye 3/29/2017 8:42am
3/29/2017 8:42am
It comes down to what fits you better. Lots of guys going with the Transit because of the gasoline engine option that Mercedes doesn't offer. Diesel maintenance costs are prohibitively expensive for some guys.

Test drive 'em both, see what fits you better. Personally I love my '08 Sprinter one ton. I've had to do a few things to it, but what vehicle with 360,000 miles wouldn't need a few things?
JBecker 72
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JBecker 72 3/29/2017 8:54am
3/29/2017 8:54am
Really wish Toyota made a van for the USA market.
montesagold
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montesagold 3/29/2017 8:56am
3/29/2017 8:56am
mattbmx63 wrote:
The company I work for has 100+ sprinters throughout the US and we've had a lot of issues, major ones. I know a lot of people...
The company I work for has 100+ sprinters throughout the US and we've had a lot of issues, major ones. I know a lot of people who have the same experience. None of the transits have had major issues. Transits have more room, better ride, more comfortable overall and a lot more power. I loved my sprinter and tried to do all I could to keep it, wouldn't go back after having a transit for 1.5 years.
More room? I've not done a lot of research lately but I was under the assumption that the biggest Ford was still a foot or more short of the Mercedes? Were you referring to the cab or size of the box?
49weasel
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49weasel 3/29/2017 10:15am
3/29/2017 10:15am
I bought a leftover 2016 Transit 250 with 16 miles on 3/4/17 and on 3/5/17 @ 646 miles the engine thru a rod. I have always hated Fords and I after doing extensive research, asking several friends that range from sales managers to service managers at dealers I felt very comfortable buying the 3.6 Transit Medium roof T250. It took 2 weeks for Ford to put a new engine in it and they paid 2 months of my payments for me, so at the moment I am somewhat satisfied.

I am currently starting to build out and here is what I am finding.
The Promaster is 3 inches longer , I didn’t think that was a big deal until now.

I was sold on the Dodge because a few members on here said they offered a lifetime warranty, they currently do not on any commercial vehicle.
The Promaster internal ribbing is laid out better for a bike and especially if you plan on putting up a wall. For example on the PM , from the backdoors to the backend of the sliding door its roughly 96 inches which gives a stud/rib to build a wall and leaves about 12” of room to play with a bike in there. But all that may not matter after you put a bench seat in it like I did.

I messaged several van people on Instagram that travel a lot and not one had a Transit, most had Promasters. Most claimed to get 18-22 MPG with the gas engine. Now that I have changed my driving habits I am getting 18mpg on this tank.

I am neutral on my purchase right now.
49weasel
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49weasel 3/29/2017 10:17am
3/29/2017 10:17am


Shiftfaced
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Shiftfaced 3/29/2017 10:18am
3/29/2017 10:18am
Shiftfaced wrote:
Buddy just bought one of these. I think I would go this route: [img]https://www.spacekap.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/DIABLO_DODGE_BACK_CLOSEDresized.png[/img]
Buddy just bought one of these. I think I would go this route:

SpaceKap outta Canada.
Mini Elsinore
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Mini Elsinore 3/29/2017 10:20am
3/29/2017 10:20am
49weasel wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/03/29/184422/s1200_IMG_2106.jpg[/img]


Good looking rig, right there.
wideopen198 3/29/2017 10:21am
3/29/2017 10:21am
mattbmx63 wrote:
I've had both for work and currently have a transit 250 with the ecoboost engine. Transit is more comfy, better ride, taller roof let's me stand...
I've had both for work and currently have a transit 250 with the ecoboost engine. Transit is more comfy, better ride, taller roof let's me stand up, way more power than it should have, built good. Have had a couple minor issues, inverter and radio ecu had to be replaced. Sprinters had tons of issues, trannies, turbos, rear ends.

I had the option of a new sprinter and wouldn't take it.
wideopen198 wrote:
Nothing wrong with a Sprinter. Almost all delivery men here in Europe drive a Sprinter or a Crafter. (basically the same van with a volkswagen logo...
Nothing wrong with a Sprinter. Almost all delivery men here in Europe drive a Sprinter or a Crafter. (basically the same van with a volkswagen logo on it) Also a lot of people in the moto community who use them. Even most factory teams. I never hear people complaining about them.
ob wrote:
The US spec sprinters are not the same as the euro spec ones.
Ok, didn't know that
kkawboy14
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kkawboy14 3/29/2017 10:21am
3/29/2017 10:21am Edited Date/Time 3/29/2017 10:23am
49weasel wrote:
I bought a leftover 2016 Transit 250 with 16 miles on 3/4/17 and on 3/5/17 @ 646 miles the engine thru a rod. I have always...
I bought a leftover 2016 Transit 250 with 16 miles on 3/4/17 and on 3/5/17 @ 646 miles the engine thru a rod. I have always hated Fords and I after doing extensive research, asking several friends that range from sales managers to service managers at dealers I felt very comfortable buying the 3.6 Transit Medium roof T250. It took 2 weeks for Ford to put a new engine in it and they paid 2 months of my payments for me, so at the moment I am somewhat satisfied.

I am currently starting to build out and here is what I am finding.
The Promaster is 3 inches longer , I didn’t think that was a big deal until now.

I was sold on the Dodge because a few members on here said they offered a lifetime warranty, they currently do not on any commercial vehicle.
The Promaster internal ribbing is laid out better for a bike and especially if you plan on putting up a wall. For example on the PM , from the backdoors to the backend of the sliding door its roughly 96 inches which gives a stud/rib to build a wall and leaves about 12” of room to play with a bike in there. But all that may not matter after you put a bench seat in it like I did.

I messaged several van people on Instagram that travel a lot and not one had a Transit, most had Promasters. Most claimed to get 18-22 MPG with the gas engine. Now that I have changed my driving habits I am getting 18mpg on this tank.

I am neutral on my purchase right now.
You have to purchase the vehicle in your personal name to get the warranty. I purchase them in my name and reimburse myself tax free mileage every month. $8 -$12,000 per month I take tax free. To take reimbursement for mileage it has to be in a personal name for IRS. In a corporate name you would only get depreciation.

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Sidecar
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Sidecar 3/29/2017 10:30am
3/29/2017 10:30am
I have an 08 VW Crafter and love it, its just over 200,000 miles on the clock, its converted to take 3X bikes or my sidecar with double bed above the garage and living accommodation in the middle, plus a 3 meter Fiamma F65 roll out awning with sides and front, wouldn't change it for any other van.

The bodywork is a constant battle with rust though, ALL Sprinters and Crafters are!!!!
chasestevenson599 3/29/2017 11:09am
3/29/2017 11:09am Edited Date/Time 3/29/2017 11:11am
I've owned one sprinter and two transits. I will never go back to a sprinter. I had the biggest models of both vans. The transit drives so much nicer and is far more reliable. The first transit I owned had 105,000 miles when I sold it, nothing but air filters and oil changes 3.7L engine. My second one currently has 25,000 miles since new in December with the diesel 3.2L and I love it even more. Fits 4 bike bikes and 5 bicycles at the same time.






endurox
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endurox 3/29/2017 11:16am
3/29/2017 11:16am
Transit rides nice and if your wife is short, she can still drive the Transit without her legs dangling from the seat. I have the medium length with medium height roof. Just enough clearance to stand up in. Standard engine with the tow package works good. Get 14 towing and 18 without trailer the rpod. Take a test drive in the Mercedes and the Ford.
Mr Happy
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Mr Happy 3/29/2017 12:25pm
3/29/2017 12:25pm
Love my Transit. Had a Vito (Metris) before and the build quality felt a lot better than the Ford, except I was always waiting for the Vito to go wrong. The Transit is a noisy tin can, and some trim bits will need removing and fitting properly on a Turkish built one, but it has never let me down. Fitting the carpet and sound proofing from the Tourneo makes a difference.
Madc32
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Madc32 3/29/2017 1:25pm
3/29/2017 1:25pm
The company I work for has Sprinters, Transits, Econolines and Pro Vans. The newer Sprinters have constant issues. The Transits are good driving rigs but they have their own issues as well. Brake pads and tires shot by 7000 miles. 3 out of the 5 Transit's side doors wouldn't close completely causing a warning chime while driving, poor body alignment. The body metal is so thin that the sliding doors are all creased at the sliding door handle. The gas door is temporary at best on a Transit. We have 10 year old Econolines with 300k that are sturdier than Transits. The Ram Provans drive good as well and feel better built. The Provans are front wheel drive which feels different. I had a Nissan nv 3500 for a couple of days and I really liked it, but it was ugly.
mattbmx63
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mattbmx63 3/29/2017 1:59pm
3/29/2017 1:59pm
I have the middle length and height transit 250 with ecoboost. 37,000 miles, tires are still 50% or better and only issue was inverter and radio ecu had issues. Brakes are still about 50%. Mines loaded right to capacity weight wise, I've had it well over limit a few times and it drove fine. Silent on the highway, gets about 16.5 mpg cruising at 65-70 mph. I can stand in it and it seems to have more available storage than our sprinters that were about the same size. Only negative is up here in New England they aren't the best in the snow, even worse with the ecoboost engine. We have 5 transits out of the office I work at, none have had issues. The sprinters were always in the shop, turbos, rear ends, trannies, head gaskets.
Pirate421
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Pirate421 3/29/2017 3:09pm
3/29/2017 3:09pm Edited Date/Time 3/29/2017 4:34pm
Shiftfaced wrote:
Buddy just bought one of these. I think I would go this route: [img]https://www.spacekap.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/DIABLO_DODGE_BACK_CLOSEDresized.png[/img]
Buddy just bought one of these. I think I would go this route:

Shiftfaced wrote:
SpaceKap outta Canada.
They make a lower roof version of that too which looks better and they call it a cargo van alternative. I think it said 53" interior height which is the same as an express cargo. Only problem I see is they all have shelves on both sides which looks like it cuts down a bunch of interior space. Other than that with an 8' bed that thing looks sweet.

Edit: just looked up some prices on those caps between $8-$13k! Damn could buy a motovan or a hell of a trailer for that money
endurox
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endurox 3/29/2017 3:27pm
3/29/2017 3:27pm
Madc32 wrote:
The company I work for has Sprinters, Transits, Econolines and Pro Vans. The newer Sprinters have constant issues. The Transits are good driving rigs but they...
The company I work for has Sprinters, Transits, Econolines and Pro Vans. The newer Sprinters have constant issues. The Transits are good driving rigs but they have their own issues as well. Brake pads and tires shot by 7000 miles. 3 out of the 5 Transit's side doors wouldn't close completely causing a warning chime while driving, poor body alignment. The body metal is so thin that the sliding doors are all creased at the sliding door handle. The gas door is temporary at best on a Transit. We have 10 year old Econolines with 300k that are sturdier than Transits. The Ram Provans drive good as well and feel better built. The Provans are front wheel drive which feels different. I had a Nissan nv 3500 for a couple of days and I really liked it, but it was ugly.
There is a service bulletin on the brake pads wearing out quickly. Some parts were put on wrong from the factory.
Iridereallyslow 3/29/2017 4:17pm
3/29/2017 4:17pm Edited Date/Time 3/29/2017 4:18pm
Madc32 wrote:
The company I work for has Sprinters, Transits, Econolines and Pro Vans. The newer Sprinters have constant issues. The Transits are good driving rigs but they...
The company I work for has Sprinters, Transits, Econolines and Pro Vans. The newer Sprinters have constant issues. The Transits are good driving rigs but they have their own issues as well. Brake pads and tires shot by 7000 miles. 3 out of the 5 Transit's side doors wouldn't close completely causing a warning chime while driving, poor body alignment. The body metal is so thin that the sliding doors are all creased at the sliding door handle. The gas door is temporary at best on a Transit. We have 10 year old Econolines with 300k that are sturdier than Transits. The Ram Provans drive good as well and feel better built. The Provans are front wheel drive which feels different. I had a Nissan nv 3500 for a couple of days and I really liked it, but it was ugly.
I had the Nissan NV3500 high top and put 100k on it, never had a single problem. It drove great and had plenty of power. Problem was it was too short, (only 1 wheelbase offered) it got 14mpg regardless of load, and really ugly. I have an f-250 for work now and I hate it, you have to wear a moto kidney belt it rides so rough, I wish I had the Nissan van back. There is a moto van in my future though, so I'm loving these threads!
Tim507
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Tim507 3/29/2017 5:34pm
3/29/2017 5:34pm
Had a Sprinter prior to the economy takīng a dump.....I now have a 3500 Dodge Promaster, tall and the mid length model. . A very nice van. Getting 17.5 mpg average on a motor with only 22k so far.
Jeff_Crutcher 3/29/2017 6:28pm
3/29/2017 6:28pm
I'm a FedEx guy. I have extensive knowledge and all of these vehicles with HARD mileage on them.

The sprinters are a mechanical nightmare.
The fords have constant electrical issues.
Dodge makes the best utility van.

*however*

You simply cannot beat a Chevy cargo van with the new 8 speed 4 cyl duramax.
Tonynz
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Tonynz 3/29/2017 6:31pm
3/29/2017 6:31pm Edited Date/Time 3/29/2017 7:07pm
JBecker 72 wrote:
Really wish Toyota made a van for the USA market.
My Toyota Hiace, packed for trip tomorrow, picking up another bike in the morning





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