One of the more challenging decisions you have to make when you have 6 kids is finding the best large family car that is comfortable for everyone to ride in and also gets decent gas mileage. We spent a lot of time researching cars that would work for us, and truth be told- there aren't a lot of options out there- especially if you want seating for more than 8 people! We bought our first Mercedes Sprinter 10 years ago- and it was really a perfect choice for our large family!
This “Mommy-bus” comes equipped to handle 12 passengers- which means my kids plus four soccer teammates! Even super-sized SUVs wouldn't give me the option of carpooling- so that is a huge plus for us!
And what's really cool- it's that it is very tall.
You can completely stand up in it- so when you are cruising down the highway on a 12-hour road trip to Grandma's, and the DVD player in the back row stops working- you can just unbuckle from that front passenger seat and stroll right down the aisle to the back of the bus and render some technical assistance- without all of that cumbersome stooping and climbing over seats!
And just look at that driver's seat…. is that luxury or what? 18-wheelers everywhere will be jealous of your faux-leather interior and your heated seats!
And you can just forgo that gym membership- your biceps will be toned and buff from the workout involved in sliding that 10,000 lb door back and forth countless times each day… dropping kids off and picking them up. (No wimpy automatic sliding door for you- no sir!)
Ahh…. just take a look- is that a jetliner?
No- that is the four, yes count them, four rows of luxury seating- enough to seat 10 passengers behind the front row! Each of the rows has the same amount of legroom- unlike many 8 passenger SUVs where the third row is tight and cramped.
This is so important as your kids grow up- you can't fit lanky teens in the third row of many of those cars!
And would you just look at the cargo space! Seriously- we could almost LIVE in this car!
But all kidding aside- this truly is the best large family car!
I truly love my Mercedes Sprinter passenger van. After 10 years we have taken dozens and dozens of long-distance road trips- putting nearly 200,000 miles on it. And this fall we traded it in for a new model because we knew we would use it for at least another 10 years!
It gets excellent gas mileage- 20-21 miles/gallon. It has a diesel engine and currently diesel fuel is more expensive than regular unleaded gasoline, but over the course of owning this car, there have been times that diesel fuel has been cheaper than gasoline.
I do not need a special type of driver's license to drive my Sprinter, it is considered a regular passenger vehicle. And it really is not very hard to drive or park (except maybe parallel parking).
It is tall- 9 ft 6″- which means that I cannot drive it on many of the parkways in the Northeast because of low bridge clearances. And I cannot take it through many fast-food drive-thru windows, again because of the low clearances.
And sometimes when I am driving in windy conditions- the tall profile of this van leads to “shimmying” as I drive- which is something to keep in mind.
And no, it does not have bunk beds or a toilet in it (as so many people stop to ask me).
Why is the Sprinter right for us?
The reason we bought this car a few years ago was because when we jumped from 5 to 6 kids we could no longer fit in my old mini-van and the only option in a “standard” type of car was of the Suburban/Tahoe sized range- and all of our kids were still in car seats or booster seats at that time.
Even those large vehicles couldn't handle running 3 car seats or boosters seats across each of 2 rows and leave enough room for kids to easily reach down and buckle their own seat belts (which was a requirement of mine!).
So we really felt that our best option was to start looking into full-sized passenger vans and after doing quite a bit of research- we felt that the Sprinter (a Chrysler product back then, but now exclusively a Mercedes product) offered the best price, the best fuel economy, and the best options for “extras” such as heated seats of any of the full-sized passenger vans on the market at the time.
Now some people hear the label “Mercedes” and assume that I am driving an uber-luxury car, but that just isn't the case. This is really part of their truck division- and it is much more of a very nice truck than a luxury SUV- and at half the price of those decked-out 8 passenger SUVs.
I really do love my Sprinter van- and feel that is is the best large family car on the market!
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Joe says
Hello
We have five kids so I have looked off and on at sprinters. Our current minivan is not cutting it. How has the reliability and cost of maintenance been? Parts are expensive. Mercedes is notorious for being expensive and time consuming to repair or maintain so I was wondering if that translated to the Sprinter. Sometimes that outweighs the benefits it may offer.
Thanks.
Joe
Sharon Rowley says
We put nearly 200,000 miles on our last Sprinter van before it we traded it in. We started having more expensive maintenance issues with it after about 150,000 miles- before that it was all very reasonable.
Kate says
We are a family of 6 (+ a golden retriever). I’ve been looking at sprinters and wondering if it’s a good idea or overkill. We often have, school/sports carpoolers added in or grandma and grandpa in town and other visitors … so it could be nice to have the extra seats. On weekends we fill our current mini van to the brim with surfboards and each summer we take a cross-country road trip from California to Nebraska and back. I’m tempted… But for everyday use would it be ridiculous for a family of six? Do you have flexibility with taking individual seats out to make more open space if not all
Seats are needed? Thanks for the info and congratulations on your beautiful big family!
Sharon Rowley says
Hey there! So I don’t think it would be overkill at all- and for years my Sprinter was the primary car that I used every day. The only thing I might caution is to think about what you’ll do when your kids start driving (I don’t know your kids’ ages)… it’s a tall and long car to handle, and I don’t let my teen drivers get behind the wheel. So if you’ll have teens sharing Mom’s car- that’s something to consider…
In the current Sprinters- I believe that you can remove an entire row of seats- but it takes a little bit of work- they don’t fold down out of the way like in a mini van! (I’ve never done it myself, but I am pretty sure that’s what they told us at the dealership!)
Sarah says
Hi! Loved your article. We are hoping to purchase a Sprinter for our larger family. We travel to visit family in the northeast a lot. How do you know which roads you can drive on, and how do you get around the ones you cannot? Thanks! 🙂
Sharon says
Great question- because yes, it is tricky up here in the Northeast with all of the parkways we have. Generally, I won’t drive the Sprinter on any road called “parkway”- so the Hutch, Saw Mill River, Sprain Brook, Bronx River, Merritt- you get the idea- are all off limits. We purchased a motor home navigation system (like this one: https://amzn.to/2WfZuUM) that routes us around height-restricted bridges and roads- and that has been the best tool for us! You can’t just use the Waze app or you could get yourself into trouble!
Jamie says
I love the idea, but no automatic sliding door would be a huge negative. Not out of laziness. Our school requires that if you use the drop off /pick up line that the kids must be able to open and close the door themselves. Is there a 8+ seat van out there that has automatic doors?
Sue says
Toyota Sienna! I have one, it’s a 2015 dual sliders and 8 seats, I love it!
adobe zii for pc says
Your post has proven useful to me.
Drew Johnson says
I love your Mommy-bus. It comes in handy when you have to pick up their friends as well. I had a Ford Expedition, but sold it. Now I’m looking for a replacement that does better on gas. Thanks for sharing!
8 passenger minivan rentals near me says
12 to 15 traveler auto is best for school trek or composition outing and family or companion trip . Since single vast van is superior to anything at least two autos and we can appreciate more our excursion together. And furthermore can convey our stuff in a similar van.
Kyla Jocson says
Car is the main problem when we plan for vacations because the whole family wants to travel together! Maybe I should recommend Sprinter to my husband then 🙂 I think this is the solution car for the family problem! 🙂
alan ceil says
I read your article properly. Your article is really great and informative. Thank you for shear it.
Anonymous says
Ok. So, I found and read this post randomly at 3am after sobbing and not sleeping from anxiety about how we bought a Sprinter yesterday and it feels too big and ridiculous and there are no take backs on our contract. You gave me a little calm and hope that it is going to be okay. I will stop being scared. I will be capable. I will have space for 6 carseated kids without climbing over a hatch or not having room for the stroller. This post was my only 3am solace. Thank you! And pray for me!
Anonymous says
Oh my gosh this is the very situation I find myself in right now! I am currently lying awake filled with anxiety over the purchase of our Sprinter. Please tell me it will pass and I will grow to love this massive vehicle….
Sharon says
You just have to embrace the fact that you will be diving a very tall vehicle that fits a lot of people! Own it – and love it! I know that I do!
Sam Solo says
I can’t believe that 4 rows of seats fit into that van. That is exactly what I need for all the kiddos I have to take to soccer practice. Great job on the transportation and keep up the good work!
Charlene Conrad says
HI Sharon, thanks for your overview. We are a family of 8, too, and are looking to replace our 2003 tried and true Suburban (giving it to daughter going off to college) – and want to know 1)If you pull an RV or cargo trailer with your Sprinter? And if so, does it do a good job? 2)Do you have 4wd, and how does it handle in the snow. Thanks for the reply !
Sharon says
We have a tow package but it has only been used for a bike rack- never to tow anything. And quite frankly- it stinks in the snow. It is rear wheel drive only (although now I do believe they make a 4WD version of a Sprinter).
Harmony@CreatingMyKaleidoscope says
I enjoyed reading about how this vehicle is perfect for your big family. Thanks for sharing!
We were recently surprised by the arrival of twin boys. Our “one more baby” suddenly transformed us into a family of seven. Our original plan was to pick up a used minivan, but it was pretty clear that such a vehicle would no longer be a practical choice. And as you said – it especially wasn’t going to work with everyone still in car seats.
We looked at vans like yours, but couldn’t afford one. Our family is on a mission to pay off debt and achieve financial semi-independence in the next five years, so we needed something we could pay for in cash – as in off Craigslist, instead of financing it through a car dealer. Anyways, we ended up buying a used, short school bus for our family – for only $4,500. There’s no DVD player or anything fancy like that, but it works, and we have tons of room for everyone and storage for strollers, wagons, coolers, etc. Just another option 🙂
Sharon says
I love it- a short school bus! Did you paint it or leave it yellow? I really think that is an awesome solution- it was a vehicle designed with safety in mind so that’s perfect! Our “Mommy bus” now has more than 175,000 miles on it and she’s still going strong! (And ours didn’t come with DVD players either- ours are just portable ones we can strap on to the back of a headrest and then remove from the car when we’re not on long road trips.)
Congrats on your twin boys! And thanks so much for sharing your solution!
Corey says
We are looking for a vehicle for our 8 person family. We live in the mountains and get a lot of snow. How is the short school bus in the snow?
Sharon says
The Sprinter that I drive is an older model- and is a rear wheel drive car- which makes it not at all good in the snow. I do believe that the current models are available with front or all-wheel drive. You would have to check.
ali says
Thank s for sharing this post.
sainiflange says
Its very easy for long family…while the tools of your vehicle fit and timely repair .Although if you you want to avoid the driving then you can hire vans for your trip and no problem will be created with you and your family.