Doing Business in the City: A Look at the 2016 Mercedes-Benz Metris Midsize
Mary Moore
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Mercedes-Benz Metris Midsize for business.
Taking a trip into the city for me is exciting – it usually means dinner at a nice restaurant or shopping at the downtown boutiques. Things are happening in the city – and where things are happening is where people want to be. Where things are happening is also where many business owners want to be, logically. However while running a business in the city or servicing a downtown market can possibly increase a company’s exposure to the public, it can also come with a special set of challenges such as excessive traffic, tight parking, parking garages and high rent. Since being a business owner in the city has its own set of demands, metropolitan business owners can have an advantage with service vehicles that offer flexibility in size, versatility, safety and price.
Right sized vans, in two versions
The Mercedes-Benz Metris midsize is gaining recognition with small business owners because of its starting price of $28,950 and its higher cargo capacity (45% more cargo volume than the Ford Transit Connect) mixed with smaller body size – down 30.9 in x 3.8 in x 21.5 in. from the Mercedes-Benz’s other cargo van model, the Sprinter. The smaller frame size on the midsize vehicle means more ease in fitting into large metropolitan parking garages and flexibility for those owners who also work out of their homes. I also found it more closely related to the feeling of driving my own personal sized minivan – even the cargo van, which I found had lower visibility on the road due to the barrier behind the front seats and lack of rear side windows was easy for me to navigate through downtown traffic, tight turns and tight spaces.
Mercedes-Benz Metris Midsize Cargo Space. Credit: Mercedes-Benz.
Customizing the Metris to Be Who You Want to Be
By offering both a cargo and passenger version of the Metris, Mercedes-Benz has opened up a wide range of uses for this new midsize van – it would be perfect for Uber drivers, florists, event designers and more. Plus, by taking advantage of the Mercedes-Benz Upfitter program, which pairs a purchaser with a qualified Upfitter company, these vehicles can ultimately be uniquely designed to meet a vast array of customer requirements and personal brand designs. Want a rack put in to hang linens on or maybe refrigeration for delicate deliveries such as flowers? These are the solutions the Upfitter program seeks to find for you.
Passenger seating in the Mercedes-Benz Metris Midsize van. Credit: Mary Moore for AGirlsGuidetoCars
The vans also come in a wide variety of personality defining colors. My personal favorite is Dolomite Brown Metallic, shown on the car I test drove below.
Mercedes-Benz Metris Midsize. Credit: Mary Moore for AGirlsGuidetoCars
Get the Job Done : Ready, Set for Business
During my opportunity to test drive both the new Mercedes-Benz Metris vehicles, I found that both the cargo and passenger vans are more functionally designed for business than personal use. The interiors and dashboards on both are pretty basic and lacking defining style, however both are fully functional for getting the job done. For example, the dashboard in both styles are set up with cubbies in them that would be perfect for holding a clipboard or papers – because staying organized is important.
Interior design of the Mercedes-Benz Metris. Credit: Mary Moore for AGirlsGuidetoCars
Dashboard design on the 2016 Mercedes-Benz Metris. Credit: Mary Moore for AGirlsGuidetoCars
Ah, yes, Mercedes-Benz: the luxury of advanced safety features
Also good for business owners is that the Metris comes with advanced safety features; we’re getting used to these in our cars, but in basic vans these features might not be expected. Safety tech includes Active Parking Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Parktronic, Collision Prevention Assist, Blind Spot Assist and a rear view camera, as well as as 6 airbags in the cargo van and 8 airbags in the passenger version.
Then, there are some safety features that are great to have in a van that may have limited visibility or that are taller than most other vehicles of its size: Attention Assist, Crosswind Assist and standard load-adaptive electronic stability control. Most of these features are in place to keep you safe on the road, and keep you safe from a collision. For instance, the Lane Keeping Assist creates a vibration in the steering wheel anytime the vehicle you are driving drifts away from its lane towards the center line. The Active Parking Assist allows the vehicle to recognize a parking spot large enough for the vehicle size and upon pushing a button, automatically steers the vehicle into it – this was my favorite feature because I hate parallel parking.
What We Loved
- “Right-sized” for the market with larger capacity than smaller vans but less bulk than full size vans – making for easier parking and mobility in metropolitan areas.
- Flexibility in personal design – fully customizable
- Built for business with dashboard organization and spots for paperwork
- Ease of handling on the road with standard and optional safety features
- Extra features that help drivers navigate within city settings such as PARKTRONIC and Active Parking Assist
What You Need to Know
- Base price, $28,950 for the cargo vans; $32,500 for the passenger vans
- Basic interior – intended to be customized by buyers
- Metris 4-cylinder engines provide 258 lb-ft of torque
- Available in both cargo and passenger design
- Fuel economy: passenger, 20/23; (city/highway) cargo, 17/25 (city/highway)
Disclosure: This preview was part of a press release event. All opinions are my own.