[FlyingVan]

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.

 

[Vale72]

I live in Europe but I own a little company in Usa. If you take a look to the Dekra site you can find out the reliability report about the euro vans. The Ducato since 2006 result more reialible than the Sprinter you own and more reialible than the Transit. The Promaster is essentially a Ducato Maxi (the heavy duty version of the Ducato x250) . Considering that it's in production since 2006, it's the most proven platform of the three contenders. The Ram Promaster is built in Mexico using components coming from Italy.
The project is rational : being FWD it's the most space efficient van on the market.
A complaint is the driving position, that is almost vertical, but once you're used to it's dominant and very comfortable also on long distances. Nobody in Europe is disappointed by that , but we're used to this kind of vehicles.
The quality of the vehicle is demonstrated by the 2015 Ducato, that's essentially a facelift of the previous.
The only big issues on the Promaster maybe in the engines.
Both the Pentastar and the FTP diesel are very proven and strong engines, but the first has never been used on the Ducato platform and the second has been used on the Ducato since 2006, but they have had problems to meet the Usa pollution rules.
I have a very reialible Ducato in Italy, but I think to wait a bit to buy a Ram Promaster diesel in USA, because there are some electronic bugs to resolve and the dealers seems to be not ready the fix those issues. A couple of months and the Promaster diesel will be as profitable and reialible as in Europe .

 

[GrassHopper]

I could imagine 20k could get u new engine rebuild and new trans in your current sprinter, another 5k u could do some body work.

bottom line 25k you could rebuild that sprinter basically from a to z

Aftermarket parts prices is a plus and just the availability in those that makes difference.

 

[FlyingVan]

I could imagine 20k could get u new engine rebuild and new trans in your current sprinter, another 5k u could do some body work.

bottom line 25k you could rebuild that sprinter basically from a to z

Aftermarket parts prices is a plus and just the availability in those that makes difference.

Hi GrassHopper, I remember your name from EO.

I see what you are saying, but to be honest, I don't think I want to invest that kind of money on a vehicle with 3/4 million miles. Plus, mine is the low roof version (I know, I should have gotten the long and tall, but when I bought it I was a rookie and I thought it was good enough). This time around I want a vehicle that I can stand up straight in it without touching the roof (I am 6'2" tall).

Another option would be to find a low miles Sprinter like mine if I can find one for a good price.

 

[FlyingVan]

I live in Europe but I own a little company in Usa. If you take a look to the Dekra site you can find out the reliability report about the euro vans. The Ducato since 2006 result more reialible than the Sprinter you own and more reialible than the Transit. The Promaster is essentially a Ducato Maxi (the heavy duty version of the Ducato x250) . Considering that it's in production since 2006, it's the most proven platform of the three contenders. The Ram Promaster is built in Mexico using components coming from Italy.
The project is rational : being FWD it's the most space efficient van on the market.
A complaint is the driving position, that is almost vertical, but once you're used to it's dominant and very comfortable also on long distances. Nobody in Europe is disappointed by that , but we're used to this kind of vehicles.
The quality of the vehicle is demonstrated by the 2015 Ducato, that's essentially a facelift of the previous.
The only big issues on the Promaster maybe in the engines.
Both the Pentastar and the FTP diesel are very proven and strong engines, but the first has never been used on the Ducato platform and the second has been used on the Ducato since 2006, but they have had problems to meet the Usa pollution rules.
I have a very reialible Ducato in Italy, but I think to wait a bit to buy a Ram Promaster diesel in USA, because there are some electronic bugs to resolve and the dealers seems to be not ready the fix those issues. A couple of months and the Promaster diesel will be as profitable and reialible as in Europe .

Exactly what I am thinking. Rams might be rebadged Ducatos, and I don't worry about the reliability of the actual diesel engine, but when they stick on it all those emission reduction components for the USA they become a different animal altogether.

Hopefully my Sprinter will keep on ticking for another year or two, and by then all the bugs will have been worked out.