Sprinter as a family transport vehicle

[Fish905]

Greetings all -

This might sound like a funny post on an Expediter's forum, but I've found a lot of info on sprinters and their service history from you all over the past few months, especially from OntarioVanMan and Turtle. Anyway, you all are the experts and have been driving these vehicles for far longer than I may expect to.

I'm looking to get a larger van to take my family around with me on trips. We travel ~20k/year, and the gas efficiency of the sprinter looks somewhat attractive compared to the alternatives in Ford and Chevy large vans. I've heard some interesting stories about problems with some of the sprinter models, and thus I'm a bit unsure as to how to handle looking at an older model.

Here's the point. I've found a used Sprinter for sale in nearby Atlanta with 225,000 miles on it that was used as an airport shuttle.

(2004 Dodge Sprinter 2500, $10,000 - Cars.com)

I don't know much yet about the service history, nor as to the exact route it was driven. However, passenger sprinters are hard to find used, as they seem to have been made in very low quantities.

In a vehicle this age, I'd be looking to get another 150k out of it without major problems, more would be excellent. So, should I stay away from all such shuttle craft, or does this sound like it may work? I'm fully aware that older Ford and Chevy vans with less miles are available, but I wanted to see what you guys thought about this.

Thanks for your time and advice.

Regards,

Fish

 

[ebsprintin]

I am working on a theory that the sprinter works best as a one owner vehicle. It is a delicate piece of finely engineered machinery. Is an airport shuttle vehicle going to be cared for as properly as an owner operated vehicle? I can't picture it.

eb

 

[Turtle]

It really depends on the service history. Sprinters are very popular for RV conversions here, as well as many other applications. In Europe they are the standard for shuttles, as well as ambulances. Then again, in Europe they treat it like a European vehicle and maintain is as such. Maintenance not performed on-schedule means problems with a Sprinter. I'd want to know the service history in detail. If they cannot provide that, don't mess with the vehicle unless you get a really good Sprinter technician to check it out first.

 

[Jack_Berry]

try truckpaper.com for passenger sprinter.
light duty vehicles class 1-3 is where you look.
use the detail search or just go to passenger vans.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

It really depends on the service history. Sprinters are very popular for RV conversions here, as well as many other applications. In Europe they are the standard for shuttles, as well as ambulances. Then again, in Europe they treat it like a European vehicle and maintain is as such. Maintenance not performed on-schedule means problems with a Sprinter. I'd want to know the service history in detail. If they cannot provide that, don't mess with the vehicle unless you get a really good Sprinter technician to check it out first.

I'll go with both ebsprintin and Turtle on this one...
The service record would be a critical item...
2 things at the top of the list an oil anilasis(sp) and pull the tranny pan and have the tech check for signs of wear..and confirm the proper oils have been used.
Good Luck

 

[piper1]

For the limited mileage you will run each year ask yourself if the fuel savings are worth it?

The difference between 15 and 20 mpg for that mileage is 333 gallons of fuel a year, At $3 a gallon that is just under a thousand bucks.

With that number in mind, ask yourself how much extra will you pay for a Sprinter and how much extra will it cost to maintain it.

If the math works....Sprinter away!!

 

[RLENT]

Shuttle service = stop-n-go driving = possibly one of the hardest things you can do to a vehicle ... as an example:

My son has four Sprinters on with Fedex Home Delivery .... it is not unusual for him to be replacing tires and brakes every 20K to 40K miles .......

I got 120K out of my original tires, and 175K out of my original front brakes (the rears have over 205K on them currently)

If you are going to look for a vehicle with over 100K miles, look for one that has highway, and not city, miles on it ..... it's a lot easier on the vehicle.

 

[TJ959]

I loved my Sprinter but I don't think I'd be very interested in buying a used one. The one you are looking at is at the right age and mileage to be ready for a new transmission unless it's had above average care. Mine went out at 320,000 with regular service using the proper fluids at the required intervals. You could buy a used Chevy van for the price of a new transmission for a Sprinter.

 

[greg334]

What amazes me is the resale price of a used sprinter. I have recently looked at a 2004 with a cr*pload of miles (had 300k) and the owner wanted $20k. I've seen a few 2005 and 2006 that look like they were driven hard and put away wet for almost as much money, one from NY was rusty and $15k.

Sorry those are $7000 vans, not a $15k or $20k van not because they may be a clean looking vehicle, but because of the fact that with that mileage, unless you know anything about mechanics of a sprinter, it may be a very short lived investment.

I have run across a few which needed some serious engine work and trans work, neither of these scare me but at the price they were asking for these vehicles as is where is, there is no way anyone could fix it and end up with a reasonble investment. One with a disassembled engine, missing parts, 175k, was up for sale at $12k.

As TJ959 mentioned, a trans in a sprinter could be the cost of a used chev van.

 

[Fish905]

All -

Thanks for all your sage advice - you've completely convinced me that buying used sprinters would be a horrible idea for my purposes. The lure of better gas mileage is strong for an efficiency nut like myself, but this was just what I needed to bring me back to cold, hard reality.

I'll still run the numbers for buying a new one when the time comes, and I can afford it. But for now, I'll shift my focus to Chevys or Fords.

Many thanks,

Fish