Has anyone any experience or opinions about the DAF XF 430/480 or Iveco Stralis 430/480? 
Daf Rules, in my opinon Had and 85, 95, and now have a 105, 95 is the better cab the 105 although the floor has been lowered so you have loads of room but the cupboards are smaller, for some strange reason they have took the night heater switch off the night heater and there is only one on the dash , there is now only one armrest on the passenger seat where there used to two and the overall appearence of the cab is plastic city oh and the curtains are see through, but i would not choose any other lorry over a Daf we had a Globetrotter on Demo and i thought it would be great but i found the cab small although i loved the gearbox.
daf are ok but the top of the cab is only plastic and doesnt like being hit with a container (ouch no it wasnt me that did it)
iveco not to bad as long as they remember to fill the diff with oil before it leaves to factory hint lucy 
Iveco…massive cab space for nighting out. Shame it’s bolted to an Iveco engine and chassis. Drivers controls are poor. Auto-box is poor IMO too.
DAF good - Iveco crap, easy
No Offence, we’re all entitled to an opinion, but I quite dis-like Dufs…
The auto box is awful… No intelligence, always in wrong gear, uses every single gear on the way, even when solo…
Even the manual has trouble gettin 5th when cold…
Engine break is only half as good as a volvo… at best, and is awkward to use as it has no positive feel through a hob-nail boot
And don’t even mention the engine break on an auto…!!! sends it into a right hissy fit… divin down ump-teen gears and bending the rev counter needle cuz I wanted to scrub 1.3mph
Seat doesn’t go high enuf, and keeps sinking throughout a journey…!!! AND it’s uncomfortable, and the lumber support is too low…
When you reach down to use the suspension control, you catch the seats air release lever, and sink to the floor…
The cruise control looses speed. One minute it’s flat out, then you press the throttle 2mins later and get ‘back’ to full speed…
The hazard light switch is in a stupid place
The computer warnings and ‘door open / lights on’ dings drive me up the wall… 
There’s no 12v output as standard… 
The computer control knob thingy must last all of 4months before failing to notice a fat finger pushing it… I’ve had loads of 06’ers that need several prods to respond…
Leccy windows take forever… and then some
The red night light is far too dim to actually see by (for finding that choccy bar on the M5 at night…)
I could go on…
I may have been spoilt by only driving FM12’s with an occassional Merc and scania thrown in for my first 3yrs, but they appear to be that far better designed. Switches in the right places, seats that work, auto’s that auto…
I’m sure I would have different opinions if I had to pay to run a truck, but as a driver my dislikes stand…
Luv
Chrisie… 
cyclicscooby:
No Offence, we’re all entitled to an opinion, but I quite dis-like Dufs…The auto box is awful… No intelligence, always in wrong gear, uses every single gear on the way, even when solo…
Even the manual has trouble gettin 5th when cold…Engine break is only half as good as a volvo… at best, and is awkward to use as it has no positive feel through a hob-nail boot
And don’t even mention the engine break on an auto…!!! sends it into a right hissy fit… divin down ump-teen gears and bending the rev counter needle cuz I wanted to scrub 1.3mphSeat doesn’t go high enuf, and keeps sinking throughout a journey…!!! AND it’s uncomfortable, and the lumber support is too low…
When you reach down to use the suspension control, you catch the seats air release lever, and sink to the floor…
The cruise control looses speed. One minute it’s flat out, then you press the throttle 2mins later and get ‘back’ to full speed…
The hazard light switch is in a stupid place
The computer warnings and ‘door open / lights on’ dings drive me up the wall…
There’s no 12v output as standard…
The computer control knob thingy must last all of 4months before failing to notice a fat finger pushing it… I’ve had loads of 06’ers that need several prods to respond…
Leccy windows take forever… and then some
The red night light is far too dim to actually see by (for finding that choccy bar on the M5 at night…)
I could go on…
I may have been spoilt by only driving FM12’s with an occassional Merc and scania thrown in for my first 3yrs, but they appear to be that far better designed. Switches in the right places, seats that work, auto’s that auto…
I’m sure I would have different opinions if I had to pay to run a truck, but as a driver my dislikes stand…
Luv
Chrisie…
i drive one all the time(auto by the way) and have to say those are very valid comments, apart from the hazard switch which i feel is fine where it is. however the living layout is ten times better than any volvo with loads more storage, that daft sloping front loses so much cupboard space it’s unreal and with a fridge as standard(well the tm said it was standard anyway) wins hands down. and lockers the size of balmoral castle means i can store all my bikeing stuff with ease even my hard luggage too
edit. oh and the cruise control works fine in my one. but the cup holder is in a totally brainless position
Don’t like DAFs at all.
Plasticky, flimsy interiors. Crap geaboxes - ZF manual or ZF auto. Seat is too low. Rattly, noisy engine (though they do pull OK to be fair). Crap speakers. Very poorly positioned switches. Don’t like the way the rev-counter and speedo are laid out either. No way to use the radio without keys in ignition (that I am aware of). No 12v socket. They are just built to a price. I’d probably look for another job if I was given one.
Iveco Stralis mk 1 better - a tad plasticky and ZF auto not my favourite, but better than in DAF or MAN application, ActiveSpace has loads of storage and room to live in.
XF or Stralis? For me, it’d be ‘The Italian Job’ (as we called our ‘04’ plate one when had it) every time.
New mk 2 is hugely improved according to what I hear and read. 