It’s been 13 years since Volkswagen last sold the Transporter in the US Market, known here at the time as the Eurovan. VW tried to rekindle the magic with the Routan, a rebadged Chrysler minivan which was a half-assed attempt at a German engineered van that fooled only the most naive of consumers. Ever since then, there’s been a steady stream of options within the minivan segment but nothing coming close to the one box design of the VW Transporter. Until now. Mercedes-Benz has boldly gone downmarket with their Sprinter formula and have introduced the Metris, a smaller van that is decidedly un-minivan like. This isn’t a new van, however.
Back in the early 1990s, Mercedes launched the Vito, a light duty van that could be configured in cargo or passenger forms. This first Vito was available with a version of VW’s VR6, in both 2.8 and 3.2 liter displacement, dubbed the M104.900. The Vito would be replaced by the second generation Viano which would turn into the V-class which we know as the Metris in the US and Canada. In Cargo Van form, this is currently the least expensive Mercedes-Benz you can purchase in the US. This lightly used Metris Passenger Van for sale in Pennsylvania is slightly more expensive but on par with some of the higher end minivans on the market.