2025 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

The 2025 Sprinter is diesel-only in the US (the 2.0L gas engine and the 1500 were dropped for 2024); the volume 2500 cargo van comes standard with the single-turbo 2.0L four-cylinder diesel at 168 hp, with the twin-turbo High Output version at 208 hp as the range maximum (eSprinter EV scored separately as its own class).

The standard-output diesel's 295 lb-ft is solid low-rpm torque for a working van; the High Output engine raises it to 332 lb-ft.

Mercedes publishes no 0–60 time and no credible US instrumented test of the 2025 standard-output diesel was found; with 168 hp moving a ~6,000-lb cargo van, roughly 12 seconds unladen is consistent with class results, and it falls past the slow end of the van band either way.

The 2.0L OM654 four-cylinder diesel is quiet and torquey once rolling and is more refined than the old 2.1L unit, though the standard-output version feels strained when loaded and there is diesel clatter at cold start; reviewers call the van comfortable and quiet overall.

The 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic, standard with both diesels, shifts quickly and smoothly and holds gears sensibly under load; reviewers single it out as a highlight of the van.

Properly equipped, the 3500 cargo van tows up to 7,500 lbs, which puts the Sprinter near the top of the van band; the volume 2500 RWD is rated at 5,000 lbs.

RWD is standard; a full-time AWD system that can send up to 50% of torque to the front axle is optional on 2500/3500, but only with the High Output diesel and at roughly $7,000 extra, with no low range or terrain modes. That is still better than the FWD-only ProMaster.

AWD versions handle gravel, snow and unpaved roads, which is why overland upfitters favor them, but from the factory there are no skid plates, lockers, low range or crawl control, and the van is long and low-slung.

For 2025 the range is two outputs of the same 2.0L diesel plus the battery-electric eSprinter. The gas engine is gone, so the lineup is narrower than it was before 2024, but it still includes an electrified option and is the only diesel in the class.

Sprinter 2500/3500 vans weigh more than 8,500 lbs GVWR and so are exempt from EPA rating. The 2.0L four-cylinder diesel is the most efficient engine in the class: UK figures convert to ~23–27 US MPG, while KBB expects mid-to-high teens in US duty. ~20 MPG combined is the central real-world estimate.

There is no official city figure. Stop-and-go delivery use pulls the diesel below its combined average, to roughly 18 MPG.

The nine-speed's tall top gear keeps the diesel near 23 MPG at steady highway speeds, although the tall body's drag limits it above 70 mph.

The standard 24.5-gallon diesel tank at ~20 MPG combined gives roughly 490 miles, well beyond the ~375-mile gas Transit.

Without an EPA figure, the cost is estimated: 15,000 miles at ~20 MPG is ~750 gallons of diesel a year. At a 2025 national average of roughly $3.60/gal that comes to about $2,700, before DEF.

For 2025 every combustion Sprinter needs ultra-low-sulfur diesel plus DEF (AdBlue) top-ups. Diesel usually costs more per gallon than regular and is sold at fewer stations, so the van no longer has the regular-unleaded option the pre-2024 gas engine offered.

NHTSA has not published an overall NCAP star rating for the 2025 Sprinter. Like other full-size commercial vans it falls outside routine NCAP testing, so the value is set at the segment norm as a placeholder estimate, not a measured result.

IIHS did not evaluate the Sprinter's crashworthiness for the 2025 model year, so it has no award to credit. The score is held near the segment norm and slightly above rivals because of the standard airbag suite and stability systems, and because no structural concerns have been reported.

Active Brake Assist (AEB), Crosswind Assist, Attention Assist and a rear camera come standard. On the volume 2500 cargo van, Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC, Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist are separately priced options, so the core coverage is there but the key convenience-safety items cost extra.

Standard Active Brake Assist uses radar and camera to detect vehicles and pedestrians, and the cross-traffic function is available. IIHS has not published front crash prevention results for the Sprinter, so day/night and pedestrian performance remain unverified.

Blind Spot Assist uses two rear-bumper radar sensors and is an inexpensive option rather than standard. Sideguard Assist, which watches for cyclists and pedestrians beside the van during right turns, is also available. That coverage is unusual for the class, but the absence of standard fitment holds the score down.

Active Lane Keeping Assist is an option and works by corrective intervention at the lane edges rather than smooth continuous centering. Reviewers find it adequate, but it trails the centering systems in newer passenger vehicles.

Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is Mercedes' mature radar adaptive cruise, paired with the 9G-TRONIC automatic. It is a low-cost option rather than standard and has no integrated steering-assist highway mode on the van, but its ACC behavior is well regarded against Transit and ProMaster.

The 2025 Sprinter offers no hands-free highway driving system. DRIVE PILOT is limited to S-Class and EQS passenger cars, and the driver must keep hands on the wheel with DISTRONIC engaged.

Halogen lamps are fitted to many volume cargo builds, with LED high-performance headlamps and high-beam assist available as options. IIHS has never rated the Sprinter's headlights, so their performance is unverified.

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

Passenger-van configurations (12/15-passenger) give bench seats with LATCH, and the wide sliding door and tall cabin make child-seat installation easy. The volume cargo van, however, has only front seating, and on passenger buses lower anchors cover only a few positions.

The Sprinter is the one van in its peer group sold as a factory 12/15-passenger van; scored on the 144" Passenger Van, as on the 2026 scorecard, for year-to-year continuity.

Upright full-size-van cab gives headroom far beyond the van band ceiling.

Upright, bulkhead-limited cab gives less front legroom than car-based vans; same figure across every body.

Mercedes doesn't publish a seated second-row figure. Estimated from the standard roof's 47.3 in front headroom and its flat ceiling, which carries the same height rearward.

Mercedes publishes no figure. Bench spacing in the 12-passenger layout is adult-usable but not generous; estimated the same way as the 2026 scorecard.

Rows 3 and 4 of the Passenger Van are full-width benches with standing-height access through the sliding door, so adults genuinely fit. The rearmost row is tight on legroom in the 12-seat layout.

Graded on the cargo box of the volume cargo van, like the peer vans. A standard-roof 144" box is mid-pack against ProMaster high-roof builds.

The extended high-roof Sprinter has one of the largest cargo boxes offered in the class.

Plenty of storage: a dash-top tray, overhead and door bins, and a new optional smartphone tray with wireless charging for 2025. Upfitter prep and outlets are well supported, but there's no standout trick like onboard AC power as standard.

The front seats are well bolstered and widely judged the most comfortable in a full-size van. Power and heated seats are optional, and the rear benches are flat.

The ride is more composed than the ProMaster's and on par with or better than the Transit, though it's firm and busy when the van is empty, as commercial springs are.

It's the quietest full-size van, but the diesel clatter and the large hollow body still let noticeable noise through at highway speed.

Heated front seats, heated wheel and heated windshield are options rather than standard (Winter Package PLUS). Passenger Vans add rear auxiliary climate.

Entry price for the cheapest 2025 Sprinter, the 2500 standard-roof cargo van. The gas four-cylinder and the 1500 were dropped for 2024, so every 2025 US Sprinter is diesel or eSprinter. That puts the entry price roughly $3K above a base Transit and about $6K above a base ProMaster.

The high-roof 2500 cargo van is the most common Sprinter spec, for both commercial upfits and conversions. Its $57,610 MSRP plus destination comes to about $59,900, and common option packages push typical stickers to about $62K.

This is CarEdge's 5-year maintenance projection for the Sprinter 2500. Diesel servicing (AdBlue/DEF, fuel filters, dealer-only Mercedes labor rates) makes it noticeably more expensive to keep up than the gas V6 Transit (~$4,700).

Sprinters hold their value unusually well. Demand from commercial fleets and from camper-van conversions supports used prices, and CarEdge projects the 2500 losing only about 36% over five years.

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

The 5-year term sits at the low end of the band. The 100,000-mile cap is generous for retail buyers, though: Ford gives retail Transits only 60,000 miles.

No scheduled maintenance is included; Mercedes sells prepaid maintenance and Extended Limited Warranty plans (5 yr/100K, 6 yr/120K) at extra cost. What's included is 24/7 roadside assistance for the basic warranty term and a Mercedes PRO connect trial. That falls below Ford's FordPass Rewards maintenance-points offer.

$62,000 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (64% retained, or about $39,680) leaves about $22,320 in depreciation. Add the projected $6,192 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $28,512 in total.

Consumer Reports and J.D. Power do not publish model-level predicted reliability for full-size commercial vans, so the signal for the 2025 Sprinter is indirect. Owner-report aggregators list few issues for the 2025 model year. The ones that recur are diesel emissions faults (DEF/SCR dosing, NOx sensors), injector-seal leaks and glow-plug cold-start problems on the 2.0L OM654, so a sound mechanical core is held back by expensive ancillary failures.

Mercedes-Benz has sat below the industry average in J.D. Power's U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study and in the lower half of Consumer Reports brand rankings for several years. It ranks well behind Lexus, Toyota and the domestic truck brands, though it is not among the worst performers (Land Rover, Volvo, VW).

The 2025 model year has an unusually clean recall record: only two NHTSA campaigns, and neither touches the volume diesel cargo van at scale (one covers 16 units with a front radar PCB defect, the other covers eSprinter pedestrian-alert sound). The VS30 generation (2019+) as a whole has a long list of recalls, including a 124k-unit park-pawl recall and repeated frame-member, wiring-harness and steering campaigns. That generation record keeps this from the top band.

The 2025 Sprinter is diesel-only, with both outputs of the 2.0L OM654 four-cylinder paired with the mature 9G-TRONIC nine-speed. The OM654 has been in service since 2016 across Mercedes cars and the Sprinter with no catastrophic failure pattern, and Sprinter diesels have a strong high-mileage reputation among fleets. Known weak points are injector seals and the DEF/SCR aftertreatment, not the engine's core internals.

The 2025 van carries the post-2024 refresh cabin, with updated MBUX, an upgraded steering wheel and Mercedes switchgear. It is the most car-like and best-finished cockpit among full-size work vans and a step above the Transit and ProMaster. Cargo-area and lower-cabin surfaces are hard, durable plastics, as expected in a work van.

Reviewers rate the Sprinter's assembly tighter and quieter than its domestic rivals. Repeated generation-wide recalls for unreinforced frame members, loose fasteners and a mis-specified topcoat paint show that assembly consistency at the Ladson, SC SKD plant has not been flawless.

Sprinter sales and service run through a dedicated Mercedes-Benz Vans network of a few hundred US locations. That coverage is adequate in metros but far thinner than Ford's roughly 3,000 Transit-servicing dealers or Ram's large network. Rural fleets face longer trips and waits for warranty work.

Parts are largely dealer-sourced and priced at a premium. Diesel aftertreatment repairs (DEF dosing, NOx sensors, SCR catalyst) and injector work make out-of-warranty ownership expensive. The independent and aftermarket ecosystem, mostly built around upfitters and the camper market, is real but much smaller than the Transit's and ProMaster's.

The volume cargo trim keeps the smaller base screen; the 10.25-inch latest-generation MBUX display is an option.

The new MBUX generation for 2025 brings faster processing, better menus and a satellite map view, and it remains the best interface in a work van. The base unit is plainer.

Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto are new for 2025 but come only with the optional MBUX package.

The "Hey Mercedes" natural-language assistant was improved for 2025. The navigation adds routing for oversized and trailer-towing vehicles, which is genuinely useful for vans.

Standard work-van audio, adequate for speech and radio; no branded premium system is offered.

A 10.25-inch digital cluster arrives with the MBUX package. Base vans keep analog dials with a small center display.

MBUX and Mercedes me connect receive over-the-air software updates. Updates are infotainment-focused rather than feature-adding whole-vehicle updates.

The Mercedes me app covers remote lock and unlock, vehicle location and status. The PRO connect fleet tools add value for businesses.

USB-C ports throughout and wireless charging in the new optional phone tray. A power outlet is standard on Passenger trims.

Remote keyless entry is standard, but proximity entry and push-button start are options rather than standard on volume trims.

The rear camera is standard and now shows on the center display when the rear doors open. A 360-degree camera and a digital rear-view mirror are available in the Driver Assist Package.

No head-up display is offered on the Sprinter.

A wide sliding door and walk-in height make loading easy, and an electric door and step are available. But the high step-in, the bench LATCH limits and the commercial packaging make it a compromise for daily family use.

The 2025 update adds Sideguard Assist, Moving-off Information and a camera-based Active Lane Keeping Assist, and Active Brake Assist is standard. However, the van has no NHTSA or IIHS crash ratings and much of the ADAS is optional.

Standing room, rear climate and huge luggage space behind the benches make it good for long trips with many passengers. Rear amenities are utilitarian.

Its car-like controls and smooth 9-speed make it the easiest full-size van to drive daily, but its size and height make every trip deliberate.

The diesel economy is good for a van, but the premium price and diesel/DEF running costs make it an expensive commuter.

A 45-foot turning circle and a 96-inch-plus height rule out many garages, though the available 360-degree camera helps.

Up to 7,500 lb towing on 3500 models (5,000 lb on the 2500), payloads over 4,000 lb and boxes up to 533 cu ft make it a serious work tool. The standard-output diesel is modest under full load.

It's the fleet and ambulance benchmark with a long upfit history. Diesel emissions-system complexity tempers its reputation for hard use.

The ecosystem is excellent: the Master Upfitter program, cab-chassis and XD/4500 variants, D-ring and tie-down prep, and many wheelbase and roof combinations.

A 24.5-gal diesel tank gives roughly 450+ miles of range. Comfortable seats and the available DISTRONIC and lane-keeping make it a capable mile-eater for a van.

AWD is available (with the High Output diesel), there's a huge aftermarket, and the Sprinter dominates the Class B camper market. Clearance is limited and there's no low range.

The cavernous box, rear doors that open up to 270 degrees and a sliding side door swallow any gear. Bench seats are removable rather than folding.

Body control is the best of the full-size vans, but it's still a tall, heavy commercial vehicle.

The steering is light and predictable with decent on-center feel, but numb.

Four-wheel discs give strong, well-modulated braking even under load, and Active Brake Assist was updated for 2025.

The 9-speed shifts smoothly and quickly. The standard-output 168-hp diesel on the volume trim is slow when the van is loaded.

The four-cylinder diesel is audible under load but well isolated for a van.

Its long wheelbase gives it a turning circle well beyond the van band.

The tall, commanding seat and car-like controls are good, and the 2025 steering wheel adds capacitive controls. Front legroom is limited by the bulkhead.

Pleasant for a van, but it's an appliance to drive.

Every 2025 Sprinter comes with the turbodiesel, a 9-speed automatic, MBUX infotainment and a core driver-assist suite (Active Brake Assist, Crosswind Assist). Comfort and convenience features are mostly expensive option packages, though, and the base cargo van starts roughly $3K above a Transit with otherwise similar equipment.

The Sprinter carries a price premium over every rival. In return it offers the class's only diesel, the highest payload and GVWR ceiling (3500XD/4500), available AWD and very strong resale, which together recover much of that premium over the life of the van. Value is fair rather than a bargain.

It has the broadest lineup in the segment: 2500/3500/3500XD/4500 weight classes in cargo, crew, passenger and cab-chassis bodies, three roof heights, two wheelbases plus an extended body, two diesel outputs, RWD or AWD, and a separate eSprinter. That covers everything from a basic cargo van to a 15-passenger shuttle or a camper base.

At about 33,000 US units in 2025, the Sprinter sold well behind the Ford Transit, which dominates the segment. It was also down sharply from about 43,000 in 2024 as total Mercedes van volume slipped.

It wears the three-pointed star and is the default base for van-life conversions and luxury shuttles. That image keeps commercial and private buyers loyal and props up resale; no rival van has comparable aspirational appeal.

KBB transaction data shows buyers commonly paying several thousand dollars under sticker. With 2025 sales down and inventory building, dealers are negotiating and Mercedes is supporting finance/lease offers, though this is not fire-sale discounting.

The current VS30 generation launched in the US for model year 2019. The MY2024 update brought new diesel outputs and the 9G-Tronic and dropped the gas engine, and 2025 is a carry-over year. Seven model years into the generation, buyers face a redesign within the next few years.

Reviewers consistently praise it as the most refined, comfortable and capable van in the class, with strong diesel efficiency and upfit flexibility. Its high price and costly options often leave the Transit recommended as the better all-around value.