Compare the2024 Ford Transit Passenger VanVS 2024 Mercedes Sprinter Passenger Van

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Transit Passenger Van are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Sprinter Passenger Van doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Transit Passenger Van offers an optional Reverse Brake Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Sprinter Passenger Van doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Transit Passenger Van’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Sprinter Passenger Van.

Both the Transit Passenger Van and the Sprinter Passenger Van have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Transit Passenger Van comes with free roadside assistance for 5 years 60,000 miles. Ford will send help if you run out of gas, need a jump-start, lock your keys in or need any assistance on the road. Mercedes doesn’t give free roadside assistance for the Sprinter Passenger Van.

The Transit Passenger Van’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Sprinter Passenger Van runs out after 100,000 miles.

There are almost 8 times as many Ford dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Transit Passenger Van’s warranty.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Transit Passenger Van has a standard 250-amp alternator (500-amp - Transit Passenger Van optional). The Sprinter Passenger Van’s 220-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Transit Passenger Van’s reliability 20 points higher than the Sprinter Passenger Van.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in long-term dependability. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Mercedes is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 7 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The Transit Passenger Van’s optional 3.5 turbo V6 produces 99 more horsepower (310 vs. 211) and 68 lbs.-ft. more torque (400 vs. 332) than the Sprinter Passenger Van’s 2.0 turbo diesel.

The Transit Passenger Van’s optional fuel tank has 6.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sprinter Passenger Van (31 vs. 24.5 gallons).

The Transit Passenger Van has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Sprinter Passenger Van doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Transit Passenger Van, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the Sprinter Passenger Van.

The Transit Passenger Van’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Sprinter Passenger Van are solid, not vented.

The Transit Passenger Van’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sprinter Passenger Van’s standard 75 series tires.

The Transit Passenger Van has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Sprinter Passenger Van’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The front suspension of the Transit Passenger Van uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the Sprinter Passenger Van, which uses leaf springs. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Transit Passenger Van’s wheelbase is 4 inches longer than on the Sprinter Passenger Van 2500 144” WB (148 inches vs. 144 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Transit 350 Long’s turning circle is 4.2 feet tighter than the Sprinter Passenger Van 2500 170” WB’s (47.8 feet vs. 52 feet).

The Transit 350 Long Low Roof is 3 feet, 2.8 inches shorter than the Sprinter Passenger Van 2500 170” WB, making the Transit Passenger Van easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Transit Passenger Van is 20.4 inches shorter in height than the Sprinter Passenger Van, making the Transit Passenger Van much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The Transit 350 Long has 2.4 inches more front legroom and .5 inches more front shoulder room than the Sprinter Passenger Van 2500 170” WB.

The Transit 350 Long’s cargo area provides more volume than the Sprinter Passenger Van 1500 144” WB.

The Transit 350 Long’s cargo area provides more volume than the Sprinter Passenger Van 2500 170” WB.

The Transit 350HD Long-EL’s cargo area provides more volume than the Sprinter Passenger Van 2500 170” WB.

While the Sprinter Passenger Van 15-Passenger is not recommended to tow, any Transit Passenger Van can tow a minimum of 4400 pounds.

The Transit Passenger Van has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Sprinter Passenger Van (3494 vs. 3307 lbs.).

The Transit Passenger Van offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The Sprinter Passenger Van doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Transit Passenger Van’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Sprinter Passenger Van has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Transit Passenger Van’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Sprinter Passenger Van doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

Intelligent Access optional on the Transit Passenger Van allows you to unlock the driver’s door, cargo door and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before loading groceries, getting in the vehicle in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The Mercedes Sprinter Passenger Van’s Keyless-Start doesn’t unlock the doors or the cargo door.

The Transit Passenger Van’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Sprinter Passenger Van’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Transit Passenger Van’s optional rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Sprinter Passenger Van doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

The Transit Passenger Van XLT has a standard center folding armrest for the middle row passengers. A center armrest helps make middle row passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Sprinter Passenger Van doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

The Transit Passenger Van’s optional Enhanced Active Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Sprinter Passenger Van doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Ford Transit outsold the Mercedes Sprinter by almost two to one during 2022.