Compare the2026 Ford Transit VanVS 2026 Mercedes Sprinter Cargo Van

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Transit 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 Cargo Van doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Transit 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 Cargo Van.

Equipped with a front camera washer, the Ford Transit Van’s optional 360-Degree Camera delivers all-weather visibility, while the Mercedes Sprinter Cargo Van lacks a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

Both the Transit Van and the Sprinter Cargo 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 and rear cross-path warning.

The Transit 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 Cargo Van.

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

There are over 7 times as many Ford dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Transit Van’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. With 17 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Ford higher than Mercedes.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 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 With 35 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Ford higher than Mercedes.

The Transit Van’s optional 3.5 turbo V6 produces 92 more horsepower (300 vs. 208) and 68 lbs.-ft. more torque (400 vs. 332) than the Sprinter Cargo Van’s 2.0 turbo diesel.

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

The Transit 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 Cargo Van doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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

The Transit Van stops much shorter than the Sprinter Cargo Van:

For better traction, the Transit Van has larger standard tires than the Sprinter Cargo Van (235/65R16 vs. 215/85R16).

The Transit Van Trail’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 75 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sprinter Cargo Van 3500/4500’s standard 85 series tires.

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

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

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Transit Van is 1.1 inches wider in the front than the track on the Sprinter Cargo Van.

For better maneuverability, the Transit Van’s turning circle is tighter than the Sprinter Cargo Van’s:

The Transit Van is shorter than the Sprinter Cargo Van, making the Transit Van easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces:

The Transit Van is 15.6 inches shorter in height than the Sprinter Cargo Van, making the Transit Van much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The Transit T-150 Regular has 2.4 inches more front legroom and .5 inches more front shoulder room than the Sprinter Cargo Van 2500 144” WB.

The Transit T-150 Long has 2.4 inches more front legroom and .5 inches more front shoulder room than the Sprinter Cargo Van 2500 170” WB High Roof.

The Transit T-250 Long-EL has .2 inches more front headroom, 2.4 inches more front legroom and .5 inches more front shoulder room than the Sprinter Cargo Van 2500 170” WB EXT High Roof.

The Transit Van’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Sprinter Cargo Van’s (5100 vs. 5000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Mercedes Sprinter Cargo Van 3500 is only 7500 pounds. The Transit Van offers up to a 6900 lbs. towing capacity.

The Transit Van has a higher standard payload capacity than the Sprinter Cargo Van:

To help each driver find a more comfortable driving position, the Transit Van has a telescoping steering wheel. Much better than just a tilt steering wheel or adjustable seat, this allows a short driver to sit further from the steering wheel while maintaining contact with the pedals. The Sprinter Cargo Van doesn’t offer a telescoping steering wheel.

The Transit Van’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Sprinter Cargo 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 Van’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Sprinter Cargo Van doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Transit 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 Cargo Van doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

The Ford Transit outsold the Mercedes Sprinter by over four to one during 2025.