Mercedes Sprinter van wins top honours in Canadian lowest cost of ownership study
by Dan Ilika
Won all three categories it entered in 2013 Vincentric Best Fleet Value in Canada awards
TORONTO—Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc. says its full-size van offering has been named tops in its segment for lowest total cost of ownership, getting the nod for the fourth year in a row.
The brand long synonymous with style and class in North America is continuing to cement itself as a top choice for fleet buyers, with its Sprinter lineup of vans winning its fourth Vincentric Best Fleet Value in Canada award.
Available in Canada for 10 years under the Mercedes three-point star, the boxy van with deep roots in Europe took home top honours in all three segments it competed in, winning the full-size three-quarter and one-ton cargo van classes, as well as the full-size three-quarter ton passenger van category.
According to Mercedes, its the second year in a row the van has won all the categories it entered.
The Sprinter beat out competitors from General Motors, Ford and Nissan.
The life cycle cost analysis methodology used to score the entrants took into account all major ownership and operating costs of a vehicle, including depreciation, fuel costs, insurance, maintenance, repairs, financing and fees and taxes.
The Sprinter beat out the competition despite having the highest acquisition model in the study.
“Car buyers often focus on a vehicle’s price and how that translates into monthly loan payments. However, our analysis of the Canadian heavy duty van market demonstrated the importance of understanding all ownership costs,” Vincentric president David Wurster said in a statement.
“The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is a perfect example of the value in analyzing total cost of ownership. Although the Sprinter has a higher acquisition cost than its competitors, its best-in-class fuel costs and low depreciation resulted in a lower total ownership cost overall.”
The three-quarter ton Sprinter cargo van that won its segment has a starting price of $42,900, while the one-ton entrant starts at $49,300.
Other Vincentric fleet award winners include: the Ford Transit Connect XLT for the mini cargo van class; the Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana 1500 for the half-ton cargo van segment; the Ford F-150 and F-250 XL regular cab trucks for the half-ton and three-quarter ton heavy duty pickup classes, respectively; and the Ram 3500 Tradesman regular cab for the one-ton heavy duty pickup segment.
