2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Passenger Van Performance

The Sprinter Passenger Van will only ever be expected to carry between 12 and 15 people and a few of their belongings, and perhaps do some light towing work, which places a lower expectation on overall performance: as long as it can carry its load at legal speeds, the job is done. Mercedes-Benz offers the Sprinter Passenger Van with three engine options. The first is a force-fed four-cylinder gas engine producing 188 horsepower, which might not sound like a lot, but it delivers its 258 lb-ft of torque low down in the range. In this configuration, the Sprinter Passenger Van feels plucky enough for some light work and can keep up with traffic in town without issue, even when loaded with people. Out on the highway, it's a different matter: the Sprinter takes a long time to build up speed.

The 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel offers a little less power but a little more torque than the gas engine and substantially better economy. The high-output version of this engine produces 208 hp and adds more torque, and in this guise feels fast enough, and has enough low-down power to get most jobs done without a hiccup. The maximum towing capacity is 5,000 pounds.

Powering the 2023 Mercedes Sprinter Passenger Van is a trio of capable engines that get the job done. After all, when looking for a passenger van, the only thing that matters is that it can move at a reasonable pace. The base engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gas engine producing 188 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Power is adequate, but traveling at higher speeds is an issue.

The standard-output four-cylinder diesel engine produces 168 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. For those who need to carry extra weight or tow goods at the back, the better option is the high-output 2.0-liter turbo-diesel, which produces 208 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. That adds even more pulling power. Power is sent to the rear via a nine-speed transmission on all models. The SWB van can also be specified with a 4Matic AWD system when equipped with the standard-output diesel.

Due to its classification as a van, the EPA doesn't offer any official gas mileage figures for the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Passenger Van. However, we can glean some idea of gas mileage based on real-world reports. The mid-level 2500 with the 2.0-liter diesel will return around 17-18 mpg, and a small sample of 2500s with the smaller gas engine only saw average consumption of 14-16 mpg. The smaller diesel can get closer to 20 mpg, but as with any van, gas mileage depends on how heavily loaded the vehicle is.

The base 1500 SWB model with the gas engine has a 22-gallon tank, so assuming it gets around 15 mpg, that works out to a range of around 330 miles. The tank size is 24.5 gallons with the diesel engines, so the 2500 with the diesel could theoretically travel 440 miles between refills.