Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vs Ford Tourneo Custom

What's the difference?

Given the original Sprinter was released in 1995, it’s not surprising the current third-generation model feels like it’s benefitted greatly from decades of continuous refinement. Although the list price difference between our test vehicle and its closest Chinese rival is substantial, the 417 MWB Panel Van is hard to fault in terms of driver comfort, safety and all-round competence. It really is very good.

There’s absolutely no doubt that the van-based people-mover has some distinct advantages over a three-row SUV. The rear seat is bigger, access to it is far better and there’s more luggage space even when all eight seats are occupied. But the Tourneo goes a step or two further with the sliding, swivelling seats that make it one of the most practical and flexible interiors on the market.

True, the driving experience is a bit alien at first, but it’s a case of different, rather than worse. Meantime, the ride is excellent and the performance and economy from the turbo-diesel driveline are both absolutely spot on for this vehicle’s intended purpose.

And perhaps that’s the metaphor for the whole thing: By not trying to be something it’s not, and concentrating on what it needs to do, the Tourneo emerges as a bit of a quiet achiever.

As we said earlier, this type of vehicle concept is never a sure-fire proposition. Parcel vans converted to passenger duties haven’t always worked out. This time, though, it’s different.

The 417 MWB Panel Van rides on a 3665mm wheelbase (the shortest of three Sprinter wheelbases) and is almost 6.0 metres long (5932mm), more than 2.0 metres wide (2020mm) and stands almost 2.4 metres tall (2378mm). Its 12.4 metres kerb-to-kerb turning circle is impressively tight for a vehicle of this length.

It rides on simple and rugged MacPherson strut front suspension, with a robust live axle/leaf-spring arrangement under the tail. Steering is via rack and pinion and it has disc brakes all around.

Look beyond the optional silver metallic paint on our example and there’s extensive use of unpainted dark grey plastic on all the external surfaces where hard-working vans are most prone to wear and tear, including the hubcaps, front/rear bumpers, grille, door-handles/mirror shells and along the sides.

Its work-focused exterior styling is nicely integrated, combined with an equally neat and functional interior design that offers a visually-pleasing combination of patterned fabric seat-facings and hard surfaces that blend different shades of grey with splashes of satin chrome and piano black.

We also like the feel and response of mechanical switches (rather than touchscreen prompts) for adjusting settings like cabin temperature, fan speed and media volume.

Perhaps the biggest revision of the successful Transit Custom formula needed to make the leap from FedEx to Brady Bunch has been to the rear suspension. Where the Transit uses a leaf-sprung arrangement, the Tourneo has switched to coil rear springs. These technically offer much greater ride comfort at the expense of some load-carrying ability. Which is fine, even if your kids are the bigger variety.

The move to powered sliding side doors is a welcome one, but I found out the hard way that the doors will still open a fraction if you push the button while still travelling at low speed. Not sure why that would be, but at least the buttons in question are up front in Adult-Land, not within reach of you-know-who.

The reality is, too, that the Tourneo is destined to run with the air-con on any time you have bodes in the back. That’s because – like a lot of van conversions – there’s no opening side windows beyond the tiny, hinged windows that open an equally tiny amount. This has more to do with the Transit’s basic structure than any desire to oxygen-deprive the young `uns, but as any parent knows, a supply of fresh air on the move is sometimes the only thing between a happy day out and a clean up in Aisle five.

With its 2215kg kerb weight and 4100kg GVM, our test vehicle has a sizeable 1885kg payload rating.

It’s also rated to tow up to 2000kg of braked trailer and with its 6100kg GCM (or how it can legally carry and tow at the same time), that means it can tow its maximum trailer weight while hauling its maximum payload to ensure optimum versatility.

The cargo bay, which offers a cave-like 9.0 cubic metres of load volume and internal lighting front and rear, has internal dimensions of 3316mm length (with bulkhead), 1732mm width and 1719mm height.

So, with 1350mm between the rear wheel-housings, it can comfortably fit two standard 1165mm-square Aussie pallets or up to four 1200 x 800mm Euro pallets, held in place by a choice of 10 floor-mounted load-anchorage points.

The cargo bay is accessed through a single kerbside sliding door with a wide 1260mm opening, or symmetrical rear barn-doors with large handles on each pillar to assist operator access.

The barn-doors also have internal storage bins and open to a full 180-degrees to assist forklift and loading dock access. Thoughtfully, their hinge design also holds the doors firmly open at 180 degrees, to minimise the chance of wind gusts slamming them shut with potential injury to the operator.

There’s also plenty of cabin storage starting with two tiers of bins in each door, with the highest being spacious enough to hold large bottles.

There's also a deep shelf on the passenger side lower dash, a large lidded compartment in the central dash-pad and overhead shelves with lockable storage on the passenger side. Plus, the dash offers a total of eight cup/small-bottle holders.

The base cushion of the two-passenger bench seat is also hinged at the front, which allows it to tilt forward and provide access to a large hidden storage area beneath.

A crew of three can travel in relative comfort (for a commercial van that is) thanks to a central seating position that provides a sturdy hoop-handle for support, sufficient knee clearance from the dash even for tall people, and a reasonably flat and spacious floor area.

The cabin also features the latest next-gen 'MBUX' multimedia system with 10.25-inch touchscreen, which for the first time offers wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

There’s also digital radio and enhanced functionality including an optional navigation upgrade with seven years of map updates.

Here’s where a vehicle like this stands or falls. Because if something like a Tourneo can’t cope with lots of people and their luggage in a single bound, then there’s really not much point to it, is there? I mean you’re not going to buy it for its sporty looks or supercar dynamics, so unless it works brilliantly as family transport, it’s kind of dead in the water. Fortunately Ford seems to have got it right. Mostly, anyway.

That starts up front where the two front seats feel like they’re metres apart. In reality, this huge gap forms a walk-through function for getting access to anything or anyone misbehaving in the second or third row of chairs. But you can’t help wondering what if… What if Ford had ditched the stubby centre console and added a third front-row seat? Wouldn’t a nine-seater be better than eight?

But the seats themselves are comfy and the high-and-mighty driving position gives plenty of vision in every direction. With one exception. And that is when you’re pulling out of a side street on to a main road and need to see what’s coming from the left. Depending on the angle you’re on, the fat frame of the pop-out side window (in the sliding door) becomes a blind spot, especially for taller drivers.

There’s nothing irretrievably wrong with the way the controls are laid out, but they will take some acclimatisation. That goes for the menu system on the touchscreen as well as the column-mounted shifter wand which is about the same size and shape (and in the same place) as a conventional indicator stalk. Tip the lever accidentally and you’ll wind up in neutral, wondering what just happened. The manual-shift mode is also fiddly to use and paddle sifters would be vastly better. Most won’t bother anyway.

The front cabin is home to a shallow lidded bin in the centre console, a deeper bin below that and a couple of charge points. There are also cup-holders in great spots up high in the corner of the dashboard, a shelf across the top of the dashboard and no less than two gloveboxes (the top one is pretty shallow) thanks to moving the passenger’s airbag into the roof lining. Both front doors also feature bins and storage nooks but there’s a fair bit of hard plastic on show, surely a legacy of the Tourneo’s parcel-van DNA.

The Tourneo’s party trick is the way both the second and third rows of seats can be slid to almost any point on a pair of tracks in the floor. The move is simply accomplished via a lever at the front or a rip-cord in the back of the seats, and all three centre-row seats can be moved individually (the third row is split 60:40). The upshot is that you can have all three rows bunched together for a large luggage space, or the rear row pushed right back to form a rear row with huge legroom. Don’t need all eight seats? How about a second row with the two outside chairs in place and the centre one folded forward to expose a work-surface with built-in cupholders.

But it gets even better, because individual seats can be removed to suit the weirdest of loads and the second-row seats even swivel 180-degrees to form a loungeroom on wheels. The kids will be begging you to take them for a drive in this thing.

The seats fold forward, but they don’t tumble. They don’t need to really, and they don’t fold into a bed either. But if you fancy camping in the Tourneo, you can remove both rows of rear seats for a huge flat floor.

The second row is home to storage bins in each sliding door (yes, a door on each side) a pop-put window that opens only about 40mm, temperature controls, air vents and reading lights. The third row, meantime, is not only easily accessed provided the second row isn’t slid all the way back (at which point you wouldn’t be using the third row anyway) but the good news is that the rearmost seat itself is basically three bucket seats with the same comfort levels (high) as the second row. There are also reading lights and a pair of phone pockets and cup-holders in the last row, too. Only the way the track system works and the shape of the seat base means that foot-room is limited to an extent.

With all three rows in place, but pushed as far forward as they can go, there’s a long load area of up to 725mm. But you can also push the second and third rows all the way back and have a cargo area 2622mm long behind the front seats. Maybe the van DNA is a good thing after all.

With all eight seats in place, there’s a minimum of 673 litres of luggage space which can be expanded all the way to a monster 4683 litres with the second and third rows removed.

There’s also a 12-volt power socket and a lighting system in the back, too, although while the side doors are automatic, the tailgate is manual. And you’ll need plenty of real estate to open it, too. Even tall folk will hit the button to open the tailgate, start the strut-assisted opening and then take a step or two back to allow the huge tailgate to rise without clobbering them. An automatic tailgate where you hit the button and run away to a safe distance would be much nicer.

If ever the Average Aussie family has been in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis, it’s right now. With that in mind, we’ve chosen the entry level version of the Tourneo, the Active, for this review. At $65,990 before on-road costs, it’s not exactly cheap, but does come in a full $5000 less than the Titanium X version.

And it is pretty well equipped. That starts with 17-inch alloy wheels, 13-inch touchscreen and 12-inch driver information screen, Bluetooth, full connectivity including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, 10-speaker stereo, tri-zone climate control, automatic wipers, heated front windscreen, keyless entry and start, 10-way powered driver’s seat, heated and cooled front seats, and a pretty nice artificial leather covering for some of the touch-points.

In a continuation of an industry-wide trend that we wish would stop, only white is considered a standard, no-cost paint colour. Every other colour costs extra, but in 2025, should it?

If the budget will stretch the extra five grand, the Titanium X model adds body coloured bumpers, a 14-speaker stereo, a 360-degree camera system, ambient interior lighting, heated outboard seats in the second row, and extra areas of (better) artificial leather trim.

The (OM654) 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel, which meets Euro 6 emissions standards using AdBlue, produces 125kW of power at 3800rpm with peak torque of 400Nm served between 1700-2400rpm. The nine-speed torque converter automatic offers the choice of sequential manual-shifting using the steering wheel-mounted paddles.

Because the platform is (mostly) borrowed from the Transit Custom, you get the same driveline. That starts with a 2.0-litre turbo diesel, good for 125kW of power and a useful 390Nm of torque. It drives through a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission and then to the front wheels as a means of keeping the load floor as flat and low as possible.

Ford claims a 2500kg towing capacity with a braked trailer, but on a wet road or damp boat ramp, that’s really going to test the limits of the front wheel’s grip which can be overcome even in the dry if you’re too hasty with the throttle.

The biggest engineering change in the move from Transit Custom to Tourneo has been the switch from leaf springs on the former to coil springs and an independent suspension on the latter. This is all in the name of ride quality and recognises the fact that the Transit will often be called on to cart heavier loads than eight humans.

The dash display was claiming average combined consumption of 9.5L/100km when we stopped to refuel at the completion of our 281km test, of which about one third of that distance was hauling a heavy payload (see Driving).

Our own figure of 11.7 (based on actual fuel bowser and tripmeter figures) was higher but still reasonable economy for a vehicle in this GVM class in mostly urban use.

So, based on our own figures, you could expect a ‘real world’ driving range of around 800km from its 93-litre tank, which has been enlarged from 71 litres as part of the latest upgrades.

Ford quotes an official combined fuel consumption figure of 7.4 litres for the Tourneo. Over a few days of running in a pretty broad mix of urban and country work, we saw an average of 8.6 litres per 100km which is still pretty good for a vehicle of this size.

With the standard 70-litre fuel tank, that gives the Tourneo a theoretical combined range of around 900km between fills, but the real-world number says closer to 800km is more realistic.

Don’t forget, either, that running costs will be a little higher than some diesels, as the Tourneo requires AdBlue at regular intervals, in line with its Euro 6 emissions levels.

Large handles on the doors and overhead shelves assist climbing aboard and there’s enough adjustment in the well-bolstered seat and leather-rimmed steering wheel to find a comfortable position.

Driver views from all angles are excellent thanks to well-designed mirrors along with cameras supported by active aids like blind-spot monitoring etc.

The cabin, with its high roof relative to seat height, has a spacious and airy feel and all controls are reasonably intuitive and easy to reach.

Unladen ride quality is surprisingly supple for a vehicle with a 6.0-tonne-plus GCM rating, combined with excellent steering feel that strikes a fine balance between minimal turning effort at low speeds (for loading etc) and firm handling response at higher speeds.

The drivetrain is also energetic, pulling strongly and cleanly from 1000rpm even though its maximum torque is tapped higher in the 1700-2400rpm zone. The automatic transmission has admirable refinement, with near-seamless shifting between its nine ratios.

The Sprinter is also impressively quiet at speeds up to 80km/h. Tyre and wind noise (the latter mainly around the large door mirrors) naturally increase at highway speeds, but remain far from intrusive. And with the engine requiring less than 2000rpm to maintain 110km/h, it’s well-suited to highway work.

To test its load-carrying ability, we forklifted 1.3 tonnes into the cargo bay which with driver equalled a payload of 1.4 tonnes. That's still almost half a tonne less than its limit.

Not surprisingly, it handled this load with ease, as handling and braking were largely unaffected and the ride quality became smoother thanks to such a big increase in sprung weight. Even so, the rear springs only compressed about 30mm.

It easily conquered our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h with this load onboard, as the auto downshifted to fourth gear to tap maximum torque when hauling this load to the summit.

Engine-braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, wasn’t as robust but not unexpected given a 2.0-litre engine trying to restrain 1.4 tonnes of payload on a steep descent. Even so, the quartet of disc brakes efficiently kept speeds in check.

Overall, it was an impressive performance. However, we did note that the speed sign recognition function was not working for the duration of our test. And some welcome enhancements would be a driver’s left footrest and a fold-down inboard armrest for the driver’s seat, as fitted to its smaller Vito sibling.

If you haven’t driven a one-box van for a decade or more, you’re in for a treat. Just like the Transit Custom on which this car is based, the Tourneo represents a different experience to that of a conventional car or SUV, but one that is not without merit.

For a start, you sit very high which means a great view out across the traffic. And while the driving position is a little less laid-back than a modern car, once you get used to the almost square steering wheel, neither is it the dreaded sit-up-and-beg of older van designs.

The four-cylinder engine doesn’t make the Tourneo a fast vehicle, but it does give it lots of flexibility thanks to all that turbo-torque being available from just off idle. The eight-speed transmission helps, too, but the real surprise is just how quiet the Tourneo is when on a cruising setting. In fact, it’s almost uncanny how such a big, empty metal box could be so silent, but beyond a little tyre noise on coarse surfaces, the Ford pulls it off. As a result, it’s very relaxed and effortless feeling at freeway speeds.

The other surprise is how good the ride quality is. By swapping the cargo van’s leaf rear springs for coils, the Tourneo suddenly displays a very good match between the front and rear axles in terms of how they work to absorb bumps. You do still get some of the front-seat sensation that you’re sitting over the front axle, but it’s not terrible and the reality is that you simply sitting closer to the axle, not right over it.

For many drivers perhaps the over-riding impression will be of the vehicle’s external size. And, yes, it’s a long and wide piece of equipment, but at least the boxy shape means the corners are easy to place and the huge glass area and driver aids like parking sensors and blind-spot warnings help a lot in the daily cut and thrust.

Things are also improved by the fabulously small turning circle of 10.9m kerb-to-kerb (courtesy of the Transit’s role as an inner-city delivery van) that gives an agility the looks don’t suggest. But there’s a sense that the Tourneo is a little wider in the rear track than the front, as you’ll sometimes find the inside rear tyre finding the lips of roundabouts and suburban gutters.

Keeping the whole family safe is the name of the game here, so Ford has extended things like side-curtain airbags right through to the third row, thereby covering every outboard seating position. In fact, there are nine airbags all up, including a centre airbag between the front seat occupants.

Driver assistance programs include forward collision warning which incorporates the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) function, blind-spot monitoring and assistance, rear cross-traffic braking, active cruise-control, tyre pressure monitoring, lane-keeping assistance, front and rear parking sensors and traffic sign recognition.

The AEB works at any speed above 5km/h, and the pre-collision assist at speeds above 30km/h.

Both the second and third rows of seats feature a pair of ISOFIX child-restraint mounting points (for a total of four) while there are five top-tether restraint mounting points as well.

The Tourneo hasn’t been locally crash tested as per the safety-stars system, but the Transit Custom has been assessed overseas as part of a commercial van safety comparison which graded the vehicle at 96 per cent, the highest rating ever achieved by a van undertaking the test program in question.

Warranty is five years/250,000km whichever occurs first and includes a roadside assist support package.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/40,000km. Pay-as-you-go capped-pricing for the first five scheduled services totals $5905, or a pricey average of $1181 per year. Service plans are also available.

Ford offers its standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty on the Tourneo. Five years is fair enough, but can’t match the seven years or even more that some of the competition offer. It‘s worth noting, however, that the warranty does match many of the makes and models that will be the Ford’s natural enemies.

Service intervals are 12 months or a very long 30,000km, but it’s unlikely many families will clock up 30,000km in a 12-month period, anyway. There’s no word on capped-price servicing yet, but the mechanically similar Transit Custom has a service plan that limits the cost of each of the first four services to around $500.

The biggest additional running cost for the Tourneo will be the AdBlue additive to control emissions. How frequently you need to top up will be determined by what type of driving you do.