There’s no question that in today’s world of mobility that cargo vans are an essential part that literally keeps things moving. With a select number of cargo van offerings, there are a few brands that have been at the forefront of keeping businesses on the go. One automaker, Mercedes-Benz, continues to one to keep the momentum moving in the right direction with vehicles like their Metris small cargo van.
While the Mercedes-Benz Metris can be had in a passenger van configuration, the more desirable variant is the cargo van – take my word for it because the passenger van doesn’t necessarily compete well with other people-moving vans out there.
As a small cargo van, the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris does well to have among the best driving character out of all vans in its class. In trying out the latest Metris, which has not changed much from the latest generation introduced as a 2016 model year, I am pleasantly surprised in how well it drives and provides businesses with the necessary cargo room without any fuss.
Having a cargo area that’s a bit larger than most of its competition and the ability to tow as much as 5,000 pounds, there’s a welcomed versatility in such a cargo van. Moreover, the cabin of the Mercedes Metris brings some of the traditional Benz switchgear and familiar controls that benefit the driver for his or hers long haul in transporting whatever the Metris can handle. There are neat little creature comforts such as heated seats, lane departure warning, blindspot monitors, rain-sensing wipers, front and rear fog lights, and a necessary backup camera fed through a rather smallish-but-functional 5.8-inch color LCD screen.
The powerhouse of the Metris, a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine mated to a proven 7-speed automatic transmission, does well to send power to the rear wheels and provide a decent amount of forward thrust. In my summary of performance, the Metris doesn’t need any more power – it’s grunt is quite sufficient having 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque that starts to max at as low as 1,250 rpm. Moreover, the Metris has a good turning radius and smooth ride quality.
My only qualm with the new Metris is the legroom for the driver, which doesn’t permit someone as tall as me (6ft-3inches) to be comfortable over long hauls, mostly due to the steel backing of the front passenger area limiting rear-ward seat adjustment. However, the decent ride quality and soft cloth seats are just enough to prevent me from hating the Metris’ overall comfort.
Fuel consumption is quite consistent, which is good. Though, the MPG numbers of 21 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined coupled with the recommendation of premium fuel may not be the best that there is to offer on the current market. Thankfully gas prices are historically low at the time of writing this review. The 18.5-gallon take provides a highway cruising range of just over 440 miles.
The base pricing for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris is competitive at around $27,000. My loaded-up Metris Cargo Van test vehicle comes in around $35,000.
