Got this thing for three days whilst my usual ride is in for MOT. First impressions are very positive (once I turned the lane guidance crap off). The engine is a belter, visibility is phenomenal with door pillars and mirrors causing very little obstruction. Steering light and positive and brakes are awesome. The ride quality has made me realise just how shocking the ride on my Actros is!
The cruise on the other hand has already ■■■■■■ me off only 300km into my week . If you set the cruise at 89kph it would be fine, but set at my favourite of 86kph it has a tendency to accelerate (on the flat) for no reason whatsoever. This means that I’m spending an inordinate amount of time watching the digital speedo when other lorries are overtaking me as I don’t want to appear like one of them numpties who speeds up when being overtaken.
The twin tanks are too small and the drivers seat has no armrests, but I imagine both of them could be specced differently.
There is a power boost button in the menu on the steering wheel.
Three choices are economic drive, normal and boost up for the hills.
The night heater can blow air towards you in the vents or down on the floor, select direction on the panel below the radio.
The bottom bunk can be made in to a double size bed by pulling the lever.
The locker under the bottom bunk can not be accesed from outside the truck, no catch or lever outside.On the passenger side.
To get that side, lift up the bed.
Locker access is normal from the drivers side.
Air suspension can be adjusted in percentage.
The older Scanias do this too. In standard auto mode, It will speed up at the bottom of a hill to get you to the top a bit quicker. Assuming the gearbox set up is the same in the new one, twist the gear selector collar right round and it will toggle between A and AE. AE is like a maximum economy mode and it won’t give you the speed boost in this setting. Downside in AE is that I personally find it slows down at too much at the top of a hill before a descent. Running with the cruise set at 54 mph, it will slow down to about 46 mph before using momentum to gain speed going downhill. I find the drop in speed is too dangerous so I never use it in AE.
Yeah you’re correct there Damoq, I was having these problems when it was in eco mode, some faffing about in the menus saw me driving in standard mode (power mode disabled) and that seemed to cure it, it still drops into ecoroll but once it gets back down to 86kph it drops back into gear and drives again. No more speeding up by itself either.
A feature of the Actros that I like is that with my cruise set at 86 I can lower the parameters for the exhaust brake to kick in on the overrun if it reaches 89kph, unfortunately with the Scanny the lowest I can set it at when set at 86k’s is 91kph which quite frankly is no good as it means you’re braking to avoid an overspeed. If you’re bothered about them that is!
On the new Scania, why no locker access from stood outside , on the passenger side ?
It doesn’t make sense .
Lots of space under the bunk, storage trays on top .
Day two in the big brother house and I’m gonna nail my colours to the mast and say unequivocally that it’s the best lorry I’ve ever driven. The only faults I can find are nitpicking really and are probably down to the spec this one comes in; the engine hump is intrusive but IF (and it’s a big if) we get them we’ll have the R cab so that won’t be an issue. Seats with armrests would be specced too.
I’ve found out that the radio is FM and DAB too, so that’s happy days. It pulls like a steam train and although it’s badged the same as my usual Merc (450) I came up a hill fully loaded 10mph quicker in this than I do in the Merc.
A trip down to Somerset yesterday at approx 30 tonne, then empty to Worcester, trailer change and then 42tonne back to Lincolnshire resulted in a genuine 10.8 mpg (I brimmed the tank before and after and worked it out with pen and paper) and that’s from an engine with less than 2000 miles on it. As long as I don’t look in any shop windows as I pass and catch my reflection I’d be happy to keep it.
I am looking forward to getting back in the Merc Friday but that’s only cos all my gear is in it.
few questions for me learned fiend if you would be so kind
compared to the last Scanny you drove, have the improvements to the gearbox (have been told brake now on layshaft) made it noticeably better?
also, does the exhaust brake now do anything apart from make a noise? that was also supposed to be improved
thirdly i’m surprised at that being a 450, fully expected a 480/500 badge, but at max weight the previous 450 wasn’t anything to write home about, but you speak as if this model is a good puller, is it that much better?
I don’t have a problem with the looks of it, but a chrome wheel trim would help things, those yellow pointers are a bit too ‘obvious’ without, sort of like the wheelnuts have bright yellow condoms
Can’t knock those fuel figures, though…and i mean this quite genuinely mate, it has been in the hands of someone who actually gives a toss and knows how to maintain progress…and yes i mean you
Juddian I’ll try to answer your queries as best I can. Apologies if I miss anything
Believe it or not the last Scania I drove for more than a couple of miles was a 141 back in the 80’s so obviously any gearbox comparison is pretty much useless! . I will say though I drove my old MAN and still drive my Actros in manual as the gearboxes were and still are rubbish, the Scania however is a whole different ballgame. Not once have I asked for power and found it in the wrong gear or simply confused. You know the scenario where you think you have to stop, spot a gap and then floor it? This will confuse many boxes, not the Scanny, right gear every single time. Yes I have manually upshifted a few times but only because I could and was running light and didn’t need max torque.
The exhaust brake is now a proper 5 stage retarder and can stand it on its nose! Quite often I’ve knocked the cruise off at the beginning of an off slip, engaged the exhaust brake and found myself having to accelerate to get to the roundabout . My only problem with it is that even at stage 1 which is more like checking your speed as opposed to actually slowing it still causes the brake lights to come on. Obviously that can make you look like a dithering fanny to anyone following!
Obviously we’ll all want 8 billion horsepower on tap, and tbh I reckon 500/550 would be more than adequate for U.K. work at least. Having said that the 450 I’m driving is mightily impressive on the hill climb front.
There is an active menu you can call up which shows your driving “grades” if you will, which is right up my strasse as everything in life is a competition to me . After a day or two you will figure what the lorry “likes” and adjust accordingly. The big one is anticipation and it scores you for coming off the gas, coasting for four or five seconds before either braking/hitting the exhaust brake/getting back on the guess.
The below pic is the chart. The top one I haven’t figured out how to massage it yet as I don’t know what it is (perhaps I should RTFM! ). The second one is for service brake usage. The third for anticipation, and the last one for keeping it in the green band. Not difficult when driving in auto tbh.
Apologies for long winded answer mate, but you asked for it!
. If you set the cruise at 89kph it would be fine, but set at my favourite of 86kph it has a tendency to accelerate (on the flat) for no reason whatsoever. This means that I’m spending an inordinate amount of time watching the digital speedo when other lorries are overtaking me as I don’t want to appear like one of them numpties who speeds up when being overtaken.
