[MaxAsst]

Hi,

I'm Max and I have come here to research and hopefully validate my direction of a Metris to replace our beloved but aged 2003 Eurovan MV here in Wisconsin with our family of 6.

What we have come to appreciate with our current van that is important:
1. It seats 7 adults comfortably with excellent visibility from any seat.
2. It hauls 3 hockey bags and 7 adults comfortably
3. Flat floor makes it easy to put bags anywhere.
4. engine and transmission have remained strong and consistent, currently at 260,000 miles this month; excellent torque for all conditions.
5. Failure points are well-documented online and are not insurmountable
6. Maintenance has been relatively painfree as we are fortunate to be near a couple of mechanics who are excellent.

Warts accepted:
1. Chews through tires like there is no tomorrow
2. Noise level higher than most vans
3. High revs at modern highway speeds
4. Chronic p0441
5. Very utilitarian interior which is largely ignored until we hitch a ride with someone who has an Odyssey, Sienna or Town&Country which seem so plush (but cramped)
6. All doors had some degree of difficulty/failure early on when temps were in the single digits.
7. higher octane ideal, 18mpg at best.

I am seriously considering the Metris, due to relative size and economy. I am concerned about maintenance costs since no one has experience with this specific vehicle in my general area, Green Bay.

Currently in our fleet are 2005 MB E320 CDI with 170,000mi, 2003 VW Eurovan MV, 1987 Porsche 944, 1985 Alfa Romeo Spider.

I tend to keep vehicles until their last car molecule, but with this van, it may not be the case. I am thinking of getting an extended warranty and keep the van for about 7 years, seeing how costs of repairs go.

 

[Greenmanedlion]

If you can stomach the W211 E-class, I think you won't have too much trouble with the long term sustainability of the Metris. It's infotainment and climate control systems are updated, simplified, and refined versions of what debuted on the W211.

I have never had extensive experience with Japanese minivans, but I do have extensive experience with Mopar vans (not the Pacifica). The Metris is quieter than those, and all of the minivans give me the same impression interior wise- they may be "plusher" but are not neccsarily actually more comfortable. The Mopar vans do excel at adaptability, while the Metris is still like the Eurovan- lots of seats with real adult spaciousness, and a huge available amount of raw cubic feet behind the front seats, but removing the rear seats to access that space is a pain.

On the pro side: Points one through four will be things you will enjoy about the Metris- albeit the 47.6" wheelhouse width in the passenger version is infuriating. The 7G-Tronic+ is an improved and refined version of the 7G-tronic, the plus debuted 4 years ago, and the design is 14 years into its life, so it is well proven. MB-engines are generally respected for their longevity and the M274 in the Metris is the 208bhp version of an engine that has production variants with nearly double that, so it should be operationally long lived. Failure points on the W447 are not well documented, but it wouldn't be with a VW T6 either, naturally. As with all European cars, you need a dealer or indie mechanic who specializes in the brand you own. A Metris is a Mercedes in every way, so anyone who works on MBs shouldn't have a problem with it.

As to your cons:

1) The Hankooks are good until worn, and downright dangerous once worn. The warning of that degradation lasted me three days between me realizing they were no longer perfect until I went off the road in a dramatic fashion I will not repeat- you can find the gory details elsewhere on here. I'd replace them precautionarily at 30k. I can't comment on the Contis- I went with Michelin Defenders. The Defenders have a 90k warranty.

2) Vans? Or Minivans? Because compared to my Econoline this thing is a Rolls Royce. Compared to a T&C this is a little quieter. Can't comment for other minivans. But like the Eurovan this is a commercial van with seats and trim, not a minivan, which is a car chassis with a bigger body. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

3) 55=1800, 65 = 2150, 75 = 2450, 80= 2600, 101=3300, and that's all she wrote. The engine is of limited audibility even at 101, wind noise is another matter. The stereo drowns all of that out quite nicely, be it Brahms, Beethoven, or Wagner. (101 plus Flight Of The Valkryes is very... appropriate.)

4) I have had no engine codes, except once when I let a gas station attendant do the closing for me (I usually check) and forgot about it. They left the cap off completely- it's a bayonet, you can't not tighten it enough.

5) It is utilitarian, excluding the all cloth headliner and optional leather steering wheel. But in a German quality way, of course. I remember back when Mercedes were still unassailable. People called the S-class utilitarian then.

6) at nearly 47k miles all doors that have not been assaulted by a Honda CRV have had no issues. The rear tailgate had an alignment issue, which my dealer attributed to improper body shop repair from an alignment. They sent it to that body shop for repair rectification.

7) high octane is ideal. Fuel economy ranges from 18.5 to 24 for me. Generally this relates to the type of driving I am doing and how much of it is uphill or over 90mph.

If you like your Eurovan, you will find this to be its modern replacement.

 

[Volvosrock]

GM said it, as close as you can possible get to a Eurovan replacement here in NA.

We had a VW Croutan...will never own a mopar again, the Merc is so much more in every way even as a spartan "commercial" vehicle.

We have 4 crumb crunchers and #5 will be here in September. 4 kids in the croutan was crap and cramped and wasn't gonna get better as they got bigger.

I fully expect a 14 year primary service life out of the Merc without issue and that's before it's delegated to being a secondary vehicle.

The service costs are not any real obstacle.