I owned many Econolines, from 1985 to 2000. They were uncomfortable, poorly built vans that Ford refused to update as it was a cash cow for them. Once I bought a Sprinter in 2004, I never looked back. I still own it and it is as comfortable and drives like it did 13 years ago- while none of my Econolines would last more than 3-4 years before they shook apart.
So, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the Metris.
I bought the Passenger model because I need the second row for my crew. The dealer explained that adding a second row to the Cargo version would be more difficult than it was worth it because the gas tank is in the way of the bolts for the seat. In any case, I (or rather my employees) removed the 3rd row. (BTW- it is not hard to remove, but, boy is it heavy and unwieldy). I got the 8 seat model and removed the 3rd seat on the passenger side (very easy to remove). I now have a very versatile van with more room than the Eurovan it replaced. Another metrisforum member turned me onto 80/20, so I am now building some cargo shelving to keep everything organized.
I have owned it less than a month and find my Metris to be a very pleasant vehicle to drive. I wouldn't call it 'luxury', but it is very comfortable.
One of the biggest pluses is that MB is offering 0% financing for 36 months.
If you need any more info, let me know.
Bob