What’s with the ships wheel?? It’s bloody huge the biggest steering wheel in a truck I have seen I’m sure.
Pulls well enough and not too bad but a bit bouncy but that may be the way the trailer is loaded, will see what it’s like when I’m empty when I get out of the RDC hell hole.
On the whole I love the space in the cab and having a flat floor.
So far I have hated the Mercs we have, love the Little Daf flying machine CF. Don’t mind these Man’s to be fair. The MAN does 55mph so not too bad better than 52 but not as great as the 58mph Daf.
Still having driven all 3 of them I would still prefer the Volvos we have hands down, and I did learn in Pete Smythes Iveco which I actually quite liked for what it was.
My suggestion of order of the best tucks out of the ones I have driven is as follows:
1 Volvo
2 Daf
3 MAN
4 Iveco
5 Merc
Mercedes deffo comes bottom of my list and it’s almost a tough call between the MAN and Iveco as they are both very much the same to me.
yeah I know what you mean,MAN just never think about the size of the steering wheel when designing new models,been big for years,you would think they would have sorted it by now,turning circle is still crap as well ,in the order you put it that’s about right,iveco’s I don’t like,and you feel every bump in the road with mercs,suspension is crap
MAN are still quite old fashioned in many way, i suspect the idea of the steering being large wheel and low geared, is that you are more likely to be able to steer the thing if the power steering should fail.
Unfortunately the downsides of this low geared steering is that it allows too much free play, and damaged road edges and worn roads can pull you off direction rather more than is comfortable, can be unnerving on narrow roads where it’s a ditch immediately off the tarmac.
Its the one thing i’m not going to miss about mine when it goes back, oh and i won’t miss the wardrobe door mirrors re blind spots either, other than that its been a bloody good lorry, more reliable than most makes too.
That’s a good point they are full length wardrobe door mirrors that’s for sure, then again I find the Daf mirrors so small to anything else I’ve driven. Lol
They all seem to have things that you like and things that you don’t, but I still say the best overall package for me is still the Volvo. Obviously I haven’t driven the newer shape Volvo just the older FH but I imagine the new FH is just as good if not better.
Ive not driven a MAN for years but remember the steering wheel being the size of a dustbin lid. When getting lock on/off quick you end up braying your elbows of everything.
Well I tramp in a one all week and love the cab space but I know what you mean about the steering can follow strange things you have to be careful on A & B roads but she pulls well and I am well happy…
Had both the TGA and the later TGX low roof versions, quite comfy and decent space inside as they’re a box on wheels, no curves or slanted windscreen taking up space like Scania or Volvo. Both had the 480 with 16 speed manual box so pulled well and handled better then a high roof version which makes them abit top heavy imo.
Nice roomy cab for being away with. Manual comfort shift is better than auto… but why does a manufactur make a locker door stick on the cab lining as standard? Every MAN has done exactly the same thing.
gray_nw:
Nice roomy cab for being away with. Manual comfort shift is better than auto… but why does a manufactur make a locker door stick on the cab lining as standard? Every MAN has done exactly the same thing.
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Aye,
and that “not fit for purpose” electric sunblind that has the big gap up top right of windscreen on XXL Cab!!!
Other than those couple of things I’m well chuffed with my 480yoke,
don’t mind the autobox and she pulls like a donkey and will give most standard 500s a run for their money!!![emoji41]
McGurke:
Had both the TGA and the later TGX low roof versions, quite comfy and decent space inside as they’re a box on wheels, no curves or slanted windscreen taking up space like Scania or Volvo. Both had the 480 with 16 speed manual box so pulled well and handled better then a high roof version which makes them abit top heavy imo.
MAN manuals are probably the nicest manual gearboxes I’ve seen – I got in a 26-tonne HIAB truck a few weeks ago and was amazed at how smooth the operation was. Short actions, it’s always clear where the stick is meant to go, no fiddling around trying to find positions. It’s surprising that they don’t sell more of them especially as the auto box has been poor up until now. I had a surprise encounter with one when an agency sent me into a company that uses them a few weeks ago (a 40-tonner used by a Heathrow-area operator) – my first manual artic since my learner days – and was surprised how easy it was to operate.
The steering wheel is horrible, the dashboard is poorly laid out with a view to ergonomics, the whole cab rocks like a zodiac in the southern ocean and the bunk just isn’t built to take a lardass like me.
For me it would be:
Scania (New Gen)
Renault
Volvo
Mercedes
MAN
Iveco
DAF
Scania (Outgoing R Series)
in order of preference, and the only reason MAN scores that high is I despise the DAF’s even worse design and terrible build quality and the Iveco just feels cheap. The old Scania used to ■■■■■■■ me, just murdered my back within a week, the New Gen is a whole new truck and completely different.
Goldfinger:
Must be something wrong with my 480 TGX…
Gear changes are erratic and / or slow - up and down the box…
Sometimes, (empty), it pulls away from junctions etc in 5th, then sometimes 4th…■■?
Once going, it sometimes ‘over block’ changes gear and has to come down one or two…
My opposite driver has reported that it has even jumped from 4th to 11th in one go - stalling the truck! That’s not happened to me - yet though!
Have been told that the ECU(s) need an ‘update’… Whether it get’s it is another thing…■■?
Anyway, apart from that and the bin lid steering wheel, it’s not a bad truck to me compared to what I’ve driven in the past…
The gearbox ECU must need looked at as my one wouldn’t do that.
Does jump down from 12th to 9/10th frequently on the over-run but this I would guess is partly to get best out of exhaust break.
I love the bunk as you can lie
“spread-eagled” style and no chance similar in Volvo or that stupid pull-out effort in a Scania!!!
Put mattress from top bunk onto bottom one and comfy comfy COMFY!!![emoji41]
Goldfinger:
Could I ‘defect’ it to get it looked at?
Or is it a shut up - put up type problem…?
Sounds quite normal to me.
Slow, check, arsetronic.
Erratic or slow changes, check, arsetronic.
Empty starts in 4th or 5th, check, depends on what the terrains is like whether you had to brake to a halt etc, vehicle works out what gear it needs.
Selects wrong gear and changes its mind, check, arsetronic.
Jumps 4th to 11th, nope, thats a weird one it usually jumps two gears going up the box, but even in manual it won’t allow more than 3 block changes.
Apart from the last one it sounds absolutely normal to me for arsetronic box.
The only way to make that box behave is to lock it in manual and drive it yerself, that has several benefits :
you will be in the right gear at all times and lose less momentum.
the engine will give more useful low down power if you make it lug, it will pull quite happily down to 900rpm or less, and if you make it work it will provide more power, after a while you’ll hear the turbo spooling up at lower revs and will feel the surge that simply is not there in auto, i run it between 900 and 1500 rpm usually unless i have a serious climb ahead when i’ll lock it in 11th whilst still on the limiter just the climb starts at say 1600 rpm, you’ll be surprised how often 500+ hp machines can’t live with it on hill climbing, its pants in auto.
Just try it for a day or two see how you get on, i find it takes about 20 mins to an hour after someone else has been using mine in auto before it starts delivering full power again in manual.
by driving in manual you can control the exhauster to keep it in the 2000/2200rpm range of max ■■■■■■, and it works well, brake wear minimal.
your fuel figures will improve as well as journey times because you are making better progress in the right gear with faster correct changes.
Goldfinger:
Could I ‘defect’ it to get it looked at?
Or is it a shut up - put up type problem…?
Get the laptop tech@ MAN dealer to upgrade the gearbox ECU.
As I said mine doesn’t “arse” about at all,
I’ve no real problems with it, not prone to jump about changes etc IE:
Reversed back up a narrow 2mile lane Thur morn (Inc wet/soft patches) frigo loaded til the back doors after tractor driver had told me coldstore at end of lane but locked gate there too!!![emoji52] [emoji12]
Mines a 540 and goes like the clappers, theres not much passes it
Use the manual button on the stalk and tell it when to change gear rather than it telling you and its a completely different truck
The bunks fine for me and im 6ft4 and 20 stone
The huge steering wheel caused me to lose half of my breakfsast the other morning, pulling out of McD,s car park and taking the lock off my left elbow hit my right wrist and flung the hash brown straight out of the open window !
