[Greenmanedlion]

What are your top five likes and dislikes? I have a few mixed ones- for example I don't like the 101 mph limiter, but I am glad its there- who knows how fast I'd be driving this thing if it wasn't. No, these are more unequivacal:

(One request: I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of "mirrors" in the dislikes. We all know the details of that, so there's no reason to expound.)

Top Five Likes:

1) Straight Line Stability: With a relatively high COG and slab sides, the Metris should not be a candidate for sustained triple-digit running. Yet I can run at that speed with one hand on the wheel, and even none. The Metris's straight line stability (a function of old school Mercedes-Benz steering geometry coupled with the self-steering component of the power steering system) allows one to travel on straight highways with your hands in your lap, occasionally reaching up to correct your course.

2) Front seats: While it is suffering from a bit of cosmetic wear that seems a bit high to me for a car with only 34k miles on it, the drivers seat is the second best seat, and best driving position, of any car I have ever owned. The seat itself loses out only to the peerless W124.

3) Visibility: I have no idea what Andre Smirnov over at The Fast Lane Truck was on about when he said the visibility was not the best in the segment. Yeah, sure, the Sprinter and Transit, and I presume the ProMaster, have better visibility. As do other things that are a lot taller. For a vehicle where I can almost slide my bum onto the seat without raising it at all, the visibility is unparalleled. Not even a Vanagon has substantially better visibility.

4) Maneuverability: It might seem strange, but at 202.4" the Metris is one of the longest class-1 vehicles sold in the US, and excluding the Suburban and Expedition, has the longest wheelbase at 126”. Yet of any vehicle in the over 200" class and of many vehicles much shorter than that, it has the shortest wall to wall turning circle at 38.7 (keep in mind that Edmunds and other places usually use Curb-to-Curb for that number- I estimate the curb to curb for the Metris at 36.9”).

5) Ergonomics: With the exception of the window switches, which are located counterintuitively on the door, the controls are precisely where they need to be for best operation. The most frequently activated controls can be operated without removing your hands from the extraordinarily comfortable wheel. The other controls that are frequently used (drive mode selector, flashers, climate control) fall readily to hand and are easy to quickly adjust.


Top Five Dislikes:

1) Paint quality: Maybe its my van, but it really really sucks. First of all, the orange peel is comparable to a modern Rolls-Royce or Honda (ok, maybe I’m being unfair and remember days gone by when people actually put a vague amount of care into paint application at even the $250k price point). But the part I really hate is that the car has more scratches and paint chips than my W124 does- at 22 years of age and a gadrillion miles.

2) The drivers seat tilt adjustment: Nice big knob, easily to hold and turn. Adjusts seat nice and easy. If only it would hold the position I put it in (all the way up).

3) Lack of folding seats- I wish the backrests on the seats folded down. It would make creating space and removing the things so much easier…

4) Fuel economy: I had unreasonable expectations because the salesmen and the test route for their debut created an idea that these things could achieve 30+ mpg. Of course they can, going downhill, as in that test. I have been averaging 21-22 these days, until the accident, which has knocked it under 20 due to the compromised aerodynamics. This is compounded by…

5) The tiny fuel tank: Why the heck did they put an 18 gallon tank on this? I would have put at least a 25 gallon tank in, maybe a 30. I know I’m spoiled by my ’95 E300 Diesel’s 23.8 gallon tank (actually nearly 25 when you include the filler neck) and its consistent 35mpg at 80mph. (That produces an ideal highway range of over 800 miles.) Having to refill my tank at 300 miles drives me nuts. I was wondering if they offer a dual tank option I could retrofit (36 gallons would be acceptable, trust me!)

 

[parsi]

Top five.

1. Cargo capacity- the capacity and flexibility have made work and play much easier.

2. Maneuverability- Once I get "that thing which shall not be uttered" squared away the ability to put the box where I want is impressive.

3. Comfort- Apart from the discomfort engendered by "that thing which shall not be uttered" this thing is a joy to drive for long stretches.

4. Fuel Economy- I've always been a pretty MPG conscious driver and I think the Metris really responds to driving style. I can average 30MPG if I pay attention and my "Since reset" number sits at 28.1. I know that's about 2MPG over reality but still pretty impressive. No utterance of "that thing which shall not be uttered" here.

5. Adaptability- MB made a good decision in supplying an empty shell in the cargo version and let the owner adapt it to their needs. Keeps cost down and allows for customization. Whether that's a concept many people embrace remains to be seen. Would be nice if "that thing which shall not be uttered" was customizable.

6. I'm going to add Cross Wind Assist here. So effective you forget it's working, why I almost forgot to add it here and why I broke another thread rule.


Bottom five.

1. That "thing which shall not be uttered"- No expounding, just really have to question the judgement of MB to ship a stock van without blind side assist, possibly no windows behind the driver, rear view camera that shows your bumper and license plate but not any peripheral area and then supply that with telescopic rear view mirrors better designed for bird watching then backing into tight spaces or changing lanes. And while I'm busy not expounding, of MB to deny any issue while offering no hope of any solution. Yes, yes, put a $3 sticker on that S600 and get over it.

2. Corporate cluelessness- From receptionists to sales guys to parts to customer support to service writers, no one seems to know much about our vehicles. I blame MB corporate for not investing the resources into new vehicle introduction, and if you really want only fleet sales then sell only to fleet managers.

3. Road Noise- Sure it contradicts #5 above, but i'm a consumer so I'm allowed to be wishy-washy.

4. Tires- A big part of the road noise problem, but mine were also extremely hard to balance. Dealer supposedly tried and proclaimed them perfect, after which I went to a speed shop who did the best they could. Noisy, lacking suppleness and quality control.

5. Electronics- Navigation unit is pre-OnStar, entertainment system is pre-Atari and phone integration is pre-Razr. I know it's all price point, but sheesh it's embarrassing.

Overall I'll take my top five over my bottom five, but there's times I question the decision. Time will tell.

cheers,
parsi

 

[Styles]

Likes:
1) Fuel mileage: we've been averaging 26-29mpg on trips with 2-4 adults and a couple kids and everything that comes with them in summer heat and the AC always on. I was very disappointed when the EPA ratings came out but have not once had a tank under 22 mpg for around town use.

2) The interior lighting package: I guess it matters if you have a passenger but the LED interior lights, footwell lights and options for turning them on or even all off are great. I especially like the "all off" button even though the lights will eventually go off on their own if the doors are left open it's nice just to have them off.

3) Goes into park if I open the door in drive: it's not something I usually do but but a pretty cool safety feature otherwise. used to have to jump in and out when hitching a trailer in my ford van, the backup camera makes hitching super easy now.

4) Manual side doors: they are super light and easy to operate, really like the latch that locks them in place, who needs power doors.

5) The overall package: the van just seems up for anything and doesn't make much fuss for any of it. lots of space, great driver/passenger area. I have the divider option which is really great for hanging things in the back.

Dislikes:
1) Lack of factory supplied electronic brake controller connector. This thing is rated to tow any other truck on the market with the same capacity has a built in controller or a connector somewhere.

2) Rear seats not folding: the seats are heavy it would be so nice if they at least folded in half.

3) Becker Map Pilot: it will get you there (in it's own creative ways) but sometimes it wants you to get off the highway, do a couple clover leaves and get back on in the same direction you had been heading.

4) Rear fold up hatch: it's big, it's heavy, it's great to be able to open the back of the van but doesn't always latch the first time cause it moves a lot of air.

5) Merc dealers/corporate: To echo the above comment, I felt like I had to hold my sales guys hands to get the vehicle ordered and even after it showed up no one knows anything from the service/parts side/customer service side. This is from trying to get the brake controller thing sorted to having to hunt around for things like rubber floor mats and even mud flaps or winter wheels.

 

[Greenmanedlion]

On your number four dislike: it's a German car thing. Just slam it. It's not that you are moving a lot of air, but because of the relative airtight need of the body, you are compressing a lot of air.

 

[aebad]

Likes:
1) Fuel mileage: we've been averaging 26-29mpg on trips with 2-4 adults and a couple kids and everything that comes with them in summer heat and the AC always on. I was very disappointed when the EPA ratings came out but have not once had a tank under 22 mpg for around town use.
.

I'll make up my list soon, but have to ask, is this figure based on trip computer or based on actual calculation? I ask because I find my computer has been 2 to 4 mpg over actual mpg since new.

 

[Styles]

I'll make up my list soon, but have to ask, is this figure based on trip computer or based on actual calculation? I ask because I find my computer has been 2 to 4 mpg over actual mpg since new.

it's a combination of both tank average and individual trip (from start) average. I've found the computer to be pretty accurate though. We are getting ~430-450 miles per tank before the first light comes on, on road trips, and filling 16.5-18 gal. My from reset numbers over 6k mile are 25.4 mpg which goes down once we are back in town. I've done about 500 miles and put in 18.2 gal. The trip median is probably 26 with the highest tank average being 27.7mpg with around town tank averages being 22-23mpg calculated.

 

[aebad]

it's a combination of both tank average and individual trip (from start) average. I've found the computer to be pretty accurate though. We are getting ~430-450 miles per tank before the first light comes on, on road trips, and filling 16.5-18 gal. My from reset numbers over 6k mile are 25.4 mpg which goes down once we are back in town. I've done about 500 miles and put in 18.2 gal. The trip median is probably 26 with the highest tank average being 27.7mpg with around town tank averages being 22-23mpg calculated.

Thanks. You are doing way better than me! When I mentioned the inaccuracies of my trip computer I got the "they all do that" reply. Interesting to see that is not the case. How fast do you drive on highway?

 

[Styles]

probably 70 tops. sometimes when the speed limit is 70mph I'll put the cruise on 72. it's pretty much like any other car once you start creeping over 70 the fuel mileage starts to drop pretty fast. best economy I've seen has been poking around back roads at 40-55 mph.

 

[DKTVAV]

It took a while to make up my list and here they are:

Likes:

1. First van made by Mercedes. Love to drive around when people turning heads to realize it's a Benz. I've seen only 1 silver passenger van so far since last November. Even in Vegas it's got attention from people around.

2. All 6 seats of my 8 passenger are the same size in the back. Look at the middle seat on the second row of Honda, Toyota, Nissan, ... it's so little like for the car seat, toddlers ... not adult people.

3. Seats position and ground clearance are higher than other minivans.

4. Longer service interval at 15,000 miles.

5. Don't know what else to like so: I like driving a Mercedes - Benz.


Dislikes:

1. Changing fog light bulbs is impossible without tools. Need to jack up or on ramp to remove the bottom black panel of the bumper to gain access to the bulbs. It's not even in the manual about changing fog light bulbs: are they supposed to last forever. Just unbelievable Mercedes-Benz designers didn't think about it: light bulbs degrade every time we turn them on and need to be swapped without tools.

2. Two front seats need to swap the knob and the pump lever positions. We always have to move seats all the way forward to turn the knobs.

3, The door handles to get in/out the van are at the wrong place.

4. Eco Stop/Start doesn't work properly like from other line of Mercedes. It will turn off the engine at the red light when ever it feels like doing so, if not in a good mood engine just keeps running while waiting at red lights.

5. Back seats are not foldable and no armrests.

 

[aebad]

I am usually too lazy for this stuff, but here goes...by the way my van is now 9 months old with 20K miles.

Likes:

1. Comfortable - made some long trips and found it quite comfortable

2. Engine and transmission - the engine does all I ask of it and transmission has shifted smoothly.

3. Service interval - I still wonder if this is more marketing than sound mechanical thinking, but as I said, I am lazy, so I am embracing it.

4. Air conditioning - I don't have the heavy duty system or what ever they called it, but have had some miserably hot weather this summer and no issues with system keeping everyone cool, front and rear.

5. Room - it has lots of it.

Dislikes

1. Mirrors - violating original posters rule only because this annoys me so much. I have a complete lack of confidence driving in congested places. As petty as it might sound, had I spent any time with this van before buying it, perhaps as a rental, this would have been a deal breaker. Hoping the convex replacement I have on order changes this.

2. Trip computer/fuel gauge - inaccurate. I keep track of mpg on fuelly and find trip computer is 2 to 3 mpg off. Also, have noticed that the miles to empty and fuel gauge, which I suspect may be tied in, are also useless. Today, for example, my low fuel light went on. Needle on fuel gauge was between 1/4 and 1/8 and system said I had about 100 miles to empty. Within 17 actual miles it went from 100 to the point where it stops giving you a mileage estimate...about 45 miles left. (Why it stops giving you an estimate in miles is a mystery) and fuel gauge went to almost completely empty...17 miles. As I mentioned before, I was told by dealer they all do this and MBNA has completely ignored my questions on this subject, telling me dealer knows best...which brings me to...

3. Dealer - went to three different dealers in my area when seeking to make purchase with same result...they knew nothing about van. Service has been condescending and not at all helpful. We almost had an argument when they insisted that topping up ADBLUE was part of 15K service. I suspect this is first and last MB I will ever own as I feel like I have been treated like a dunce.

4. MBNA - I have written to them with questions and complaints and gotten almost incoherent responses. I explained clearly that dealer didn't know or have answers I sought, and they said I should talk to dealer. Again, first and last. I am not a rookie car owner. Have been at this for a while. Have owned dozens of personal cars many more vehicles of all types for business and never have had issues like this that have made me feel like a fool for doing business with a company.

5. Ergonomics - The major things are okay, but so many little things make me wonder if anyone in engineering ever took the van out for a spin. Others have mentioned things...but my biggest issues have been with visibility (like the rent...the headrests are too **** high), seat controls, door handles, mirrors, radio, etc..

6. Radio/NAV - amateur hour stuff. This isn't 1995.

7. Rattles - absolutely absurd. I have rattles from every where...seats...doors...rear hatch...roof...rear seat tracks...and lately, I have new squeaks from dashboard.

8. Cheap materials - I suspect paint may be watercolor. Chips on minor contact. Interior plastics are warping. Worst is on tops of sliding doors and dash.

9. Fuel tank size - too **** small...why?

10. Tires - noisy, noisy tires.

Uh oh...I seem to have gone past my allotted amount...sorry. I am really hoping to get some of these issues addressed and hoping my attitude changes. I want to love this van. It is the right size, does what I need it to, but all the little things have left me very unhappy.

 

[aebad]

Sorry I seem to have killed this thread by whining so much...but for the sake of being complete...

11. Clock - the clock loses a few minutes every few weeks.

 

[JamesK]

11. Clock - the clock loses a few minutes every few weeks.

Yes, and for such a minor thing it turns out to be quite an irritation for me, probably because I thought that timekeeping was a solved problem.

 

[Maximus]

Top Five Likes:
1. It’s a Mercedes and have always liked the Mercedes vans. I travel a lot for work and spend a lot of time in Europe and have always had “van envy” of the euro vans and vito’s that I see while traveling.
2. Driving position and Viability. I like sitting above most of the traffic and like the overall feel of the driving position
3. It’s awesome for people and big dogs. I had a Honda Element that was good (not perfect) for big dogs, not so great for people. Our dog can get right up into the Van with no issues. With the Metris I can haul both people and dogs plus gear and still have space leftover and not feel crammed into a tight space.
4. Active Parking assist, I love that and although it can be a novelty, I think its super cool.
5. The overall driving and performance. I like how the van drives; it gets great gas mileage for what it is. Super smooth over rough roads and feels more like a car and not a large-ish van. We have taken a number of small road trips and the whole family loves it.

Top Five Dislikes
1. No sun roof or windows that open. I get it, it’s a commercial van, but come on….I know the Vito has a pano sun roof which I would have gladly paid for as a factory option. It would be awesome if at least the back windows flipped open like the R350 does.
2. Non folding / adjustable seats. Oy….this is a pain in the ass and there should be options like what they have in Europe. There are accessories and chair configs that they get that should be offered here in the states.
3. The head unit….this would have been awesome in 2005. I don’t need a 27inch nav screen, but c’mon, my iPhone’s screen is almost the same size. I get that the tech is tried and true, it’s just unnecessarily old at this point. I might as well have a cassette player or possibly an 8 track player just to make a point.
4. As others have mentioned, the dealer support and knowledge about the Metris. As I mentioned in my intro and purchase announcement, the first dealer I went to was a beautiful dealership, but when it came to knowing or understanding what it is, is not and purchasing options they were clueless. I think I would add a number five, but it’s related to number four regarding corporate appearing to not support the dealers in any way regarding the marketing, support, etc… but consider this dead horse beaten.

Overall and so far I love the Metris. Sure some things could be better, but for what it is, I love it.

 

[flacaproductions]

METRIS LOVES/HATES

LOVES
#1 - Cargo accessibility/handling: Flat floor/square corners/dual sliding doors. Great, easy access to all my stuff. Low floor makes it really easy.

#2 - Driving position. I’m used to being up high and this is really good.

#3 - Tech. Despite the head unit/nav being archaic, the blind spot assist (after I changed the mirrors to convex) is great and it’s easy to drive for long stretches. Gas mileage is much better than my previous suburban (not hard, but still).

#4 - Looks. It’s black with black wheels and a light tint. It’s sharp. People notice and comment and it makes a good impression when I roll up to a job.

HATES
#1 Dealer/MB support. When I ordered mine (cargo version) I wanted both the dual battery feature as well as full cargo-area wall protection (Option VA3) but was told that I couldn’t get both as they conflict in the ordering software. Seems strange, but that stuff kicks back strange combos sometimes so we forged ahead by opting to have the factory do the dual battery thing and my dealer (MB of Beverly Hills) assured me that they would order the appropriate cargo protection panels and do the install. Fine. Until it wasn’t.

I took delivery on June 9. As of today, I still have no panels covering the inside of the sliding doors. This is particularly frustrating as I’ve already dented those panels from the inside out (the dealer picked up the tab for the paintless dent removal) I managed to get the rear/upper panels from the dealer (but had to acquire the mounting hardware on my own (thanks Parsi) and I’ve now pretty much resolved that I’m going to have to go and get the doors lined by a 3rd party. More frustrating - I was told that they either can’t or won’t sell the VA3 panels by themselves. Huh? I can’t be the only person in the world that wants these separately.

I took this to the regional level as I had a contact there from the early days of the Metris introduction. The proved completely and totally worthless - and I’ll give my salesman some credit - he’s in sales, not parts. But he made promises that the parts dept. couldn’t fulfill and now I’m fully irritated. I’m sure they hate me when they see me roll into the dealer….see #2 - it’s becoming mutual.

#2 Mechanical issues. at 450 miles, I had an issue that caused me to lose all turbo boost. It was easy to diagnose (cracked tube/pipe) but the closest replacement part was in Dallas and would be two days to get. I pushed pretty hard and they did the right thing by taking one off of another Metris on the lot. Now, they’re not supposed to do that and I was told they had to go to the President of the dealership to get it to happen. Either way, I missed a day of work - no fault of the dealer, they did a graceful recovery - but the vehicle let me down. As I write this, the Metris is again at the dealer as I was experiencing a rubbing/grinding from the front right wheel (speed sensitive) that has gotten louder and more frequent since the first time I took it back 2 weeks ago. I now have 2500 miles on it. It’s been back to the shop 3 times. I had an 07 2500 Suburban for 110k miles and it saw the dealership exactly once during that stretch for something other than routine service. It was taken care of in 2 hours. This is my rolling office. It misses work, I miss work. Not cool.

#3 Payload. I moved the same gear to this from a 2500 suburban with the same payload capacity. In fact, I’m at 6560 lbs. fully loaded - just under the GVWR at 6,724 lbs. So, yes - i’m on the hairy edge, but it rides pretty low in the back and hits the stops over moderate bumps. I’m going to install airbags and take care of the issue but this wasn’t even a consideration with the Sub. Completely different vehicles, I know, but it’s frustrating for me since I went for the Metris due to the same (and touted) payload capabilities.

#4 - did I mention dealer/MB support? ugh.

 

[Tree95]

I've had mine for two weeks and have 5,300 miles on it so far.

Like
1) Range - 450 to 475 per tank at highway speeds! I love it. The 18g tank is wonderful.

2) Turning radius - it's a dream to park.

3) Power - For only 200HP, it's pretty spirited. I know that wouldn't be the case towing 5000lb, but lightly loaded (700lb total), it had no issues zooming up the Rocky moutains on I-70. At 8000ft, there is a bit of turbo lag.

4) Transmission - Paddle shifters! Actually, they aren't really needed very often (downshift on down hill stretches). The transmission shifts down briskly when needed. It's hard to believe this is a van! 4.5) I like the shifter on the column instead of the dashboard or between the seats.

5) Seat - pretty comfy for 12-14 hours driving a day. with cruise control on, I like being able to put both feet flat on the floor.

6) Ride - it's obviously not a luxury car, but for a cargo van, I'm darn impressed.

7) Interior storage - front doors have a cubby under the armrest, big tray lower down. Two cubbies either side of radio. Cubby below radio. Three storage areas on the top of the dashboard. Maybe best not to use them underway, but they are great places to 'stash stuff' while parked.

Dislike

1) Mirrors. Can't be said often enough.

2) Did I mention the right hand outside mirror? OK, then the backup camera is pointed too low so you can't see far enough behind the van. I do like the alternate view that looks right at the trailer hitch.

3) The trailer connector doesn't have 12v even though the manual says it should. (MB to look at it Monday). I hope this is just my van, but looking at the fuse manual (22 pages!), I don't see any mention of power to the trailer hitch connector. The 7-pin connector only has 6 wires going to it. I'm guessing the 12V pin (#4) is not connected to anything.

4) Outside engine noise. Standing next to it at idle, it seems sorta noisy. I have no complaints about inside engine noise while moving. (At 6000rpm under heavy load, you can hear the airflow coming out of the exhaust!)

5) It's annoying that the rear cargo doors swing closed unless they are opened the full 90 degrees and latched.

 

[Greenmanedlion]

The outside engine noise is common to direct injection engines. It's called rail clatter, and is the same sound you get more strongly from diesels.

 

[tcp]

Likes:

1) Visibility.

2) Seats are quite comfortable for long drives.

3) Size. Not only size in general, which sold us on the Metris, but it has a short snout allowing for more cargo room in van shorter and narrower than the Honda Odyssey.

4) Active safety features especially blind spot assist. (As a side note, are people complaining about all the radar that blind spot monitoring systems are sending out on the highways?)

5) Extra battery option which allowed easy electrification of my minimalist camper features like fan and interior lighting.

Dislikes:

1) Speedometer is on the wrong side so my hand on the steering wheel blocks my view. If the speedometer was on the right side, the left side of the speedometer, which includes the speeds I drive, would be visible in the center.

2) Instrument cluster display is limited. I have it set to show mph but would like mph and miles left in tank at the same time but can't seem to get it to show both at once.

3) Becker map pilot.

4) Ridiculously large cup holders. I've lined mine with some foam on one side to keep my thermoses from rattling around too much.

5) Engine designed for premium gas.

 

[Lane on the fence]

One thing on the engine noise as green m eluded to is the fuel rail chatter, also, something runs loud on the engine for about 30 seconds and shuts off and then one thing runs for 30 seconds more and shuts down, then everything gets more quiet. My wife's x3 does something similar... Sounds like a hair dryer for a short period.

 

[gogoKawi]

I've had the van for over a month now. I have to say that I really like it. It does everything that I need it to. However, there are some frustrating aspects about it.

Likes
1) Looks
2) Cargo space - 2 motorcycles in a vehicle the size of a mid-size truck is fantastic.
3) MPG - 23 to 26 mpg while hauling all of my motorcycle crap is amazing.
4) Drive quality - very smooth, peppy, and agile.
5) Comfort - I just drove 400 miles without stopping and wasn't sore or uncomfortable. I'm very impressed.

Dislikes
1) Mirrors - we all know why.
2) Rattling interior panels - This is the thing that disappoints me the most. I can't listen to music without something rattling. I'm going to be forced to insulate everything just so I can jam to some tunes when I'm on the road.
3) Seatbelts knocking against the plastic paneling - The same thing happened in the loaner Metris I had. With the windows down, the passenger side seatbelt bumps against the plastic piece it rests against. It gets annoying real quick. Rubber or felt behind it should handle things. But I shouldn't have to do that.
4) No set models - Looking for a Metris with the features I want was such a pain. Each vehicle I looked at had 90% of what I wanted. Having an E, L, S, R, etc models would have made life a lot easier. Like many people, I had to make concessions and get something with most of what I wanted. Yes, ordering is an option. But that's not an option for everyone.
5) The European version has all of the good stuff.

 

[Lunarnighthawk]

I have had my Metris for about 2.5 months, 2 of which were spent on a 10k road trip to the Pacific NW, by way of Glacier Nat'l. Park and into Canada, then down the coast to San Diego.


Likes
1) The seats turned out to be just what they said, Comfort Seats. Very happy with those.
2) 25 mpg gave a cruising range of over 400 miles and that works for me (more would be better).
3) Surprisingly quiet, though the panel (full factory) in the driver's side slider rattled every once in a while.
4) Agile and good acceleration. Drives quite nicely esp. for a van.
5) Stereo is better than I expected.
6) Surprisingly little air disturbance with the window(s) down compared to other vehicles I've owned.
7) Wish they had offered the 4WD (or AWD) in the U.S.


Dislikes
1) Mirrors, can't have enough with no side windows. They should have put something like the Sprinter mirrors on this van, though maybe not quite that large. The factory passenger side mirror was a BIG mistake. I ordered the MB part no. 4478110533 which came today and that is what should have been there all along, right from there own catalog. Can't thank the forum or the individual who figured that one out. Thank you!
2) The analog speedometer has only MPH on it and no KPH. That is a big mistake as well. I haven't owned or ridden in a vehicle that did not have both since way back when. A terrible (and unnecessary) inconvenience while traveling in Canada.
3) If I could just stop activating the turn signal when adjusting the cruise control!!!!!!


-) I haven't been to the dealer for service yet, so can't say yet.
+) My salesman was pretty knowledgeable and spent a good deal of time with me during the ordering process.