2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

MY2022 is the last year before the 2023 mid-cycle update of the third-generation (VS30) Sprinter, and the powertrains carry over from 2019. The 2.0L turbo gas four makes 188 hp, the same peak as the 3.0L V6 diesel, which sits near the bottom of the van band.

The gas engine makes 258 lb-ft, well short of the V6 diesel's 325 lb-ft and modest for a loaded full-size van.

Mercedes publishes no 0–60 time, and I found no US instrumented test of the 2022 gas van. With 188 hp moving roughly 5,800–6,000 lb, about 11 seconds unladen is consistent with similar vans and is past the slow end of the van band.

The turbo gas four is quieter and smoother at idle than the clattery V6 diesel, but it has to rev hard to move a heavy van and fades with cargo aboard. Turbo response is reasonable, but the engine feels underpowered next to the Transit's 275-hp V6.

The gas Sprinter uses the 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic, which shifts smoothly and quickly, and its close ratios help the small engine. Only the V6 diesel still used the older seven-speed in 2022.

The gas engine was offered only on 1500/2500 models, which are rated for 5,000 lbs. The 7,500-lb rating belongs to V6 diesel 3500/3500XD/4500 models, which the scored gas configuration can't be ordered as.

A selectable part-time 4x4 with an available low range (up to 35% of torque to the front axle) was offered in 2022, but only with the V6 diesel. The gas van is RWD-only, so 4x4 is limited to a narrow slice of the range.

The RWD gas van is built for pavement, with no skid plates, lockers or low range, and its long wheelbase and low clearance limit it further. The diesel 4x4 with low range and extra ride height is the lineup's only real loose-surface option.

The 2022 US lineup has two combustion choices: the 188-hp gas I4 (RWD) and the 188-hp/325-lb-ft 3.0L V6 diesel (RWD or 4x4). The first-generation eSprinter was sold only in Europe, so there was no US electrified option.

The Sprinter 2500 is above 8,500 lb GVWR, so the EPA doesn't rate it and there is no official figure. Owners of the turbo-gas van typically report mid-teens, so 16 MPG combined is the middle estimate.

There is no official city figure. In stop-and-go driving the 188-hp turbo four works hard to move a heavy van, which brings it to about 15 MPG.

The nine-speed's tall top gear helps at cruise, but the tall body's drag holds the gas van to about 18 MPG on the highway.

The gas Sprinter's 22.0-gallon tank at about 16 MPG gives roughly 350 miles, which is similar to the gas Transit.

With no EPA figure, the cost is estimated. 15,000 miles at about 16 MPG is roughly 940 gallons a year, which comes to about $3,950 at 2022's spiked average price for premium (~$4.20/gal on average for the year).

Spec listings put the 2022 gas 2500 on premium unleaded, a real cost penalty for a fleet van running about 940 gallons a year. Gasoline does avoid the diesel's DEF top-ups and is sold everywhere.

NHTSA lists every 2022 Sprinter configuration as Not Rated for overall, frontal, side and rollover. The value is the same segment-norm estimate used for the Sprinter's other model years and for its full-size-van peers, not a measured result.

IIHS has never crash-tested the third-generation (VS30) Sprinter, so there is no award to credit. The score is held at the segment norm because the full airbag suite and stability control are standard and no structural concerns have been reported.

Active Brake Assist (forward collision warning plus AEB), Crosswind Assist, stability control and a rear camera are standard on the 2022 Sprinter. In the US, lane departure warning and lane keeping, Blind Spot Assist and DISTRONIC adaptive cruise are optional, so much of the suite costs extra on the volume 2500 cargo van.

The standard Active Brake Assist uses radar to warn and brake for vehicles ahead. IIHS has published no front crash prevention results for the Sprinter, so its day, night and pedestrian performance is unverified.

Blind Spot Assist is a separately priced option on US 2022 Sprinters rather than standard equipment. Sideguard Assist, which watches beside the van during right turns, is offered in some markets and is uncommon in the class.

Active Lane Keeping Assist is optional in the US. It nudges the van back from lane edges rather than centering it continuously, which is adequate but behind the centering systems in newer passenger vehicles.

Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is Mercedes' mature radar adaptive cruise, and the gas van pairs it with the 9G-TRONIC automatic. In the US it is an option rather than standard, and there is no integrated steering-assist highway mode.

The 2022 Sprinter offers no hands-free highway driving system, and DISTRONIC requires hands on the wheel.

Volume cargo builds come with halogen headlamps, and LED high-performance headlamps and Headlight Assist (auto high beam) are options. IIHS has never rated the Sprinter's headlights.

A tall seating position, deep windshield and large split mirrors give strong forward and side sightlines. Windowless cargo bodies leave the rear quarters blind and rely on the standard rear camera, with a 360-degree camera optional.

Passenger and Crew configurations have rear benches with child-seat anchors, and the wide sliding door and tall cabin make installation easy. The volume 2500 cargo van has only front seats, so it has no LATCH positions.

For 2022 the 2.0L gas engine was still offered on the 2500 Passenger Van, so the volume gas passenger configuration seats 12. The 15-seat 170" Passenger Van and the 4x4 builds were V6-diesel territory.

The upright cab of a full-size van gives headroom far above the top of the van band. The VS30 body was unchanged through the third generation.

The bulkhead and upright seating position limit front legroom to less than car-based vans offer.

The flat standard roof carries most of the cab headroom through to the second row. Mercedes publishes no second-row figure, so this is estimated from the 47.3 in front figure.

The four-row, 12-seat layout leaves adult-usable but not generous legroom per row. Mercedes publishes no figure.

The gas 12-passenger van has third and fourth bench rows that adults can sit in, thanks to the full standing-height roof. Access is through the sliding door with a tall step-in, and the rear benches are basic with no recline.

Graded on the 144" standard-roof cargo box, the same basis as the peer vans and the 2024–2025 Sprinter scorecards. With all four Passenger rows in place, only a modest area remains behind the last bench.

The extended high-roof body has one of the largest cargo boxes in the class. This is the nameplate maximum; the gas 2500 was offered in fewer body lengths.

There is a dash-top tray, overhead and door bins, and an optional smartphone tray with wireless charging. Rear passengers get little dedicated storage, and there is no household outlet as standard.

The front seats are well bolstered and widely considered the best in a full-size van. The rear benches in the Passenger Van are upright and lightly padded.

The ride is more composed than in the ProMaster and on par with the Transit. Passenger-van springs suit people better than cargo-van springs, but a lightly loaded van is still firm over broken pavement.

The gas four idles more quietly than the diesels but revs hard under load, and the large, tall body lets wind and road noise into the passenger area.

Passenger Vans get rear auxiliary climate. Heated seats, a heated wheel and automatic climate are optional rather than standard, and ventilated seats are not offered.

The cheapest 2022 Sprinter is the 1500 standard-roof 144-inch cargo van, and the gas 2500 cargo van starts only $1,300 higher. Destination was $1,695 for MY2022, so entry prices sit well below the 2023 car's $46,795, before the 2023 update and the price rises that came with it.

Among gas vans, the high-roof 170-inch 2500 cargo is the most common spec for upfits and conversions. It starts at $47,035 delivered, and common packages (driver-assistance, MBUX upgrades, partitions) bring typical stickers to about $50K.

CarEdge projects $6,211 over five years for the Sprinter 2500, but that is a model-level figure dominated by diesel vans. The gas I4 avoids DEF and diesel fuel-filter service, so it is estimated somewhat lower, while Mercedes dealer labor rates and RepairPal's 2/5 reliability rating keep it above a gas Transit.

KBB shows the 2022 2500 high-roof 170-inch cargo van down 40–48% at about three years, and the standard-roof 144-inch cargo down 39%. Passenger and crew vans hold value far better (21–29% lost) because of camper-conversion demand, but the scored gas cargo van gets little of that premium. Extending the cargo trend gives about 47% retained at five years.

The standard Mercedes-Benz Vans basic limited warranty sits at the bottom of the band, the same as Transit and ProMaster.

The 5-year term sits at the low end of the band. Mercedes Vans quotes a 100,000-mile cap, though some secondary listings show 60,000 miles; the score depends only on the 5-year term either way.

No scheduled maintenance is included; prepaid maintenance and Extended Limited Warranty plans cost extra. The perks are 24/7 roadside assistance for the basic-warranty term and a Mercedes PRO connect trial, which is the basic-roadside level.

$50,000 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (47% retained, or about $23,500) leaves about $26,500 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,800 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $32,300 in total.

Neither Consumer Reports nor J.D. Power publishes a public model-level prediction for the 2022 Sprinter, so this rests on indirect signals. MY2022 is the last carry-over year of the original VS30 configuration before the 2023 update, so most early-production bugs should have been worked out. Even so, it shares the 2019–22 instrument-cluster, park-pawl and fuel-pump campaigns, and owner reports are mixed rather than strong.

In recent J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Studies, Mercedes-Benz has landed below the industry average, and Consumer Reports ranks it in the lower half of brands. That is mid-pack to weak: well behind Lexus, Toyota and the domestic truck brands, but not at the very bottom.

MY2022 is covered by one very large, serious campaign: about 124,000 vans with the 7-speed automatic, whose park pawl may fail to engage and let the van roll away. A second recall covers fuel-pump shutdown and loss of drive power (20,500 vans), a third a blank instrument cluster at start-up (6,857), plus several smaller assembly faults. That adds up to a heavier-than-typical and partly systemic recall record.

The scored gas van uses the 2.0L turbo four (188 hp) introduced with the 2019 VS30, paired with the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic until the 2023 switch to the nine-speed. The engine family is used widely across Mercedes products with no catastrophic failure pattern, though camshaft-adjuster and timing-chain complaints follow it. Against it: the gas Sprinter lacks the diesel's long high-mileage fleet record, and both the fuel-pump shutdown recall and the 7-speed park-pawl rollaway recall apply to this powertrain.

With MBUX and Mercedes switchgear, the Sprinter's cab is the most car-like and best finished among full-size work vans, a step above the Transit and ProMaster. Lower-cabin and cargo surfaces are hard, durable plastics, as expected in the class.

Reviewers find the Sprinter's cab tighter and quieter than its domestic rivals. MY2022 still carries several assembly-error recalls: missing partition-wall bolts, misrouted swivel-seat wiring harnesses and poor paint bonding. Those point to inconsistent build quality, though the list is shorter than the 2023 update year's.

Sales and service run through a dedicated Mercedes-Benz Vans network of a few hundred US locations. That covers metro areas adequately but is far thinner than the thousands of Ford and Ram dealers servicing the Transit and ProMaster, so rural fleets face longer trips and waits.

Parts are largely dealer-sourced and premium-priced, and the independent aftermarket, centred on upfitters and campers, is smaller than the Transit's or ProMaster's. The VS30 has been on sale since 2019, so used parts are reasonably available. Without the diesel's DEF/SCR and injector costs, the gas van's repair bills run somewhat lower.

The volume trim has the 7-inch first-generation MBUX touchscreen. The 10.25-inch display was an option that is common on dealer-stock vans.

First-generation MBUX was the most polished interface in a 2022 work van, with logical menus and touch controls on the wheel. The base 7-inch unit is plain.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were wired only, and they were packaged with the MBUX smartphone-integration option. Wireless projection arrived only with the 2025 update.

The "Hey Mercedes" natural-language assistant and optional MBUX navigation are good for the class. Navigation is an option rather than standard.

The standard audio is adequate for speech and radio. No branded premium system was offered, and sound in the large rear cabin is thin.

Analog gauges flank a color multifunction display. A full digital cluster arrived only with the 2025 update.

MBUX and Mercedes me connect / PRO connect support over-the-air map and infotainment updates. Vehicle functions are not updated or added remotely.

The Mercedes me / PRO connect apps cover remote lock and unlock, vehicle location and vehicle status, with fleet tools for businesses. Some services are subscription-based.

MBUX brings USB-C ports and there is a 12V outlet, and a wireless-charging tray is an inexpensive option. Rear rows get few ports, and no 120V outlet is standard.

Remote keyless entry is standard, but the volume trim starts with a key. KEYLESS-GO proximity entry and push-button start are options.

A rear camera is standard, and a 360-degree camera with parking sensors is available.

The Sprinter has no head-up display.

The gas 12-passenger van has room for car seats in several rows and a wide sliding door. The step-in is high and the bench seats are heavy and awkward to remove.

Active Brake Assist and Crosswind Assist are standard, but Blind Spot Assist, DISTRONIC and lane keeping are options. The van has no NHTSA or IIHS crash ratings.

Twelve seats and rear auxiliary climate carry a large group, and there is space behind the last row. Rear amenities are basic, with few ports and lightly padded benches.

Car-like controls and a smooth 9-speed make it the easiest full-size van to live with, but its size and height make every trip deliberate.

At about 16 MPG on premium-priced gas, it is an expensive commuter, though it avoids diesel and DEF costs.

A turning circle of about 45 feet and a height around 8 feet rule out many garages and tight lots. The optional 360-degree camera helps.

The 319–374 cu ft box carries well, but the gas van is limited to 2500 bodies with 5,000 lb towing, and 188 hp is modest under full load. Higher ratings needed the V6 diesel.

It is the benchmark fleet van with a long upfit history. The gas engine avoids diesel aftertreatment, but the small turbo four works hard in loaded duty.

The upfit ecosystem is excellent, with the Master Upfitter program, tie-down prep and multiple roof heights. Choosing the gas engine narrows the body options.

Good front seats and optional DISTRONIC help on long drives, but about 350 miles of range and a gas engine that revs hard make it a lesser mile-eater than the diesel.

It is a great camper-conversion base with a huge aftermarket, but the gas van is RWD only. The 4x4 with low range came only with the V6 diesel, and ground clearance is limited.

The removable benches open up a huge box, and rear doors that swing wide plus a sliding side door take bulky gear easily.

Its body control is the best of the full-size vans, but it is still a tall, heavy commercial vehicle with a high center of gravity.

The electric power steering is light and predictable with decent on-center feel, though it offers little feedback.

Four-wheel discs give strong, well-modulated stops, and Active Brake Assist is standard.

The 9-speed is smooth and quick-shifting. The 188-hp gas four is refined at light throttle but has to rev hard and feels short of breath in a loaded 12-passenger van.

The gas engine has none of the diesel clatter and idles smoothly, but it gets buzzy at high revs under load.

The long wheelbase gives a turning circle well beyond the van band. The figure is the same across the third generation.

The tall, commanding seat and car-like controls are strengths. Front legroom is limited by the bulkhead, and the 2022 van has a mechanical parking brake.

Pleasant for a van, but it drives like an appliance.

The 2022 gas Sprinter comes with the 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic, MBUX infotainment, Active Brake Assist and Crosswind Assist. Comfort, convenience and most driver-assistance features are costly option packages, and Edmunds singles out the base stereo as a weakness, so equipment is competitive for a work van but sparse for its premium price.

At about $41.3K delivered, the gas I4 is the cheapest way into a 2022 Sprinter and undercuts the 2023 car by roughly $5K. However, it brings only 188 hp, 258 lb-ft and 5,000 lb towing against the Transit's 275-hp V6, and the cargo van depreciates steeply, so it is fair value but not a bargain.

It has the broadest lineup in the segment, with 64 priced configurations. These span 1500/2500/3500/3500XD/4500 weight classes in cargo, crew, passenger and cab-chassis bodies, standard or high roof, 144"/170" wheelbases plus an extended body, gas I4, four-cylinder diesel and V6 diesel engines, and RWD or 4x4 with low range.

At about 46,500 US units in 2022 the Sprinter was a solid number two behind the dominant Ford Transit. Like the whole segment, its volume was capped by semiconductor-era supply limits rather than demand.

The three-pointed star and the Sprinter's status as the default base for van-life conversions and luxury shuttles give it an image no rival van matches. Its passenger and crew vans hold value far better than cargo vans as a result, but the gas cargo version shares the badge without much of the diesel's camper-market cachet.

MY2022 sold during the chip-shortage inventory squeeze, when commercial vans were scarce, dealers commonly sold at or above sticker, and factory incentives were minimal. Meaningful Sprinter discounts only returned with the 2024 inventory build-up.

MY2022 is the fourth year of the VS30 generation launched for 2019 and a carry-over year with minor changes. The 2023 update followed immediately, replacing the V6 diesel with new 2.0L diesels, fitting the nine-speed across the range and adding full-time AWD, so 2022 buyers got the outgoing powertrain mix.

Edmunds rates it 7.4/10 and calls it one of the best large vans money can buy, praising its space, confident handling, visibility and customization. Weak acceleration, a weak base stereo and below-average reliability ratings hold it back, and it is rarely the value pick over the Transit.