MB Metris

HarryN

Well-known member
Not sure if this is exactly the right section for a thread on the MB Metro, but - was at a dealer today and saw one next to a sprinter.

It isn't exactly a competitor but being a van with vacation potential - perhaps sort of a competitor.

I only took a very quick look at it, but these were my superficial observations:
- It looks very nice, but pretty much any black vehicle looks nice to me.
- Looks a heck of a lot like a descendent of the classic dodge minivans
- The one that I saw was black, so details didn't pop out, but the form factor similarity is striking

Interior Height
- Obvously cannot stand up in it, but then again a lot of the Transits and standard height Sprinters don't have tall roofs either.

Seats
- The rear seats sit on a pair of tracks, allowing considerable front to back spacing adjustment. That is a nice feature.
- The van in the showroom had the middle seats facing rearward and at a table with the 3rd row seats.

Drivetrain
- The 4 cylinder / 2 liter / 6 speed trans gasoline engine produces about 25 ish more hp than my old 2000 dodge minivan with a 6 cylinder / 3 liter / 4 speed trans. That is a good thing because the mini van is under powered and I need to manually down shift it on any substantial hill.
(looking at the web site, perhaps it was a 7 speed or the 2018 model? )

- Interestingly, the highway mileage rating is essentially the same as I get in the dodge (22 - 24) once I switched it over to synthetic oil.

If it is accurate, the city fuel efficiency is substantially improved over the dodge though, as its efficiency falls off quickly for in-town driving.

Power
- I like that it has available a large alternator. More Power!!!!
 

HarryN

Well-known member
This past week I was at an RV show at the local Pleasanton fairgrounds.

If you live nearby and want some ideas for a van build out, it is worth the trip. (ends I think Jan 21)

The local dealer had a V30 Sprinter cargo and a Metris in their spot.

It was interesting how much emphasis MB is putting on product positioning the Metris as a commercial delivery / commercial passenger offering rather than a "family minivan".

Their perception is that it is a much more rugged vehicle than the mini van offerings for this type of use, and the suspension is better for a combination of passenger van / cargo - smoother, better handling with loads.

Versions are similar to sprinter van offerings - cargo, crew and passenger.

It is possible to order the crew version complete with plastic interior, just like a passenger version would come.

The interior is purposely "simple", with no added techno glitz - which personally I like. I can put in my own techno - glitz items.

There are a ton of unused / available panel switches on the dash - so super easy to add your own features.

I am not in the market for a vehicle in this size range, but if I were, a trip to a leather shop would be on the list.
 

ptheland

2013 144" low top Passgr
It was interesting how much emphasis MB is putting on product positioning the Metris as a commercial delivery / commercial passenger offering rather than a "family minivan".
That's because it's a commercial vehicle and not a family minivan. Frankly, it sucks as a family minivan. It lacks many of the creature comforts and features of the Honda, Toyota, and even Chrysler minivans.

Someone posted a YouTube review of the Metris which complained that it was a lousy minivan. I called the reviewer some less than flattering names because he didn't understand this distinction, and got roundly criticized, not for the name calling (which should have been criticized), but for taking the same position that MB has - that this isn't competition for the family minivan, but is meant for commercial use.

It's a good choice for the worker who doesn't need the room of a Sprinter, or who needs to operate in tight, European cities. I'm not sure that second application will fit very well in the US, but the size argument certainly does.
 

danski0224

Active member
I had a ride in one when I was in Iceland, it was a diesel version. The van sure in the heck looked refined to me, and it rode pretty nice.

Unfortunately, whatever trim level it was, probably isn't available in the USA. Of course, no diesel engine in the USA (and I would not be inclined to get one at this point).

I would love to have one, as a cargo van. It is between the Ram Tradesman C/V or the Chevy Astro (both no longer made) and the small low roof full size Transit or even the Ford E series / Chevy full size van. It seems that all of the current small vans like the Promaster City or the Transit Connect are shorter in length compared to the RAM C/V but taller. The exception would be the Nissan NV short roof, which seems to have similar cargo space as the Metris.

Unfortunately, I can't afford or justify a new Metris, and it will be years before I would consider a used one- if they hold up.
 

HarryN

Well-known member
That's because it's a commercial vehicle and not a family minivan. Frankly, it sucks as a family minivan. It lacks many of the creature comforts and features of the Honda, Toyota, and even Chrysler minivans.

Someone posted a YouTube review of the Metris which complained that it was a lousy minivan. I called the reviewer some less than flattering names because he didn't understand this distinction, and got roundly criticized, not for the name calling (which should have been criticized), but for taking the same position that MB has - that this isn't competition for the family minivan, but is meant for commercial use.

It's a good choice for the worker who doesn't need the room of a Sprinter, or who needs to operate in tight, European cities. I'm not sure that second application will fit very well in the US, but the size argument certainly does.
You might be right, I have not dug deeply enough into it yet, although I have a request for some electrical upgrades so we will see what happens.

I did see that youtube poster's rant. Frankly many of the things that he complained about - I liked. The new Sprinter's have a very similar plastic grill as that Metris one he complained about. Perhaps he has not driven a mini van long enough to understand the results of small rocks and stones on the front of a van.

I guess what I liked is that the dash related items such as radio and HVAC were simple and didn't require a touch screen. My son's bmw 3 series is nice, but I can hardly switch it to operating the radio while driving. He doesn't care because he just uses spotify and leaves it on auto settings.

I routinely drive an old dodge mini van, which is fairly spartan, so perhaps my expectations are modest.

I test drove a Toyota mini van a few years ago. Was in a parking lot, pulling out into a 40 mph road turning left. Stepped firmly on the gas - and the engine steer took over and nearly crashed us on the test drive. Even the sales rep was spooked a bit. We repeated the test and the same thing happened. We drove back to the dealer lot and that was the end of any misconception I had about Toyota knowing what they are doing in drive trains.

The Toyota mini van is the last thing I would ever buy.

As long as a van has rear air conditioning, I can deal with the rest.
 
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HarryN

Well-known member
I am still working on detailing out the electrical system on these Metris vans, but feedback from Metris related forums indicates that the charging system operates similarly to the Sprinter I4 version.

My understanding of this means that it requires an active charging method to move power from the existing alternator / battery to any type of meaningful auxiliary battery pack.

For a smaller vehicle like this, it has a surprisingly high load carrying capacity.
 

HarryN

Well-known member
Plywood carrying capability:

Note - information is taken from the MB web site, I didn't measure anything myself.

On the cargo version (2 seats), there is enough room in between the wheel wells for a sheet of plywood (50 inches)

On the passenger version (4 and 6 seat) there is only 47+ inches, so too narrow for plywood.

This is kind of a serious design error for someone that is wanting a dual use passenger / hauling items type van.

I routinely pull seats out of my van when I need more space for putting wood in the back. In fact at the moment, the seats are removed, but the walls are still intact.

I like a lot of things about this van, but what were they thinking?
 

danski0224

Active member
I'd guess that there is some sort of insulation/trim in place on the passenger version and not on the cargo version.

I wonder if there is 96"+ behind the rear seats with a cargo divider in place. I have noticed that many of the smaller vans can carry a sheet of plywood flat on the floor- as long as there isn't a cargo divider.

I had an Astro, and it could only carry a few sheets flat- with the sheets jammed up to the seat base and to the back door. More if they were stood up on the long end between the seats (and they just fit through the back door opening standing up). The RAM C/V looks like it will carry a few sheets in the same manner flat, but there is not enough interior height to stand them up. Neither vehicle will carry a full sheet with a cargo divider installed.
 

HarryN

Well-known member
Cut and pasted from the MB Metris web site.

This is the "longer" 135 inch cargo version.

Length: 211.4 in

Width (w/o mirrors): 75.9 in

Width (incl. mirrors): 88.3 in

Height: 75.2 in

Height with roof rails: 77.1 in

Height with ladder rack (Max): 88.7 in

Wheelbase: 135 in

Overhang front/rear: 35.2 in/41.1 in

Cargo Length (without partition): 114.5 in

Cargo Length (with thru-loading partition): 120.5 in

Max. Cargo Width: 66.3 in

Cargo Floor Width (btw. wheelhouse): 50 in

Min. Cargo Height: 53.8 in


Max. Cargo Height: 55 in

Cargo Volume: 199 cu. ft.

Load Height: 22 in

Ground Clearance: 4.4 in

Side Door Opening Height: 49.3 in

Side Door Opening Width (at floor): 37.8 in

Rear Cargo Door Opening Height: 49.6 in

Rear Cargo Door Opening Width: 54.8 in

Turning Diameter (Wall to Wall): 41 ft

Turning Diameter (Curb to Curb): 38.7 ft

Headroom (driver/passenger): 39.6 in

Headroom (1st row): 39.6 in

Leg room (1st row): 35.78 in
 

HarryN

Well-known member
Cut and pasted from the Metris web site.

This is the passenger version (only one length is listed)

Based on this, it appears that the passenger version uses the slightly shorter 126 in WB as the starting point.

Length: 202.4 in

Width (w/o mirrors): 75.9 in

Width (incl. mirrors): 88.3 in

Height: 74.4 in

Height with roof rails: 76.3 in

Height with ladder rack (max): 87.9 in

Wheelbase: 126 in

Overhang front/rear: 35.3 in/41.1 in

Cargo Length (without partition): 27.5 in

Max. Cargo Width: 61.1 in

Cargo Floor Width (btw. wheelhouse): 47.4 in

Min. Cargo Height: 52.2 in

Max. Cargo Height: 52.4 in

Cargo Length (with thru-loading partition): TBD

Load Height: 21.6 in

Cargo Volume (Behind 2nd Row): 97.3 cu. ft.

Cargo Volume (Behind 3rd Row): 38 cu. ft.

Ground Clearance: 3.82 in

Side door opening height: 49 in

Side Door Opening Width (at floor): 35.5 in

Rear cargo door opening height: 48 in

Rear cargo door opening width: 50 in

Turning Radius Wall to Wall: 38.7 ft

Turning Radius Curb to Curb: 36.4 ft

Head Room (1st Row): 39.6 in

Hip Room (1st Row): TBD

Shoulder Room (1st Row): TBD

Leg room (1st row): 35.78 in

Head Room (2nd) Front Of Seat/Back Of Seat:: 40.03 in / 41.41 in

Leg room (2nd row): 35.78 in

Hip room (2nd row): 65.47 in

Shoulder room (2nd row): 64.92 in

Head Room (3rd) Front Of Seat/Back Of Seat: 39.17 in / 40.51 in

Leg room (3rd row): 35.78 in

Hip room (3rd row): 55.98 in

Shoulder room (3rd row): 61.22 in
 

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