Sprinters are a whole new world...well to the US anyhows...
You should read up on the history of them and get that North American diesel out of your head...ya get some bad habits...*LOL*
If you are going to get a Sprinter it is a love to hate relationship..*L*
Yea I gotta quit sniffing that stuff! Lol.
I have been doing a lot of research. One of the things that disturbs me about the new vs what you drive is this. Yours at a 158" wheel base has a 14' cargo bed with a 3300 # payload. Getting 20 to 24 mpg. I think it is 4" shorter in height, thus the weight difference on the new 170" wb 14' cargo bed with a 3005 # payload and 188 HP 6 cyl vs yours at I think 154 HP 5 cyl. At 18 to 20 mpg. And the new ones I think are wider at the wheel wells at 53". So while there are similarities, there are major differences. Then you have Dennis that throws a monkey wrench in and screws me up just when I had my mind made up.
Here's sum fuzzy math on fuel, 50000 miles / 18 mpg = 2777.78 gal x 4.00 per = $11111.11
50000 miles / 12.8 = 3906.25 x $3.50 = $13671.88 - 11111.11 = $2560.77
50000 miles / 13.5 = 3703.70 x 3.50 = $12962.96 - 11111.11 =$1851.85 a little more tolerable difference but at 500k miles is a difference of $18517.50. Almost half of the cost of a new sprinter.
So while that part of the economics favors the sprinter, from what I gather, Maintaince cost could possibly close that gap. Maybe not entirely but probably by half.
Then you add the greater payload capability of Dennis's van, does that greater ability provide more load opportunity to offset the remaining difference?
And now he's talking about all those changes, if they give him just another 1 mpg, that could be a game changer.
Ya see why my head is spinning?
It's all Dennis's fault.lol
Your best bet, hire a vet! Please.