Ford vs Mercedes | Movie in the Making?

As I mentioned in earlier post, we picked up our 2021 Ford Transit Hi Roof EL WB Cargo AWD Van in mid-December 2021. So, why Ford versus Mercedes? To be honest, when we started planning in early 2021, I really had my heart set on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 170 High Roof 4x4 Cargo van. Seriously, I was all in. But, the more we read and researched, the more I started leaning into the Transit, and ultimately, that is what we ordered!

While there are many reasons why people will chose a Transit or a Sprinter, I will share with you the main reasons that drove us to ordering the Transit-

Cost: The MSRP for the 2021 Transit starts at $35020 while the 2021 Mercedes Sprinter MSRP starts at $37585. So, you are talking about a $2500 difference before customizations and other costs like delivery fees, which typically puts both of these vans in the $50-60K range. One very important factor for us was our eligibility to use the Ford X-Plan discount offered through our employer who participates in Ford's supplier discount program, which was a discount of $3500. And at the time of purchase, Ford offered another $1000 rebate, and so right up front we saved a minimum of $7000 going with the Transit.

Roof Height: We wanted to maximize height to accommodate my height and the addition of flooring and paneling, and the Transit wins here! The Hi Roof Transit interior standing height is 81.5" versus the Mercedes Sprinter interior height of 77.8". When you plan to travel and live in this van, every inch matters! If you want to see a great comparison of overall dimensions for these vans, Sara and Alex James offer a great discussion here:

Mercedes Sprinter vs Ford Transit | BEST VAN FOR VAN LIFE — Sara & Alex James - Custom Crafted Vans (saraandalexjames.com)

Service & Maintenance: All things considered, this was probably the biggest differentiator for us. Ford F-150 trucks are built on the the same line as Transit vans. A dealer selling F-150 and servicing F-150 trucks should be able to service the Transit. In the US, Ford has about 3000 service dealerships compared to about 380 dealerships for Mercedes (as of April 2021). We want to make sure we could access a dealer if and when needed, and in general, the costs to maintain and parts should be cheaper than the Mercedes.

EcoBoost AWD vs 4x4: We were very excited to see Ford offer the EcoBoost in AWD for the Transit, as we had a preference for AWD versus 4x4 based on how we plan to use our van. We will let you know if we run into any issues, but so far, so good!

ourkaravan.com has a great article comparing 4 wheel drive in Sprinter and Transit vans.

We have also purchased several components from AVC Rig for our van build, and they offer a great discussion on why they have chosen the Ford Transit as their van platform for build-outs. They share similar sentiments as we do about the Transit, and I highly recommend you watch this video "Why the FORD TRANSIT?" https://youtu.be/HF_Zr2xoU8o

Good luck in choosing the right van for you!