The offer of the AVIS Slovakia car rental includes Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans in two CDI diesel engine tunings. These are the Sprinter 314 CDI and 316 CDI versions with automatic transmission in the L2H2 and L3H2 versions. The presence of an automatic transmission must be emphasized, as this is an absolute premium compared to competing offers.

All Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles, regardless of engine and length, are equipped with navigation, air conditioning, Bluetooth handsfree, cruise control, 360-degree parking sensors and a reversing camera for safe parking. It is always a three-seater version with a huge cargo space with a capacity of up to 12 to 14 cubic meters.

Tested model

We took a better look at the version with a 316 CDI diesel engine (120 kW, 163 hp, 380 Nm) with an automatic transmission. It is up to six meters, but thanks to the maximum permissible weight of up to 3.5 tons, you can also drive it with a normal group B driver's license. This is very important, because you will not have to hire a driver when moving an apartment or transporting material to the garden.

All Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles, regardless of engine and length, are equipped with AVIS navigation, air conditioning, Bluetooth hands-free, cruise control, 360-degree parking sensors and a reversing camera for safe parking. It is always a three-digit version.

How to download the vehicle

You can secure a vehicle from the AVIS car rental either directly at the branch (the list of branches is here ) or via the Internet. When ordering online, you can also take advantage of any discounts, if the car rental company offers any. You book the vehicle via a simple form, where you specify the pick-up time, handover time and here you can also pay a deposit, which may vary depending on the vehicle category. The deposit will be refunded in full after you return the vehicle to the car rental company.

Regardless of whether you filled out the order online or you decided to come straight to the branch, you will need valid documents when taking over the vehicle. You will present them to the employees, who will guide you through the entire rental process without delay. If you have not paid the deposit via the Internet, you can do so now, all you need is a payment card.

From our experience, the employees have a human approach, they are friendly, they are willing to answer questions and they will thoroughly introduce the rented vehicle to you. Your task is to take a good look at whether the car is damaged and if you happen to notice any, it is good to report it to the car rental employee - he will write it in the collection report and you will avoid unnecessary problems when handing over the car.

We took over the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with a brief instruction on the functionality of the transmission and set off to critically assess whether Mercedes from the car rental company is worth the money.

The sprinter is relatively large on the outside, it is robust and difficult to drive. But it was enough for us to get behind the wheel for the first time, start the engine and all doubts were lost at once. In the Sprinter, you feel safe, you have an excellent view of the surroundings and parking sensors and a camera contribute greatly to the driver's self-confidence, thanks to which perhaps you have no chance of hitting another car or a pole.

Choosing curves requires a little more attention so that you do not catch the curb with the rear wheel, and in narrow aisles you have to pay attention to the rear overhang, the length of which is increased by a few centimeters by an additional leading edge. It needs to be thought of especially when parking. However, maneuverability is at an excellent level, the car "listens" to depress the pedals and gently turn the steering wheel.

Interior as in an SUV

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is a van, ie a work vehicle, but the interior has largely adopted key design elements from the brand's passenger cars. It looks like he was taken from an e-mail. In fact, the Sprinter uses relatively hard plastic linings and harder seats, all focused on practical use and increased durability. It is a pity that the buttons on the center console are small and far from the driver, but the main display is touch and responds with high sensitivity.

We appreciate the amount of storage space for bottles, mobile phones, documents and various large items.

Cargo space

The essentials are located behind the sheet metal wall behind the front seats. The cargo space with a volume of 14 cubic meters is not only huge, but also equipped to safely carry almost any cargo.

The walls contain a metal frame with numerous holes and ribs, to which the straps can be attached and thus securely fasten a high load. The floor is completely flat and has a maximum length of 3,272 mm (length L2), resp. 4,307 mm for the longer version L3. H2 means the height of the load compartment 1,940 mm.

The rear door can be opened at an angle of up to 270 ° and the next entrance to the space is through the sliding side door. The good news is that all doors can be opened from the inside.

Consumption during our test

The manufacturer states that the consumption of its diesel engine is 7.9-7.8 l / 100 km, which may correspond to reality if the vehicle is not heavily loaded and is driven with low consumption in mind. The automatic seven-speed transmission shifts to a higher gear at 2,000 rpm, but the driver can also operate the transmission manually with the levers behind the steering wheel. In practice, you should expect a consumption of around 11 l / 100 km.

Returning the car to the car rental

Before returning the car from the rental, you should check it well and, above all, refuel its tank. Only diesel is refueled in the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter from the AVIS car rental, the tank has a capacity of 71 liters. When returning the car, you will be directed again by an authorized employee, who will write off the status of the odometer, ie assess whether you have not exceeded the prepaid mileage and check the condition of the vehicle. If everything is in order, you will sign the acceptance protocol, your deposit will be returned and the whole transfer process will end.

Then you will receive a satisfaction questionnaire in the e-mail, which you should definitely fill in - only thanks to it does the car rental company receive feedback from customers.

MAKE RESERVATION