MERCEDES - BENZ METRIS
You don’t know that Mercedes-Benz makes a minivan? Well, you do now.
Most minivan shoppers will likely scope out the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Kia Sedona, Nissan Quest or the Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Grand Caravan duo. As an alternative, the Mercedes-Benz Metris can also be added to the list. The Metris? Yup. As with the Ford Transit van, the Metris (it’s the Vito in Europe) is primarily intended for commercial work and can be ordered as such (i.e. stripped to the bone with only a couple of seats). However for an extra $3,500 or so, the Metris can be configured as a family people mover that can haul up to 1,875 pounds of people and/or cargo and tow nearly 5,000 pounds. Mercedes-Benz claims that the number of orders it has received to date is about equally split between the two versions.
The added expense buys you lots more glass plus a set of removable (via a quick-release system) second- and third-row seats that allow the Metris to accommodate up to eight passengers. Passenger-van buyers have the choice of sticking with the cargo van’s twin rear-access doors, or the optional liftgate.
Inside, the Metris is decidedly more utility than luxury, based on the general absence of soft-touch materials and the standard cloth seats. In its defense, the tall body height and a low beltline (where the glass meets the body) make for excellent visibility and a less confining cabin.
The front-wheel-drive Metris is roughly the same length as a Chrysler Town & Country, but is narrower by about three inches, making the Mercedes more nimble in tight parking situations. The distance between the front and rear wheels is longer by five inches than the T& C, which generally aids ride comfort. Cargo volume is on par with the competition, but the Metris blows away all comers when the rear seats are removed.
Another plus is the Metris’s sharp styling, especially the tapered roofline that is vaguely reminiscent of the now-retired Mercedes-Benz R-Class wagon.
Propulsion is handled by a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine that’s also found in the CLA sedan and GLA wagon. It’s rated at 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, which is a nice mix of pep and fuel economy. A seven-speed automatic transmission is standard.
Fuel economy rings in at 20 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway, which is similar to the price-leading Dodge Grand Caravan. But the Honda Odyssey, which happens to be 300 pounds lighter than the 4,800-pound Metris, tops the field.
At a starting point of $33,500 for the passenger-van model, the Metris also falls in line with the competition. For that price you get the usual comfort and power-operated items plus a crosswind stability program that helps keep the van on its intended path during blustery conditions.
As with nearly every Mercedes-Benz, the Metris can be outfitted with a wide assortment of extras that can easily accelerate the final tab well into mid-$40,000 territory. They include a fuel-saving engine start/stop system, seat and upholstery upgrades, a rear-view monitor, navigation system, power sliding side doors and automatic parallel parking (a particularly handy feature for minivans).
Other available safety stuff consists of rain-sensing wipers, blind spot monitoring, active forward-collision prevention and lane-keeping assist that works in conjunction with the aforementioned crosswind assist program.
Although not nearly as luxurious as many of its competitors, the Metris’s combination of roominess, passenger/ cargo flexibility and decent fuel economy should create interest among the minivan families as well as service-industry workers. Then there’s the one-upmanship aspect of driving the kids to school, sports events or recitals in a vehicle with a three-pointed star prominently displayed on the nose. That’s perhaps where the Metris really shines.