Completely different
Spunky Metris is the Mercedes- Benz of cargo vans
Cargo vans are not what they used to be. The old Chevrolet Astro was the king of affordable, sturdy, cargo- capable cargo vans ( it even offered AWD).
I tested a 2016 Mercedes- Benz Metris cargo van— that’s not a misprint. It’s also available in passenger configurations. Recently, there’s been a plethora of new commercial van offerings, and M- B has added Metris, which slots in below the Sprinter. Both van lines will be built in the USA.
On the outside, my Metris tester was a looker— compared to the ProMaster, NV200 and Transit Connect, how could it not be?
My Metris cargo van came with just two seats ( optional comfort, leather) with short seat bottoms. The seats had limited recline due to the thick ( optional) plastic cargo wall behind them. Not to pile on, but the steering wheel/ column only offered an upright,“Pace bus” position. The cargo wall was beneficial in that it kept stuff from sliding into the driver’s compartment, kept the echo out and offered storage/ shelving options from upfitters. The floor was rubber, the door panels plastic, and the overhead console optional.
The dash layout is basic, but comes with modern tech like a 4.2- inch display, rear camera, optional navi system, infotainment readout and USB port. I had my tester during a recent heat wave, and the air conditioning kept up.
Metris is designed as a work vehicle first and is solidly midsize, approaching 17 feet, which makes it more than a foot longer than a Ford Transit Connect LWB or a Ram ProMaster. The real trump card is that Metris is the single rear- wheel- drive offering in the cargo van segment. Metris has a max payload of 2,502 pounds; it can tug 5,000 pounds. According to Mercedes- Benz, it can handle 60 sheets of plywood ( I hauled six), and it has 186 cubic feet of cargo space.
Under the stubby hood is a turbocharged 2.0- liter four- cylinder. It’s spunky, with 258 pound- feet of torque on tap from 1,250 to 4,000 rpm— right where you need it. The engine is backed with a smooth seven- speed transmission with Manual, Economy and Comfort modes with standard paddle shifters.
On the road, Metris was surprisingly spunky for a cargo van. For most of my drives the van was unloaded, but the ride was stable and not top- heavy in turns. Over rough pavement there was some rattling, but the partition kept the noise down. Parking ( docking) was easier with the rear camera and large side mirrors. Metris rolls on standard steel rims mounted on P225/ 55 R17 tires that are not too skinny and deliver a good contact patch.
It appears Mercedes- Benz applied the ( late) Scion method of options/ accessory offerings as my tester came with Driver Comfort, Driver Efficiency, Active Safety, Cargo Protection, ColdWeather and Eco Start/ Stop packages and a dozen individual options.