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73 Posts
Hello folks,
I am a current owner of a 2004 Sprinter with 680,000 miles and no major repairs yet. I do all the maintenance and repairs myself, trying to stay as far away as possible from Stealerships. I drive it all over the US very conservatively and I averaged 26+ calculated MPG since I bought it. I love the van and I wish it would last forever, but sooner or later something major will let go and it would not be economical to fix any more.
If money would not be an issue, I would replace it with a new 4 cyl Sprinter just because my experience with them has been superb. But, I am a cheap a$$, so why spend 50k when I can get something else cheaper that does the same thing?
I am considering only diesels since I drive close to 100k a year and the better fuel mileage works in my advantage, even though diesel costs more, as well as the maintenance (I have done the calculations and I have the numbers to prove it.) Plus, I have been driving some kind of diesel or another since I was 18 and I just love the sound of a diesel engine and the low rpm torque that they produce.
Even though I regard the ProMaster as the ugliest of the three (Sprinter, Transit and ProMaster), the 4 cylinder and the automated manual of the ProMaster appeal to me more than what the Transit has to offer. BTW, I would buy any of the three if they would bring a true manual transmission to the states. But unfortunately, I believe that they will never do, so the automated manual is the closest to a manual. I still have a few concerns about the ProMaster as well as the Transit because the diesel version of both is relatively new to the US market and we just don't know if all the bugs have been worked out yet. Also, I am a do-it-yourself-er and the small hood of the ProMaster doesn't give me much confidence that I can do much more than changing the oil without pulling the engine out.
So basically, I am here to find out as much as I can from diesel ProMaster owners that when my Sprinter gives its last breath I have enough info to just go and get a replacement.
Thank you all in advance.
Chip.
I am a current owner of a 2004 Sprinter with 680,000 miles and no major repairs yet. I do all the maintenance and repairs myself, trying to stay as far away as possible from Stealerships. I drive it all over the US very conservatively and I averaged 26+ calculated MPG since I bought it. I love the van and I wish it would last forever, but sooner or later something major will let go and it would not be economical to fix any more.
If money would not be an issue, I would replace it with a new 4 cyl Sprinter just because my experience with them has been superb. But, I am a cheap a$$, so why spend 50k when I can get something else cheaper that does the same thing?
I am considering only diesels since I drive close to 100k a year and the better fuel mileage works in my advantage, even though diesel costs more, as well as the maintenance (I have done the calculations and I have the numbers to prove it.) Plus, I have been driving some kind of diesel or another since I was 18 and I just love the sound of a diesel engine and the low rpm torque that they produce.
Even though I regard the ProMaster as the ugliest of the three (Sprinter, Transit and ProMaster), the 4 cylinder and the automated manual of the ProMaster appeal to me more than what the Transit has to offer. BTW, I would buy any of the three if they would bring a true manual transmission to the states. But unfortunately, I believe that they will never do, so the automated manual is the closest to a manual. I still have a few concerns about the ProMaster as well as the Transit because the diesel version of both is relatively new to the US market and we just don't know if all the bugs have been worked out yet. Also, I am a do-it-yourself-er and the small hood of the ProMaster doesn't give me much confidence that I can do much more than changing the oil without pulling the engine out.
So basically, I am here to find out as much as I can from diesel ProMaster owners that when my Sprinter gives its last breath I have enough info to just go and get a replacement.
Thank you all in advance.
Chip.