POLL Which Sprinter engine - 4 or 6 cylinder in your opinion.

Which Sprinter engine do you prefer?

  • 4 cylinder

    Votes: 4 28.6%
  • 6 cylinder

    Votes: 3 21.4%
  • Sprinters scare me

    Votes: 8 57.1%

  • Total voters
    14

HwyTom

New Recruit
If you were in the market for a new sprinter van what type of engine would you be thinking about. Thanks
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Would the 4 cylinder have enough power you think?
Enough power for what? It won't be enough power for a testosterone-fueled, chest-beating woodie when driving up the side of a mountain in the Rockies, but it'll get the load where it needs to go.
 
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RoadTime

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Enough power for what? It won't be enough power for a testosterone-fueled, chest-beating woodie when driving up the side of a mountain in the Rockies, but it'll get the load where it needs to go.

I hope the 4 has a little more giddy up (somehow) than my putt putt 5 banger :rolleyes:
 

FlyingVan

Moderator
Staff member
Owner/Operator
Everyone I talked to that owns a 4 cyl sprinter loves it. If I would buy one now it would definitely be a 4 cyl.
 

trobertson

Rookie Expediter
I would STRONGLY recommend that you consider either the Dodge Promaster or Ford Transit with gas engines over the Sprinter. Both the 4 and 6 cylinder models are diesels and the maintenance and repairs on these vehicles accelerates dramatically as your odometer increases. I've owned 47 of them over the years and since 2008 my fleet averaged nearly 10 cents per mile on maintenance and repairs. So your $40,000 plus purchase will actually cost you about $60,000 when your Sprinter hits 200,000 miles.

Tom Robertson
A. Blair Enterprises, Inc.
Louisville, KY
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
I would STRONGLY recommend that you consider either the Dodge Promaster or Ford Transit with gas engines over the Sprinter. Both the 4 and 6 cylinder models are diesels and the maintenance and repairs on these vehicles accelerates dramatically as your odometer increases. I've owned 47 of them over the years and since 2008 my fleet averaged nearly 10 cents per mile on maintenance and repairs. So your $40,000 plus purchase will actually cost you about $60,000 when your Sprinter hits 200,000 miles.

Tom Robertson
A. Blair Enterprises, Inc.
Louisville, KY
Tom: Are you swapping out your fleet as you go?
 

trobertson

Rookie Expediter
OVM...
No Im in the throws of a mass exodus. We took delivery of one in August of last year - (150,000 mi) on a Promaster. That vehicle has required tires and oil changes only. Then over the next few months we added a fewTransits, and a few more Promasters...the remaining numbers for fleet completion are arriving now, having taken delivery of 9 more Promasters last week and will be getting 9 more Transits next week...Finally to be free of the profit sucking Mercedes Benz Sprinter!

If you have Sprinter built before 2008 you have a winner...ALL since then will bleed you dry- sooner or later. I'll be doing a head to head comp on the Promaster vs Transit with this grouping of vans to determine which provides the best ROI.

Our last MB Sprinter was a 2014 4 cylinder...better fuel economy however the MB services were still ridiculous and we had two DEF related problems on that one prior to the 100,000 mile mark. I've tried to warn anyone and everyone in the industry that the majority of your profit (sooner or later) will go to the MB dealership service department on these vehicles.

The Sprinter has a good ride, excellent interior dimensions, and very good fuel economy, BUT is unreliable and the mechanics of MB can't seem to keep the check engine lights off for any period of time. Not only does it cost you thousands in repairs annually, and ridiculous sums for oil changes, but your downtime is a real profit killer.


I believe you have an older Sprinter...when it's time to retire it...DON'T BUY A NEW ONE!

Tom Robertson
A. Blair Enterprises, Inc.
Louisville, KY
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
OVM...
No Im in the throws of a mass exodus. We took delivery of one in August of last year - (150,000 mi) on a Promaster. That vehicle has required tires and oil changes only. Then over the next few months we added a fewTransits, and a few more Promasters...the remaining numbers for fleet completion are arriving now, having taken delivery of 9 more Promasters last week and will be getting 9 more Transits next week...Finally to be free of the profit sucking Mercedes Benz Sprinter!

If you have Sprinter built before 2008 you have a winner...ALL since then will bleed you dry- sooner or later. I'll be doing a head to head comp on the Promaster vs Transit with this grouping of vans to determine which provides the best ROI.

Our last MB Sprinter was a 2014 4 cylinder...better fuel economy however the MB services were still ridiculous and we had two DEF related problems on that one prior to the 100,000 mile mark. I've tried to warn anyone and everyone in the industry that the majority of your profit (sooner or later) will go to the MB dealership service department on these vehicles.

The Sprinter has a good ride, excellent interior dimensions, and very good fuel economy, BUT is unreliable and the mechanics of MB can't seem to keep the check engine lights off for any period of time. Not only does it cost you thousands in repairs annually, and ridiculous sums for oil changes, but your downtime is a real profit killer.


I believe you have an older Sprinter...when it's time to retire it...DON'T BUY A NEW ONE!

Tom Robertson
A. Blair Enterprises, Inc.
Louisville, KY

Thats why I elected an new factory engine rebuild replacement a couple years ago....it was decision time then....buy a new one or rebuild...The Pro and Transit weren't here yet and I knew a sprinter with their continuing problems and having to deal with Mercedes was a no brainer for me...the 2005/2006 pre DPF days! The best they ever made...Taking out the oilchanges/filters, I don't average $1,000 a year on maintaining...
now its a matter of fighting the rust worm for the next 2 years or so...
 
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