Can the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van Steer You Away from an SUV?

2025 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 Passenger Van

In the past, I’ve been adamant in my admiration for modern minivans. I adore their plush driving personality and Swiss Army knife versatility while offering decent fuel economy. Now I had the chance to drive the full-size alternative. A 2025 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 passenger van with the optional extended roof and wheelbase to accommodate a wedding party of passengers and all the stuff they bring with them.

This is the kind of van most of us never think about unless we’re traveling to an airport or arriving at a vacation resort. It’s a fleet vehicle used for commercial transport designed to carry as many passengers as possible without being classified as a bus.

I was surprised to see this big blue box parked outside when I arrived home from work. Its towering roofline and extended length prompted a week of challenging parking situations and anxiety-triggering blind spots.

To my surprise, I spent 500 miles in motoring bliss while traversing the hustle and bustle of congested city streets. Undeterred by the stress zooming around me, thanks to the Sprinter van’s gallery of mirrors, windows and cameras, ensuring I never lost sight of its corners. Cruising the asphalt like a sailboat surfing a summer breeze, symbolized by a small and powerful diesel engine.

This is One Cool Van

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 van was so impressive that I found myself debating why anyone would spend the equivalent amount of money on a full-size luxury SUV. Of course, that honeymoon mindset returned to reality after the road test was over. Several obvious factors prevent it from being a suitable alternative to a minivan, a crew cab pickup truck or an SUV. But that doesn’t distract from the fact that this is one cool van.

There is not much to say about its exterior styling. A box designed to be functional. The Sprinter van shown in photos wears a shade of Brilliant Blue ($766) with optional 16-inch light alloy wheels ($1,029). While researching specs on the official Mercedes-Benz website, I was genuinely surprised to see 22 color options for this van. That’s more than most SUVs, minivans, sedans and pickup trucks.

The combination of sky blue, light-colored alloy wheels and chrome grille ($329) helped polish the van’s commercial fleet appearance into an upscale residential aesthetic. Although several people confused the optional power-operated sliding door step ($1,708) with a retractable ramp for transporting wheelchairs.

This particular Sprinter van came equipped with a leatherette interior ($488) instead of the standard cloth seats. The upholstery felt tight as a drum and as dry as an elephant’s skin, inspiring a texture of durability.

The option to extend the wheelbase and roofline ($9,600) adds two feet to the van’s length, providing enough interior headroom for a six-foot-tall passenger to stand upright inside. The 15 passengers are seated among four rows of seats plus two front seats.

The model shown in the photos did not have the way-back bench with four seats. That’s because each bench can be removed simply by undoing some plastic tabs and unfastening them. So, while its primary focus is hauling passengers, it provides the option to have its seats taken out for a quick conversion into a cargo van.

A Van is Van No Matter What

Now, because I’m not a farmer in the 18th century or moonlight as a rideshare driver, I didn’t have a party of 12 to transport. Nevertheless, this dilemma led to a theory on whether a van is a van, regardless of its classification.

Can a passenger van be used as a cargo van without dismantling its interior? Yes.

I used it to haul a variety of car parts from bumpers to body panels, glass and a smorgasbord of trim pieces. I did not remove the seats because the thought of lumbering those heavy benches made my lower back flinch. So, I decided to place the cargo on top of the upholstery and in the back of the van. As suspected, everything fit. I never felt like I needed a truck bed, given that the Sprinter van offers a maximum payload of 3,100 pounds.

More importantly, driving this van around the city, in traffic and on the highway, was a pleasant ride. It drives like a car with an enormous windshield. The steering is light and smooth. The optional digital rearview mirror and 360-degree backup camera help you navigate parking situations with ease. Additionally, the seat is positioned high, allowing you to be at eye level with most pickup trucks.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Powertrain

Power is supplied by a 2.0L turbocharged diesel four-cylinder engine that produces 170 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. All-wheel drive is available, but not for the extended roofline and wheelbase models.

There’s also a high-output variant ($2,850) of the diesel engine offering 211 hp and 332 lb.-ft of torque. These engines send power to the wheels using a nine-speed automatic transmission. The drivetrain is designed to get you and the cargo up to 60 mph as swiftly as possible.

The model I tested had the high-output engine, allowing me to push the van into the fast lane at 80 mph and continue to a top speed of 90 mph. Not that I would advise going that fast, as strong winds can remind you that you’re driving a potentially leaning tower of Mercedes-Benz steel.

I was impressed with its fuel economy, averaging 23 mpg at its highest and 18 mpg at its lowest during the road test.

Sprinter Van Pricing and Options

Initially, I mentioned that this van had me considering it as an alternative to a full-size SUV. It was merely a romance. In reality, the main reasons this doesn’t fit the mold of a family vehicle are its size, rear passenger ride quality and price.

The high roof can be optioned with a heavy-duty roof-mounted air conditioning unit ($1,276) to keep everyone cool, but prevent you from visiting your favorite drive-thru and double-checking the height of parking garages, or any garage for that matter. Then there’s the question of ride quality, as the few passengers I did have riding in the back commented that it felt like they were on a shuttle bus.

Price is the leading factor in why these are typically only sold to commercial businesses or converted into high-dollar recreational vehicles. The starting price of a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter passenger van with a standard roof and wheelbase is about $51,000. After adding options as basic as heated seats for the driver, cruise control, an overhead control panel and the helpful digital rearview mirror, you suddenly realize you’re paying over $80,000 for a van.

Ready for Work

For what it is, the Sprinter passenger van is exceptional in being both comfortable and capable. But it’s a vehicle that demands purpose. It may be dressed like a civilian with its cheerful paint and shiny alloy wheels, but it’s always on duty – ready for work.

Engine: 2.0L Twin-turbocharged four-cylinder diesel

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

0 to 60: 12 seconds

Starting Price: $56,930 (Passenger 2500)

Price as Shown: $80,766 (Passenger 2500)