van chassis compared

• The Transit offers a Mid-Roof option for people that don’t need as much interior height.

• There are extended body versions of all vans. The longest Promaster is 20’10”. The longest Transit is 22’2”. The longest Sprinter is 24’.

• The Transit and Sprinter have an All Wheel Drive option that is not available on Promasters. Promasters are Front Wheel Drive only.

• The Promaster has one engine option - The 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine that provides 276 horsepower and 250lb-ft of torque. The Promaster has a 9 speed transmission.

• The Transit offers two engine options - A base 3.5L PFDI V6 engine that provides 275 horsepower and 260lb-ft of torque and a 3.5L Ecoboost V6 engine that provides 310 horsepower and 400lb-ft of torque. The Transit has a 10 speed transmission.

• The Sprinter offers two engines. A standard 2.0L 4 cylinder diesel that provides 170 horsepower and 295lb-ft of torque and a High Output 2.0L diesel that provides 211 horsepower and 332lb-ft of torque. The Sprinter has a 9 speed transmission.

• The Sprinter AWD offers the highest ground clearance available from the factory at 8 inches. The Promaster, Transit and RWD Sprinter are at about 6.5 inches of ground clearance.

Ram Dealerships - 2,500 | Ford Dealerships - 3,000 | Mercedes Dealerships - 380

In our experience we prefer the living area of the Promaster to the Transit and Sprinter for the wider floor and more squared off walls. But this is a personal preference. Either the FWD Promaster or RWD Transit and Sprinter will be just fine for most people. The AWD Transit or Sprinter would be worth looking into if you know you do a lot of winter camping.

Do you need AWD or 4x4?

For most people? Probably not. The front wheel drive Promaster or rear wheel drive versions of the Transit or Sprinter will be fine for most use cases. If you know you are going to push the limits of the roads a van can go down then you may want the AWD option. Just keep in mind these are large vehicles that are not designed for real off roading regardless.

When it comes to AWD vans, many immediately think of the Sprinter, but it's not the most capable option. The Transit's AWD system outperforms even the now-discontinued "4x4" Sprinter. This is because the Sprinter's "4x4" system wasn't truly a 4x4 system—it was essentially Mercedes' outdated switchable AWD system, requiring a full stop to engage. While the Sprinter boasts higher factory ground clearance compared to the Transit, its AWD capabilities fall short.

The "4x4" Sprinter can only allocate up to 33% of power to the front wheels when engaged, whereas the Transit AWD system can direct up to 100% of power to the front wheels. Additionally, the Sprinter's open differential means it loses effectiveness when tires start slipping, whereas the Transit offers an available limited-slip differential, crucial for maintaining traction and power in challenging conditions.

The new Sprinter AWD model can now distribute 50% of power to the front wheels but still features an open differential.