I regularly drive a 60 plate renault premium for my full time job but today I’m doing an agency shift and been given a 63 plate scania r440 and whilst I can’t fault the build quality of the scania I definitely prefer the renault for driver comfort and ease of use. Is there anyone who doesn’t think I’m stark raving bonkers?
I have driven both and prefer the Renault hands down. Hated the scania.
Your right but there will soon be a lot of frilly curtain drivers on here saying your bonkers
It would be a boring world if we all liked the same !
We’ve got new 64 plate DAF CFs and for some reason I’m enjoying driving it. Must admit that I do prefer Renault Premiums to anything else though. It doesn’t do any one thing outstanding, although the autobox is very good, but it doesn’t have a single thing that is annoying. Every other truck has at least one thing that bugs the hell out of me.
Have to say I’m quite surprised with the comments so far. Maybe I’m not completely bonkers.
Scania you can’t compare them to a renault never late in a V8 mate
For me there are things I like about makes and things I dislike about them.
I quite like the latest Actros, but can they not do something better than that pull down ladder operated by a bit of wire to get on the catwalk?
I quite like the seat comfort and the gearbox of the Renault, but the Scania has better configeration to move around the cab (can’t remember which one has the walk through)
The MAN has reasonably good comfort, all of them have good and bad points regarding view / blindspots. Have not driven a Volvo in ages.
My ideal would be to combine the good bits of all makes and dircard the bad bits.
Driven most of the range of most brands through agency always hated the scania’s for various reasons apart from the Axor which is hands down the worst truck ever.
SCANIA730:
Scania you can’t compare them to a renault never late in a V8 mate
Never late but constantly skint.
Speedy Duck:
I quite like the latest Actros, but can they not do something better than that pull down ladder operated by a bit of wire to get on the catwalk?
.
New Iveco Stralis are the same. One place I drive at has one that is barely 6 months old and already you have to hit the locking pins to get them back in to hold the steps in the closed position.
Conor:
SCANIA730:
Scania you can’t compare them to a renault never late in a V8 mateNever late but constantly skint.
Please explain, have driven various Scanias since 2007 currently in a 10 year old 580 and in all have had only one breakdown, a 12 plate’s starter motor packed up after 2 years out in Holland so 6 hours down time in 7 years can’t think of many other makes that could give you that kind of reliability, and as for my wages have always been paid above average so certainly no shortage of money here.
dreamingofoz:
Have to say I’m quite surprised with the comments so far. Maybe I’m not completely bonkers.
No you’re not bonkers, you’d be surprised how many people on here are real fans of them, some of them admit to have been quite skeptical before they drove them, but have changed their minds after actually getting behind the wheel and doing some miles.
Conor:
SCANIA730:
Scania you can’t compare them to a renault never late in a V8 mateNever late but constantly skint.
R440 is a six pot
muckles:
dreamingofoz:
Have to say I’m quite surprised with the comments so far. Maybe I’m not completely bonkers.No you’re not bonkers, you’d be surprised how many people on here are real fans of them, some of them admit to have been quite skeptical before they drove them, but have changed their minds after actually getting behind the wheel and doing some miles.
Was a sceptic, then they gave me a rental Premium (61 plate) and I was surprised at how nice it was to drive. The ride is good, the gearbox good, but why do I need 5 stalks to get confused with (especially at night)■■, keep turning the lights off when indicating, retarding when using the wipers??, Shame a basically good truck has bits that fall off so easily.
Our Scanny’s are basic, but I like the build quality, and everything is in the right place.
Toddy2:
muckles:
dreamingofoz:
Have to say I’m quite surprised with the comments so far. Maybe I’m not completely bonkers.No you’re not bonkers, you’d be surprised how many people on here are real fans of them, some of them admit to have been quite skeptical before they drove them, but have changed their minds after actually getting behind the wheel and doing some miles.
Was a sceptic, then they gave me a rental Premium (61 plate) and I was surprised at how nice it was to drive. The ride is good, the gearbox good, but why do I need 5 stalks to get confused with (especially at night)■■, keep turning the lights off when indicating, retarding when using the wipers??, Shame a basically good truck has bits that fall off so easily.
Our Scanny’s are basic, but I like the build quality, and everything is in the right place.
I personally didn’t have problems with the controls, except the radio one forever re-tuning it accidentally 
The only criticisms I ever had of them were a bit cramped for my left leg and the lack of storage space, especially outside. Didn’t find bits falling off though, although the choice of trim material and colour means they seem very difficult to keep looking clean.
Scania do have the build quality and hold their value, I’ve just found a 2004 124 Scania for another race team it’s in very tidy condition and all the switches still work, but then they did look at others where electric windows didn’t work and weren’t so well looked after, so some of it could be down to the drivers.
Hopefully it will be as good for them as the M reg Volvo FH they’ve just sold, they had that for 10 years, but were struggling getting parts for it as most of that age go straight for export.
mazzer:
Conor:
SCANIA730:
Scania you can’t compare them to a renault never late in a V8 mateNever late but constantly skint.
Please explain
7mpg at best whilst everyone else is knocking on the door of 10mpg…
muckles:
No you’re not bonkers, you’d be surprised how many people on here are real fans of them, some of them admit to have been quite skeptical before they drove them, but have changed their minds after actually getting behind the wheel and doing some miles.
I have pontificated on here for years about how surprising the Premium is, and have been surprised by the number of closet Premium lovers there are.
I’m currently piloting a 12 plate at one of our agencies customers, and still love it.
Ken.
muckles:
Toddy2:
muckles:
dreamingofoz:
Have to say I’m quite surprised with the comments so far. Maybe I’m not completely bonkers.No you’re not bonkers, you’d be surprised how many people on here are real fans of them, some of them admit to have been quite skeptical before they drove them, but have changed their minds after actually getting behind the wheel and doing some miles.
Was a sceptic, then they gave me a rental Premium (61 plate) and I was surprised at how nice it was to drive. The ride is good, the gearbox good, but why do I need 5 stalks to get confused with (especially at night)■■, keep turning the lights off when indicating, retarding when using the wipers??, Shame a basically good truck has bits that fall off so easily.
Our Scanny’s are basic, but I like the build quality, and everything is in the right place.
I personally didn’t have problems with the controls, except the radio one forever re-tuning it accidentally
The only criticisms I ever had of them were a bit cramped for my left leg and the lack of storage space, especially outside. Didn’t find bits falling off though, although the choice of trim material and colour means they seem very difficult to keep looking clean.Scania do have the build quality and hold their value, I’ve just found a 2004 124 Scania for another race team it’s in very tidy condition and all the switches still work, but then they did look at others where electric windows didn’t work and weren’t so well looked after, so some of it could be down to the drivers.
Hopefully it will be as good for them as the M reg Volvo FH they’ve just sold, they had that for 10 years, but were struggling getting parts for it as most of that age go straight for export.
we have 6 or 7 on hire at the moment, and everyone has buttons missing/broken, floppy armrests, - and tacho faults
Toddy2:
muckles:
Toddy2:
muckles:
dreamingofoz:
Have to say I’m quite surprised with the comments so far. Maybe I’m not completely bonkers.No you’re not bonkers, you’d be surprised how many people on here are real fans of them, some of them admit to have been quite skeptical before they drove them, but have changed their minds after actually getting behind the wheel and doing some miles.
Was a sceptic, then they gave me a rental Premium (61 plate) and I was surprised at how nice it was to drive. The ride is good, the gearbox good, but why do I need 5 stalks to get confused with (especially at night)■■, keep turning the lights off when indicating, retarding when using the wipers??, Shame a basically good truck has bits that fall off so easily.
Our Scanny’s are basic, but I like the build quality, and everything is in the right place.
I personally didn’t have problems with the controls, except the radio one forever re-tuning it accidentally
The only criticisms I ever had of them were a bit cramped for my left leg and the lack of storage space, especially outside. Didn’t find bits falling off though, although the choice of trim material and colour means they seem very difficult to keep looking clean.Scania do have the build quality and hold their value, I’ve just found a 2004 124 Scania for another race team it’s in very tidy condition and all the switches still work, but then they did look at others where electric windows didn’t work and weren’t so well looked after, so some of it could be down to the drivers.
Hopefully it will be as good for them as the M reg Volvo FH they’ve just sold, they had that for 10 years, but were struggling getting parts for it as most of that age go straight for export.we have 6 or 7 on hire at the moment, and everyone has buttons missing/broken, floppy armrests, - and tacho faults
This gent sounds like if I cant find a fault give me 10 minutes and Ill sure as hell do all I can to find some brigade, plus hes let the cat out the bag as a normal steering wheel attendant .