If 1 meter = 1 yard, inches would still not exist in this metric system. Every individual imperial unit is fine. Inches are fine. Yards are fine. Gallons are fine. But the ratio between inches and yards is not. The ratio of cubic yards to gallons is insane.
Even if one metric unit would exactly equal an imperial unit, the systems would still be incompatible. Metric is not superior because of how “big” each individual unit is, but because it is a coherent system. The only conversions between units are by factors of 10 (except for units of time but I think that’s the only measurement the whole world agrees on). You never need to learn a conversion rate with an arbitrary factor like in the imperial system.
What volume does one pound of water have? How long are the sides of a cube of that volume? How much energy do you need to raise a one pound object up by one yard?
In the respective metric units the answer to these conversions is either 1 or a factor of 10
How many of those conversions are a factor of 8 or 12?
Metric is a lot more then just meters and centimeters and all of those conversions make sense