Full-Size Van Shopping

bbetv

Can anyone help? I am not car savvy, and I am trying to determine which cars would suit my needs in order to compare...
I need 8+ passengers and would prefer 10 , but I do not like the Sprinter reviews (acceleration on highway, rear wheel drive-harsh Canadian winters- and stability). I would rather not get a 12 or 15 passenger, but 12 would be something that I would consider.

hansienna

Drive a Sprinter and decide for yourself. DaimlerChrysler vehicles are consistently badmouthed by CR and Edmunds testers who don't like them.
The Sprinter does not handle like a sports car but neither do any other 10 or more passenger vans and they guzzle fuel while the Sprinter is relatively frugal on fuel consumption.

bbetv

Thanks for your input, I think I will schedule a test-drive. It really does seem to be the best suited for my needs.

garandman

How much do you drive? We've had (and have) Ford and Chevy vans. Currently we have an Express.

The cost of ownership is very much higher for the Sprinter - unless you drive a lot of miles. Fuel costs are low and the form factor is more convenient for many. It's generally much easier to resell a diesel with a lot of miles. I believe the Ford is available as a diesel - not sure about Express.

When we looked at the Sprinter, the nearest dealer turned out to nearly 30 miles away. The salesperson stated that they were in short supply and that basically I should expect to pay MSRP - which was about $10,000 more than the Express we purchased. The Express is getting 15-17 mpg on average, so factoring in the higher cost of diesel fuel (and higher mpg) the break-even was around 200,000 miles - if maintenance costs were equal, which they are not.

cpsdarren

Thumbs up for the Sprinter's standard 3-point seatbelts and head restraints in all seating positions in the passenger models plus stability control standard on some trims since its inception. So, even a used Sprinter has some class-leading occupant safety features.

I'd be wary of an Express 1500 for a family without the ESC option available in the last few years. The high rollover risk and tip in the government test will be made worse by a full load of passengers

charles23

They will take our 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager that is currently running fine for a trade in of $1500.00. According to Kelley Blue Book it's worth $2,650.00 as a trade in. They'll sell us the new to us 2002 for $9890 minus a trade in of $1500.00 and with tax, tags, fees the grand total is $9,086.00. We started out with the price of the van as $10,999.

This includes an "AS IS" purchase w/ 1 month, 1000 mile warranty w/ a 50/50 payment if something happens in this time frame. If we want to buy a warranty it'll be 3/36,000 for $1595.00 and covers many different things.

Would you purchase this or not?

Thanks!

minicoopers

Does anyone know which vehicles, if any, use the same V-6 diesel, V-6 gas, and transmission as the Sprinter? Would like a true 5-speed stick to be available with these little motors.

MINI

minicoopers

No.
You've already got a used van so I don't see why you need another one. With all the rebates going on perhaps you should buy new?

hansienna

I agree with minicoopers....You currently own a used van, your van runs well and you know it. WHY trade a van you know for a "pig in a poke"?

Once any vehicle gets 6 years old, there may be as many problems on it as one that is 20 years old. :shades:

santoman

it has a rear air that runs off the engine--i'm in texas and wonder if it will cool ok around 60 deg or cooler--any help would be appreciated