Why are MAN’s so cheap second hand when they are one of the most expensive new■■? 
I’d also noticed this. It must be a matter of reliability, desirability (at a certain age) and running costs of a second-hand MAN compared to, say, a second-hand Volvo or Scania.
Also I don’t think it takes long for a problem to become common knowledge, an example being, the MAN D20 engine seems to have an okay reputation but the bigger D28 is (allegedly) prone to overheating.
When I was in Germany, one of the German blokes I worked with had shares in MAN. He swore that MAN was the best truck on the market, that all of the best transport companies aspired to have MANs (if they could afford them) and couldn’t believe how cheap they were second-hand in UK. I had to show him a few copies of Truck Trader and Commercial Motor before he truly believed me.
I guess the only people who can give an accurate answer is those that have run MANs, especially from new, through to when they sold them to the second-hand market.
I think a large part of it is simply that they’re less desirable than a Scania or Volvo, and this is significant when it comes to the second hand market as the buyer is more likely to be a small operator or owner driver than a large fleet.
I’m also led to believe that they’re a bit less reliable than the aforementioned marques, but I’m not sure if that’s actually true or just the perception of those who have driven them.
Paul
repton:
I think a large part of it is simply that they’re less desirable than a Scania or Volvo
Maybe when TGX’s get into the used market prices will go up.
I run almost 30 MAN’s and what Marcustandy sez is true - the 480’s are prone to overheating - normally when the warranty is up and
although you don’t have to do much to rectify it, its expensive. When the 430/440’s have done over 500K km its true, they do become
unreliable and they are very expensive - I also run DAF’s and they are less expensive to run, fix etc, and are better built, I feel sure.
When I have sent 3 year old XXL’s back off lease I was told by MAN they needed to make 35 Grand on them to make the finanicial
equasion to work and in the early days of the TGA MAN would attempt to keep all used trucks within the dealer network to keep
prices up - as we can now see if you have the cash you could pick up a 56 reg 6x2 for around 15 grand - they look cheap but I’m
not sure.
If the truck has low kms then I’m sure it would be worth a punt - I think the older 460’s are a good bet too.
K
They’re nice to drive but the starter motors are rubbish on them as well, you know that feeling every time you turn the key, you wonder if it will manage to start, not good, they seem to have a pause between turning the key and the engine trying to fire which I haven’t experienced on any other trucks. The two 56 plate D20 lx tga’s I have at the moment sound like geriatric coughers on start up, smooth as silk when running but…(might be just these 2)
The one I had previous to that, about 4/5 years ago on a 51 plate, 460 tga xxl, went through 3 or 4 starter motors in a few years. Having said all that, I would still buy the marque as I like them and as has been said they are cheap enough second hand, I would also say that they are still much cheaper than Scania, Merc and Volvo, new.
The rumour at our place is that the ERF’s and MAN’s are going, because they keep breaking down and getting faults and they’ve had enough of them.
We’re getting a fleet of Volvo’s apparently.
I run about 30 MAN TGA’s and they are unreliable; and not fuel efficent either when compared to other tractors of similar spec! 
Luckily I’ve got them on contract hire and therefore not finanically challenged by them and I get a replacement after 24hrs!
Starters, turbos, foot valves, electrical are all regular issues and the hire company aren’t happy with them either. They are all 07’s and we have broached the subject of taking them back with no early settlement and replacing them with a more reliable unit! 
Must admit I thought MAN had ceased to trade,trundling the full length of France each week MAN is one rig you don’t see too many of,very thin on the ground,while Volvo seem to be doing a roaring trade.Obviously the Swedes know how to build a truck the Germans don’t and as a past Actros owner I can confirm that as the most truthful statement of the past decade.
[quote=“Armagedon”.Obviously the Swedes know how to build a truck the Germans don’t and as a past Actros owner I can confirm that as the most truthful statement of the past decade.[/quote]
strange as the 1st truck i bought was a scania, did the job but vastly overated, the last 2 trucks i have bought were an actros and a MAN, nothing to get excited about but they do the job i bought them for
Chaversdad
There was a few of us who went through hell owning the Actros when it was new so that those who came later could get reasonable service from that particular vehicle.It may surprise you to know that I was obliged to film the effect that close proximity to power lines and radio masts could knock out the brakes,gearbox all the guages and the tacho.MB chose not to have it till they knew I had a film.The effect is known as Electro Magnetic interfernce you might one day find that the MOD will admit that,that was what caused the Mull of Kintyre incident.I did in the end actually like the Actros just hated MB not surprising when one of their senior men told me 60% of their dealerships were sub standard.Trust your dealership is not one of them.
h + l scunthorpe, treated me as if i,d bought a fleet of trucks when i only had the 1 off them
Armagedon:
Must admit I thought MAN had ceased to trade,trundling the full length of France each week MAN is one rig you don’t see too many of,very thin on the ground,while Volvo seem to be doing a roaring trade.Obviously the Swedes know how to build a truck the Germans don’t and as a past Actros owner I can confirm that as the most truthful statement of the past decade.
youtube.com/watch?v=xv5ynDSHJWk
To be honest I cannot fault them only ever having had MAN Trucks at Norman Lewis Tankers, Spedition Gruber, and GBE Transalliance.
(Currently, the fleet consists
of about 2,800 tractors and
3,700 trailers but is expanding all
the time. In addition to this, there
are around 600,000 square meters
of warehousing and about 4,200
people are employed.) Mainly MAN.
On MAN,i had experience with an old knackered 17.332 and the first of the TGA’s. I only give my opinion based on fact’s,i don’t want to offend anyone who own’s any brand.Maybe the later model’s are running alot better,i hope so the TGX does look nice.
On Mercedes,we replaced our troublesome MAN’s with Merc’s - that company still run Merc’s and rate them very highly.I have an Actros and can’t fault,it does the job and get’s me home.
Renault are a machine i think but they only sell poverty or maximum spec…what about us all in between?
Iveco,too much controversy,people don’t even defend them anymore.
Scania are overrated and overpriced ,Daf are costly to maintain and Volvo have a crap cab.
No perfect truck out there yet i think.
I have two 05 plate TGA 430’s and, frankly, they are garbage on the reliability side. Lovely cab, great on fuel but i have no confidence in them getting me from A to B! Had an ERF ECT for 3 years beforehand and it never had a spanner on it in over 500,000k which is why i bought the MANs. Spares prices are stupidly expensive but i’m stuck with them now and have to run them for another two years. Boo Hoo!
C-Kay:
The rumour at our place is that the ERF’s and MAN’s are going, because they keep breaking down and getting faults and they’ve had enough of them.We’re getting a fleet of Volvo’s apparently.
i saw 14 new scanias getting kitted out was told they are for sainsbury petrol contract 
truckspark:
C-Kay:
The rumour at our place is that the ERF’s and MAN’s are going, because they keep breaking down and getting faults and they’ve had enough of them.We’re getting a fleet of Volvo’s apparently.
i saw 14 new scanias getting kitted out was told they are for sainsbury petrol contract
I see alot of DAF’s on the petrol contract, maybe we’ll get them then. We actually had one delivered today, so maybe that’s what’s happening.
truckspark:
C-Kay:
The rumour at our place is that the ERF’s and MAN’s are going, because they keep breaking down and getting faults and they’ve had enough of them.We’re getting a fleet of Volvo’s apparently.
i saw 14 new scanias getting kitted out was told they are for sainsbury petrol contract
I found out today that Turners have got the sainsbury’s contract, and those Scania’s are for that. They’ve spent a LOT of money on new units and trailers for it as well.
ellies dad:
On MAN,i had experience with an old knackered 17.332 and the first of the TGA’s. I only give my opinion based on fact’s,i don’t want to offend anyone who own’s any brand.Maybe the later model’s are running alot better,i hope so the TGX does look nice.
On Mercedes,we replaced our troublesome MAN’s with Merc’s - that company still run Merc’s and rate them very highly.I have an Actros and can’t fault,it does the job and get’s me home.
Renault are a machine i think but they only sell poverty or maximum spec…what about us all in between?
Iveco,too much controversy,people don’t even defend them anymore.
Scania are overrated and overpriced ,Daf are costly to maintain and Volvo have a crap cab.No perfect truck out there yet i think.
hey up there ED,remember me buying that v8 actros a year ago? she’s now 5yrs old and this past year has only required a re-line on the steer,this was due to the last dealer (gerrard mann) not tightening up some hub bolts or something like that,so all in all best owner experience as yet,i’m still also running the magnum which is just over 3yrs old (bought new),and as of this week it’s on it’s THIRD air dryer unit 
to be honest i’d be relluctant to purchase anything other than another v8 merc in the near future.
I had to deliver a TGX the other week, S/H and 260.00kms.
The dash was hanging off everywhere, the door dropped so much you had to stand up and use every ounce of strength you had to slam it once inside. Seat wobbled about everywhere, 60% of the dash didn’t work, not did the heater. Generally, it was just falling to bits around me.
OK, it might have been a rogue, but the dealer reckoned that they were all pretty much the same. They ain’t squaddie proof it seems.