Lets have the truth and nothing but the truth about the various models etc .
I’ve driven 143 164 124 r480 tractors 114 p340 8 wheelers. IMHO you can’t beat a scania for driving position and mirrors and handling. The v8s power is great and the lesser models go well.
However the p cab is very cramped and for living space in the bigger cabs other makers do it better but for the all round package they are hard to beat.
Driven 113,143 
,124, give me a Volvo any time.
I’ve never been a fan until I got my R480 topline and I love it.
Give me a Volvo any time, Scannies are ok, but the Volvo does seem to be loads more user friendly, Esp the vanity mirror in the drivers visor
I Like my R440 its comfortable and has enough power to do the job.
The only thing that I don’t like is the under bunk storage - There’s loads of room but getting into it with the bed made up is a real hassle as it will not stay up 
Just passing time waiting for Luke to wade in. Come on my son, where are you? 
I think scania rested on their laurels too much after the 3 series (one of the best motors ever - and that’s coming from a DAF man!)
With the 4 and R series, I can’t help thinking Scania thought the name alone would sell the trucks (hence why they were / are so over priced)
Hi all you scannyfans (or not) Ive driven both rigid and tractor units , day cabs very cramped , steering lock on 8 W tippers poor , sleeper cabs good , 3 over 3 plus split gearbox brilliant best manual ever I think. Didn’t older ones have a 5over5 box or am I imagining / altzhiemering ?
scannys weve got 2 on at our place, a 53 reg R420 and my 57 reg R420 ,the older one pulls a lot better up birdlip only needing to drop down to 4th high,its got better storage over the windscreen but feels more cramped behind the wheel.
yet my one feels less cramped behind the wheel think the wheel is smaller, it wouldnt pull up birdlip with out dropping to 3rd low, and the interior is soo plasticky although it is just the bog standard fleet motor interior
which do i prefer neither as they both give me a stiff back after an hours driving, would sooner have the Iveco trakker i had last week on demo 
i drve a r440 and its bang on except the bed is a bit thin and i wish it had a couple more 12/24v sockets the p sleeper cabs are not great no room at all
Was a bit meh! on the Streamline, liked my 4-series 360 highline, absolutely loved my 4-series 420 topline, (but the ■■■■■■■■ took it off me and gave me a 430 TGA XXL), then absolutely hated the R-420 highline.
Dad had an R440 2 pedal topline on demo last year. He was glad to have his Foden back.
I had the chance to try a P cabbed demo tipper…looked in and got back in my Foden asap.
I’ve driven most of them over the years but never a V8.
80, 81, 110, 111, 112, 113, and all the latest 4 series models both in day cab (supermarket work and excellent fot it) and sleeper form.
Had a twin steer low cab 4series 420 on car transporter work for about 4 years. now drive a 440 high cab normally, nights out in the low cab were not pleasant for a tall chap.
Best Scania to me was the 111, i liked the box on that it was a tough simple and durable no nonsense motor, and rode better than the boneshaker 2 and 3 series, though at least the gearboxes on them were ok.
The problem with 4 series Scanias is the gearboxes IMO, the automanual is useless unless manually overriden continually, learn the ratios and try it in manual override it’s worth it, better progress and better fuel economny because the revs don’t go sky high at every junction when it selects the wrong gear, and you can stop it hunting between gears wasting speed gained whilst it changes gear.
The Volvo automanual is streets ahead and always has been from early geartronic days, i drove one on L plate F10…93?, with very exception the Volvo will always be in the right gear at the right time.
My experience is that it changes gears manually faster in MH than ordinary M, so try that selection if you are going to experiment.
The manual in the 4 series i hate with a vengeance, it would have been decent if it wasn’t for the syncrocrush, should have kept the splitters from previous generations IMO, but we all like different things.
I drive a 2 pedal automanual 440 most of the time, several of them, i think the badge is wrong on the motor and they are 340’s TBH, the old 420 manuals i drive sometimes have over a million k’s on them and leave the latest 440’s standing, but we run maximum weights contunually.
They are reliable and economic trucks and minor criticisims aside are a good bet (if you could get a decent box), the dealer back up is usually good too.
Brakes are decent, pity the trailer brake vanished, that was a good safety tool in the right hands.
One big criticism, retarders, the standard Scania exhauster makes a noise and does little else be honest if it’s turned off you can run half the day before you notice, Volvo’s 3 position retarder is the closest i’ve come to a Jacob Brake for retarding and is probably the best in the mainstream.
The Volvo mirrors on yanks trucks shake a little but they don;t on the UK trucks. Why is that?
JFC999:
Hi all you scannyfans (or not) Ive driven both rigid and tractor units , day cabs very cramped , steering lock on 8 W tippers poor , sleeper cabs good , 3 over 3 plus split gearbox brilliant best manual ever I think. Didn’t older ones have a 5over5 box or am I imagining / altzhiemering ?
They did 5 over 5 on the 112s, cant remember if early 113s had it, it was a dog leg 6th twisted ya shoulder abit, and still suffer from it now.
good boxes though, and wondered why lesser trucks needed 18, what did they do with them all, lol.
Juddian:
My experience is that it changes gears manually faster in MH than ordinary M, so try that selection if you are going to experiment.
Certainly does, and also in auto mode.
I’ve been driving one on and off for the last 2 weeks, and it does change quicker in MH, (But it also tends to stay in 11th rather than drop into 12th.) I suppose it is a bit similar to the power button on Volvo’s.
It’s rather funny though, because when it changes gear in MH mode, it sounds like the gearbox is coughing loudly between changes. 
I found that the R420 that I drove was up to the job of going to Hamilton from Huddersfield daily with a double deck trailer on, but the company have now de-hired them which is a shame, as for the first time in my driving career, I actually started to like it.
Ken.
Quinny:
Juddian:
My experience is that it changes gears manually faster in MH than ordinary M, so try that selection if you are going to experiment.It’s rather funny though, because when it changes gear in MH mode, it sounds like the gearbox is coughing loudly between changes.
Ken.
Yes i’ve noticed that, is it the turbo dumping…ooh have i got a dump valve, have to get baseball cap and some fairly lights too…
They are crap! At least with the Opti-cruise! I’ve never driven a manual one so I can’t compare! 
FH is the best to drive for me! 
weeto:
JFC999:
Hi all you scannyfans (or not) Ive driven both rigid and tractor units , day cabs very cramped , steering lock on 8 W tippers poor , sleeper cabs good , 3 over 3 plus split gearbox brilliant best manual ever I think. Didn’t older ones have a 5over5 box or am I imagining / altzhiemering ?They did 5 over 5 on the 112s, cant remember if early 113s had it, it was a dog leg 6th twisted ya shoulder abit, and still suffer from it now.
good boxes though, and wondered why lesser trucks needed 18, what did they do with them all, lol.
The early 3 series had the 10 speed box with dogleg 1/6 I had a h reg 143 with it but the j reg we had had the 12 speed 3 over 3 the dogleg was awkward but it was because the shift was designed lhd. If you do the motion of changing to 6 th with your right arm it feels natural.