I drove them all, money was no object, I chose the PM over the Transit and Sprinter:
FWD: Better handling, more efficient, better traction
Diesel: Good balance of power to efficiency, nice power band, not overly loud.
Transmission: I have been driving a manual transmission since I was sixteen; gave up a manual tranny Nissan Frontier to get a PM, so I like to be in control and "feel" the ride. I love the PM single auto manual, it is my favorite tranny of all time, it gives the option of being an auto, it'll downshift for me in to turns and when coming to stops, but I can still shift when I want.
Appearance: I think the PM is the best looking of the "four" big vans, but looks don't really count...
RideQuality: Well, the PM lost the ride quality when new BUT since I removed the secondary springs it is riding with the best.
Size: Okay, which van comes in a short (118") wheelbase? Yup, Mercedes ditched their shorty, Ford didn't see the need, so it was Fiat/Ram who made it happen. I love my PM 118", it is right sized for my needs.
The little things: Interior lights that time out. Comfortable seating. Wide enough to sleep crossways. Low load height. Good front end ground clearance. Powerful brakes. Good combo of tow and haul. Excellent headlights and fog lights. Easy to use controls. Powerful heat/AC. Reasonable pricing.
I think the PM is for people who like to drive and use their vehicle like a truck. If you want car like performance, then the Sprinter or the Transit will be preferred.
Magazine writers are in the business of making money for their magazine, so of course they favored Ford (domestic) with a big budget for advertising, over Mercedes (Foreign) and Ram (Foreign and small taters).
My buddy's Sprinter is down with EGR valve issues