PaulNowak:
Was going to start a new thread (and still can if I’m treading on anyone’s toes - sorry)
Heard today that our MANs (TGX XXL 440s) are going to be replaced by Actros Gigaspaces (forgot to ask which engine) just wondered what they’re like to live with (and in)
I’ve driven a few MANs over the years from very sad and basic, to my current one, my only experience of MB was an ex-Tesco Axor day cab 18 tonner that we had on hire for a bit at my old place.
Like the other guy says, fine when parked up but the driving part of them is horrid. I hate Stralis’s for many reasons but I’d actually gladly take a Stralis if the only other option was one of these Merc 2545 megaspaces (I don’t mind the Axor at all and the 2543 engine pulls really well). They’ve got zero power, zero traction (you’ll have the trailer coming round to say hello if use any kind of acceleration coming off a junction onto a slip road when the road is damp) and they also beat the Stralis for having the world’s most crappy radio which regardless of what you do with the audio settings still sounds like a 70s wireless with the tone control knob turned down to zero. Forget getting any sort of signal unless you can actually see the transmitter out of the window. The mega and gigaspace ones throw you all over the cab on average rutted/patched up roads too because they’re so tall. Basically there’s no premium feel about the Merc trucks - remove the badge and the finishes both inside and out would make you think that it’s something out of the Iveco stable.
+1.
I remember when I first got a chance to drive the new shape Actros’ a while after they first came out, I was quite excited because I had seen them about and thought they looked really smart. All I can say is it what a massive disapointment it was & I now my heart sinks whenever i’m thrown one of their daft rectangular keys.
If I tramped I would like the flat floored living space but everything else is dreadful & like you said, very little feeling of premium quality at all.
I’m a fan of the Atego ( brainfart sorry if course I mean Actros , comfy ride with plenty of space and storage, pulls well enough although could do with more grunt on the climbs but I’m guessing it’s a fuel economy thing as, bang in the middle of the green at 90kmh, my only grumble it’s that’s it’s really just too bleeding high up, is that really necessary?
All the lads at work preferred the XF out of the ones we ran on test, and it gave the best economy. For how many our place would have been ordering, they said they’d do us superspace cabs for the price of space cabs.
I was surprised, they even preferred the XF over FHs
Driven both Paul. New XF congratulated my ’ anticipation ’ and gave me lot’s of green ticks. The new FH’s are very good indeed, used to drive them at Stobbie’s. In my view, both are cracking cab’s for room and comfort.
Rob was bang on about the new Scania’s. I also always put them in AP mode. Nothing worse than dropping to 45 mph whilst on sodding cruise control!!
eagerbeaver:
Driven both Paul. New XF congratulated my ’ anticipation ’ and gave me lot’s of green ticks. The new FH’s are very good indeed, used to drive them at Stobbie’s. In my view, both are cracking cab’s for room and comfort.
Rob was bang on about the new Scania’s. I also always put them in AP mode. Nothing worse than dropping to 45 mph whilst on sodding cruise control!!
But you’ve driven everything, and for most companies [emoji6]
You’ve had more jobs in the last 12 months than I’ve driven units!!!
MrH:
I’m a fan of the Atego, comfy ride with plenty of space and storage, pulls well enough although could do with more grunt on the climbs but I’m guessing it’s a fuel economy thing as, bang in the middle of the green at 90kmh, my only grumble it’s that’s it’s really just too bleeding high up, is that really necessary?
That must be well old now? Not seen an Atego in years. Didn’t the they change the name on them to Axor as they share the same cab with the artic now no? Heard Antos (or something) mentioned too but no idea what that is.
PaulNowak:
All the lads at work preferred the XF out of the ones we ran on test, and it gave the best economy. For how many our place would have been ordering, they said they’d do us superspace cabs for the price of space cabs.
I was surprised, they even preferred the XF over FHs
I like the DAFs but people say they’re bad pullers too. I don’t find them to be noteworthy one way or the other. They do seem to like being knocked down a cog before taking on a hill with some weight otherwise they die pretty quickly but they’re perfectly acceptable pullers.
I’d say that Volvo and Renault (Volvo drive train) hold the trophy for best pullers. Scania went to [zb] since Euro 5 with all the emissions strangling. Merc definitely the worst by far.
Carl Usher:
I like the DAFs but people say they’re bad pullers too. I don’t find them to be noteworthy one way or the other. They do seem to like being knocked down a cog before taking on a hill with some weight otherwise they die pretty quickly but they’re perfectly acceptable pullers.
We run DAF CF 460 Euro 6 wagons. Up to 40 tonnes they’ll leave anything standing up hills however we regularly run back from Scotland at around 43.5t and you’re climbing up to Stainmore cafe eastbound on the A66 at 30MPH on the last hump and up Windy Hill from Manchester you are down to around 35MPH however climbing up to the top of Shap heading southbound on the M6 they’ll stay over 50MPH all the way up and you’re usually overtaking something. The 15 plate MAN TGA 440s we had in matched them on the A66 and M62 climbs but were slightly slower elsewhere.
We complained to our dealer (Mertrux) about a perceived lack of power, so they did a download (no faults found) and then sent their driver trainer with us.
He explained different techniques to try with changing down the 'box manually and few other things, using/not using CC etc., but basically the lorry will deliver power/torque as it wants to, regardless (to a degree) of how you press the throttle - it is “all about the economy”, as various folk have said.
The trainer was a really knowledgeable chap and put this across very well; it was a very informative and useful morning.
The recent article in CM explains how the new engine mods now mean it turns over at even less RPM(!)
