2020 Mercedes Benz Metris Pros vs Cons

When you need to move a load, your first thought might not be about Mercedes-Benz. Many people don't know that the luxury automaker also makes best-selling cargo and passenger vans. The 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris is a good example of the brand's ability to move serious loads.

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris is offered in four styles, which provides more price points for businesses. The Metris worker cargo van covers the basics. The regular cargo van includes more amenities and offers more options. Metris Worker Passenger Vans seat 7 on three rows. With more amenities, the Metris Passenger van offers to seat 7 or 8.

What's New for 2020?

The Metris is offering more ways for owners to save money. A 15,000-mile maintenance interval decreases repair costs. A light for the rearview camera makes it more effective in dim light. An Eco start-stop system cuts fuel use. Unique Mercedes-Benz safety systems promise greater safety.

Ten Reasons You May Like the 2020 Mercedes Benz Metris – The Pros

1. Standard Dynamic Lights for Rearview Camera

No other van has standard dynamic lights for its rearview camera. This makes backwards travel much safer early in the morning or after the sun goes down at night. This feature goes a long way toward eliminating common fender benders such as parking lot crashes and worksite collisions. This Mercedes-Benz exclusive standard feature watches your bottom line as it lights the way back every time for your drivers.

2. Better Equipped Interior

The attention to detail that earned Mercedes-Benz its reputation for luxury is evident even in the cabin of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris. The driving experience is more like a car, and the interior is more inviting, too. While other vans, such as the Ford Transit Connect, are called basic, the Metris is better crafted with more desirable materials.

Drivers have an adjustable seat with an adjustable steering wheel. There are four cupholders, an adjustable front passenger seat, and heat-insulating glass. Electric sliding doors and automatic climate control are on the menu.

A standard 5.8-inch color screen offers to coordinate your Bluetooth connectivity. If drivers need to plug in, they have a USB port and an auxiliary input. A Becker Map Pilot Navigation System can be added to help drivers find their destination faster.

3. Highly Qualified Powertrain

While some vans are underpowered, the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris has a turbo four engine. This fuel-smart unit generates 208 horsepower. There's 258 pound-feet of torque to ensure ample push whenever the van is loaded. That's how it can attain such good payload and tow ratings. You can compare that to the Ford Transit Connect which makes do with a 150-horsepower engine that generates only 158 pound-feet of torque.

Fuel economy is 21 miles per gallon combined for the passenger edition and 22 miles per gallon combined for the cargo edition. Cargo vans are rated 20 miles per gallon city and 24 miles per gallon highway. Other vans may claim higher ratings for highway travel, but those vans tend to be vastly underpowered when compared to the Metris.

All styles, except for the Cargo Worker van, have an Eco stop-start function. Your drivers will automatically save fuel during redlights or long idles. Since fuel is a big expense, this will help the business bottom line. Furthermore, it's another box to check if you need to prove to investors that your business is going green.

Top tow rating is 5,000 pounds. Compared to other city vans, that's as much as twice as much trailering weight. This can be very beneficial if the company needs to pull a load trailer. Every Metris has a Trailer Brake Controller Connection.

4. Slick Automatic Transmission

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris can work harder thanks to its 7G-Tronic Plus Automatic Transmission. You'll find a similar unit on the glamorous Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class. The transmission even puts shift paddles on the steering wheel for drivers who feel the need to take greater control of the shifting.

Many rival vans still have a standard six-speed automatic. The extra gear isn't the only reason that the 7G-Tronic is a better choice. The advanced technology that allows it to shift precisely also allows it to change how it shifts when carrying a heavier load.

5. Mercedes-Benz Provides Standard Attention Assist

Attention Assist is a valuable part of the Metris design. When drivers get tired, the Attention Assist function will let them know. It recognizes signs of drowsy or distracting driving and translates that into useful alerts.

6. Standard Load-Adaptive System Adds to Safety

The Load-adaptive Electronic Stability Program recognizes the weight of the vehicle and changes traction settings for the most appropriate response. A light van, therefore, would have a different response than one that was heavily laden. The dynamic handling system automatically brakes individual wheels to gain traction. It can also reduce speed to better cope with understeer, oversteer or wheelspin.

7. Cross-Wind Assist and Rescue Assist are Mercedes-Benz Standards

Cross-wind Assist makes high-speed travel safer. If it senses dangerous wind gusts when the van is traveling over 50 miles per hour, then it will engage to help the vehicle maintain a safe trajectory. This feature is exclusive to Mercedes-Benz.

In another exclusive, Mercedes-Benz has Rescue Assist on every van. This system helps first responders by providing a QR code. This allows them to find out where structural elements are, such as batteries and airbags, and to take this into account when performing a rescue.

8. Multiple Styles Make it Easier to Find the Right Fit

Compared to other city vans, the Metris is bigger and can carry more payload. It is made for urban spaces, but it doesn't sacrifice its carrying power.

The cargo van wheelbase is 128 inches with a floor length of 105.4 inches and cargo width of 66.3 inches. It can handle up to 2,425 pounds of payload. Cargo volume is 183 cubic feet.

If you need more space, the long wheelbase is 135 inches with a maximum cargo volume of 199 inches and a floor length of 114 inches. The payload capacity is 2,370 pounds.

Passenger vans seat 7 or 8, depending on your choice of seating. They can handle up to 38 cubic feet of cargo behind the third row. That's a lot of space for gear or luggage. Maximum payload capacity is 1,896 pounds. The second-row and third-row seats can be removed. Behind the second row, there's 97.3 cubic feet of space.

9. Advanced Driver Assistance is on the Menu

Collision Prevention Assist is a Mercedes-Benz system that watches for trouble ahead. It can warn the driver if traffic is slamming on the brakes. This triggers an alert. If the driver can't stop in time, the properly equipped Metris can slow itself. This may avert a disaster or reduce impact. Either way, it will be better for the driver, the load, and the business owner.

10. Reduced Side Traffic Dangers

Many vans aren't offering advanced system like you will find on the Metris. For instance, the available lane keeping assist can watch the lane lines. It can even assist with steering to straighten the van up more quickly. This helps keep the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris out of the path of neighboring cars.

Likewise, the available blind spot assist tries to prevent the van driver from changing lanes at the wrong time. Icons and alerts notify the driver about the traffic alongside the vehicle. Commercial haulers find this technology is especially helpful.

Reasons You May Not Like the 2020 Mercedes Benz Metris – The Cons

1. No High Roof Option

While some bigger vans are letting you customize more by choosing between two roof options, Mercedes Benz sticks to its standard roof. This may make a difference if you want something that allows people to stand up. The height is about 75 inches. This may encourage some to step up to the larger Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van with its available 170-inch wheelbase and 78-inch, high-roof option.

2. Door Issue

The rear doors open to 270 degrees, which is great. However, if the sliding door is also open, this affects the passenger side rear door and doesn't allow it to open fully. This can be solved by choosing a roof-hinged rear door.

3. Dash Tech

Some rivals offer more advanced dash tech such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This may not be much of an issue since Bluetooth and a dash screen make it easy to find entertainment in the Metris.

How it Stacks Up Against the Competition

The Metris long-wheelbase edition is bigger than the Ford Transit Connect long-wheelbase edition. In fact, it is 21.4 inches longer and 3.2 inches taller. This allows it to hold 800 pounds more cargo. It can handle a lot more boxes, too, since it has 71.6 cubic feet more cargo volume.

If you compare the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris LWB to the Transit Connect LWB, you'll find it measures 199 cubic feet versus 127.4 cubic feet. That's a 36 percent difference. That certainly explains why the Metris can handle 2,370 pounds while the Ford Transit Connect is limited to 1,570 pounds. That's a 34 percent difference.

If you compare it to the Ram ProMaster City van, you will find that the Metris has a lot more power. The Ram does have a nine-speed automatic, but its four-cylinder engine only generates 178 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque. The Promaster City is rated for 1883 pounds of payload. That's still short by 480 pounds when compared to the Metris.

Furthermore the ProMaster City can only pull 2,000 pounds. That's 3,000 pounds less than an appropriately equipped 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris. Furthermore, critics have complained that the thin, narrow build of the Ram ProMaster City can make it less stable. The 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris has Crosswind Assist and a more stable build.

Conclusion

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris definitely works hard to earn its position in any work team. With four editions, it's possible for different businesses to find a good match. The good fuel economy and business-minded features are sure to keep costs down.