Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (95-06) - Review

Depending on the model chosen, the Sprinter will swallow anything from 7 to 14.3 cubic metres of cargo and payloads of between 795kg and 2,490 kg. The van features a standard side loading and rear doors that feel stronger and sturdier than other models in the class. The rear bumper also includes a step and there is a grab rail to help drivers hoist themselves up – a small point but one which demonstrates the amount of thought that has gone into the design of the Sprinter.

Levels of safety on the road depend on the model chosen. With ABS brakes and ESP stability control, which corrects the van in the event of a sideways skid, on board you won’t find a safer commercial vehicle on the road. But here’s a curious thing – despite the fact that Mercedes-Benz boasts endlessly about how safe its vans are, throughout the life of the first two generations of Sprinter, a driver’s airbag remained an option, so vehicles coming off a fleet may well not have them. On the security front, once again it depends on what paid-for options have been specified when the van was new. An immobiliser comes as standard, while an alarm and central locking come as an option.

As can be expected, anything with a three-pointed star on the front is not going to be cheap. Sprinters cost more than Ford Transits and Vauxhall Movanos new and they cost more secondhand too, but you do get the German manufacturer’s legendary build quality as well. Servicing intervals range from 14,000 to 25,000 miles. Such is Mercedes-Benz’s faith in its product that it offered a three-year/unlimited m mileage warranty.

The bad news is that when Sprinters go wrong, they cost more to fix than some other makes, as parts are expensive and labour rates are dear. The good news is that they don’t go wrong very often. It is common to see Sprinters on the roads which have ‘gone round the clock’ several times. We recently discovered one with nearly 500,000 miles under its belt. It looked as tired as the mileage suggested but it was still earning its money.