A lineup of new full-size commercial vans from Chrysler/Ram, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz will deliver significantly higher residual value than their counterparts from previous generations, according to ALG’s latest industry report.

A focus on design and fuel economy in the latest development cycle factored into ALG's projection of better residual values for vans such as the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Ford Transit and Ram ProMaster vans.

“These three European-style vans feature lighter-weight construction and better fuel efficiency than their predecessors,” said Larry Dominique, ALG's president. “By improving fuel efficiency from an average of 14 mpg from a few years back to nearly 20 mpg today, U.S. business owners will save hundreds of millions of dollars each year.”

The 2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with a new 2.1-liter four-cylinder diesel engine and all-wheel drive leads the segment with a projected 52% original value retention after three years. The 2015 Ram ProMaster is projected to retain 49% of its value and the 2015 Ford Transit will retain 47%.

The segment average for retaining original value is 48% after 3 years. 

While expectations for the Ford Transit’s residual value are slightly below the segment average, the latest model will still perform significantly better than the most recent Econoline model years, according to ALG. With more economical engine options over the older E-Series, the new Ford Transits are seeing as much as 46% better fuel economy than comparable, outgoing models.

“The market for full-size vans has pent-up demand for vehicles with lower running costs,” said Dominique. “Businesses are thinking about the entire cost-of-ownership picture now more than ever and, finally, automakers are responding.”

ALG is the analytics division of the online car buying and selling platform TrueCar.