Be sure to get Mercedes brand car seats; they are vastly superior to most of what is available in the US market. (If not, at least get Euro style isofix types).

 

For the next upgrade... Vasectomy.

Slick van. Enjoy it.

Also. Isofix

 

We have seats from Clek. Very high quality. They also have a nice leather one if a person needs to match their luxury interior. Also, tons of color options if you need to color code by kid to keep them straight

http://clekinc.com/

 

Thanks guys.

The Isofix certainly makes installation a breeze. Those Clek brand seats look nice but are super pricey ($400+).
I'll be installing a new HU, amp, and speakers soon. I'll be sure to keep the forum updated on that project.

 

Yes, not cheap, but if you need booster/conversion models they do have clearance seats for 200 on their website.

 

One boggles at the idea of buying a Mercedes and then contemplating inexpensive child seats. I don’t have any children, and I never will (this is the ultimate gift of love I give to them), but cheap crap is crap.

 

Nobody that buys the Metris as a family van is buying it because it's a Mercedes. They buy it because it's the right tool for the job. It has nothing to do with income, prestige, or assumed quality. The Metris is the cheapest Mercedes on the market. In fact I bought my van with every option available and it was still several thousand dollars cheaper than I paid for my Sienna 24 months ago (and I got a good deal on the Sienna), and several thousand dollars cheaper than the Odyssey that we looked at and several thousand dollars cheaper than even the Kia Sedona that we looked at. I know that you will just think all that means is that you get good value, but that's not true either. All of those other minivans include so much more than you can get on the Metris; HID/LED head lights, LED turn and stop lights, power rear hatch, remote open/close for both sliding doors and rear hatch, dual sunroofs, wheels in contemporary sizes (19-20 inch), AWD/4 wheel drive, adaptable cruise control, keyless entry, remote start, electric adjustable seats, memory position seats and mirrors program able to the key fob, heated/cooled seats, heated second row seats, reclining 2nd and 3rd row seats, adjustable 2nd row seats, fold away 2nd and 3rd row seats, 2nd and 3rd row cup holders, integrated entertainment systems, superior navigation, Apple/android play, fold down DVD screen with infrared headphones, multiple USB ports in the 2nd and 3rd rows, retractable sunscreens in the 2nd and 3rd row, power windows 2nd and 3rd rows, and myriad electronic safety and convenience features. In short the Metris is the least well equipped family vehicle on the market, it is cheap. So, if someone wants to buy a Metris and install an inexpensive car seat I think it fits the Metris just fine.

 

Nobody that buys the Metris as a family van is buying it because it's a Mercedes. They buy it because it's the right tool for the job. It has nothing to do with income, prestige, or assumed quality. The Metris is the cheapest Mercedes on the market. ...... In short the Metris is the least well equipped family vehicle on the market, it is cheap. So, if someone wants to buy a Metris and install an inexpensive car seat I think it fits the Metris just fine.

I agree with some of your points but have to say that when you buy a Mercedes, whether a luxury version or a commercial version you are still buying a Mercedes with all that it represents. I am lucky enough to have been able to buy and own a V Class (Bought and registered in Mexico). While in Mexico we do not have a commercial version available the V class is well equipped but still lacks some "comfort" options that the minivans do, however I do believe I have more bang for the buck. My V class is the most equipped with as many options as I could get (other than the double sunroof that was ordered but neglected by the factory) in Mexico which are few less than those offered in Europe. The V class is the best of two worlds, you have luxury and refinement of the passenger side of MB but keep the reliability and durability of a commercial vehicle. even in spite of their production mistakes, probably they don't pay as much attention as you would expect from MB since more than 90-95% of their volume is commercial.

While in the US they only offer the commercial version, It still is a great vehicle. To GML's point you can drive it as long as you want if properly maintained, whether you want to drive it for too long, that's another story, either way you will benefit with a higher resale value than other brands.

But yeah, you don't have to buy everything Mercedes, there are plenty great car seats in the market that offer good safety and have ISOFIX

 

Jcam, congratulations on your the twins and on your new van. I hope you find the forum helpful.

 

A Mercedes is an expensive vehicle to own and operate. They are much more sparsely equipped and a lot less flexible than a comparably equipped minivan. You buy one for construction quality, long life, nonpareil safety record, and superior high speed performance. If none of these things matter to you, you made a terrible mistake.

 

It's only expensive to own and operate if you "take it to the dealer". LOL

 

Actually, you have it backwards. The biggest cost in your average work vehicle is fuel use. After fuel use (a Metris has a V6 minivan or low roof Full-size van flattened in that area) the biggest cost over its life, unless you hyper extend that life, is depreciation.

The value of the vehicle approaches scrap value as it wears out. So the most efficient way to decrease the per month or per mile cost of a vehicle is to extend its life as long as possible. Properly servicing your van at a dealer or competent MB specialist is the key to getting the longest possible life. You maintain your van and don’t abuse it, you can do well over half a million miles in it.

That’s when they become cheap.

They become REALLY expensive when you, without a SDS or extensive experience on a lot of Metris vans, 7G-Tronic tranny’s and M274 engines, Miss some component that is getting ready to fail, don’t replace it preemptively, and get to replace the half dozen things it takes with it when it goes, and have a bunch of other things that were stressed further by it’s degradation.

The old wag about “Nothing is more expensive than a cheap Mercedes” relates to just how many expensive things break or are broken on a car that has been chronically undermaintained.

 

So you would rather pay to drive the same van 500,000 miles than buy 2 new ones on what you spent (turbo replacement, alternator, steering rack, ect....) on maintenance during that same time period from the "dealer"? You'll probably have $10000 in break jobs alone.LOL
Don't forget you'll need a new drivers seat and possibly a new steering wheel, because if not. You'll be riding on springs and your hands gripping metal. Meanwhile. i'll be in my second late model new van. While your still in a dealer maintained jalopy!!!

 

There aren’t springs in the seat, they are foam seats. And actually, I’ve owned several vehicles with well over 500k miles on them and those things last well over that.

And yes, I would very much prefer the vehicle I know to the one I don’t. Further, it doesn’t cost the price of a whole new vehicle to maintain one vehicle for 500k than maintaining two for 250k. It’s actually about 25% cheaper overall.

 

Well, maybe there's no grid spring in the metris. But, you know what I meant! And if you want to drive a vehicle for 500,000 miles reliably. More power to you. Personally, I won't do it!

 

We can agree you won’t.

 

Yep, not good to roll up to a customer's house or business in a 10 yr old POS metris w/ 500,000 miles. Or worse not making it there!

 

I don’t think you can compare the metris to other mini van. The metris is a commercial van those other ones aren’t so yes they will make it more luxurious and cost more and have more options but I’m sure if there is a Vito on the US market it would cost about the same or more then there other mini vans.

 

When I was 17 I had a 240D I bought from a guy who was on his way to the junkyard with it. Service records and a lot of other information suggested it had been around its 5-digit odometer at least 10 times (4 trips by the previous owner alone). At that mileage it did have worn out seats. Steering wheel still had that absurdly squishy plastic MB used in the day. I drove that thing for six months before I was T-boned.

Other than it being slow as almighty **** (0-60 was a theoretical concept rarely achieved), which really, it was that when new, I never had problem one with the thing. It certainly never failed to arrive anywhere, or start. It was ratty, but no rattles.

 

Good to hear the Mercedes wheel held up. My E-150 is down to metal after 10 yrs and 238,000 miles and my son still uses it, when he can afford to put gas in it.

 

Somewhere I read the life expectancy of the engine and turbo is 155,000 miles on avg. Maybe it wa designed for that but I was a little surprised at that estimate. , seeems low. And no I can’t find it now but I am sure of it. Maybe if the oil changes were more often it would be greater...

 

I’ll take the 155,000 miles before turbo go. My 2013 F150 ecoboost that I waited 3 month for bc I didn’t take one off the dealer lot I wanted my own options in “took delivery January 2013” motor and turbos went at 33,000 miles January 2016 and the dealer telling me I have to pay out of pocket for repairs “ I didn’t I just sold the truck” I’ll be happy with 155,000 miles

 

33k? Shouldn’t that be under warranty?

 

That what I thought but they said it’s something I did. I fought with them and also took it another dealer with the same response so I dump it and never will go back to that company.

 

Case study in customer service and customer retention, that.

 

We bought a Metris because even 3 kids in a “regular” minivan is crap, and will only get worse as they get bigger. We also bought it for build quality. Chryco is junk, Honda wants way to much for what you get and Toyota is soulless...

We have 5 kiddos, 4 in car seats and prefer Britax seats. They are a good compromise in price/safety.

 

I had my first kid this year in March she in the uppababy car seat. Good reviews and we like it. It doesn’t go in the metris since I only have a cargo van. But in case I need to run while watching her I would have to strap it down like this.

 

heh. I think legally you are better off with the carseat in the passenger seat if you really need to put her in the van. Congrats of the kid. They sure change everything

 

It does deactivate the airbag with a child seat in the front pax seat, I’m pretty sure.

 

Yes, if functioning correctly and the Occupant Classification System (OCS) should properly identify that the airbag should be disabled and should light the indicator. Easy enough to test.

 

Multimac car seats

too bad these car seats are not certified in the US. They are made by Multimac

 

too bad these car seats are not certified in the US. They are made by Multimac

These are too cool. I have the Diono slim because when my third kid was born my wife drove the GLK which couldn't fit the 3 regular car seats. Now with the van those are in my car and my wife got back the bigger ones we had.

 

Can you imagine! I guess if you were running a toddler shuttle service that would be perfect. Going to need the built in vacuum system though