this is just a fun post, as i have read here and in articles that some people really like them and i get the impression some people are really not fans? i was wondering why?
This should be interesting 
They are â– â– â– â– â– extensions, just like motorcycles, fast cars and a caravan.
I prefer my motorcycle 
To put it simply, Scania used to be just about the best truck out there at the time of the 3 series. They then totally lost the plot in 1995 when the crappy 4 series came out and haven’t improved much since.
i see i drove one for the 1st time a 05 plate, it was ok, didnt like the cruise control setupon the steering wheel, and the dash speedo etc a bit plain, but like i say 1st time, my favourite truckso far is the actros an axor but then i was told ok for motorways but not hills!
donpablo:
my favourite truckso far is the actros an axor
Scania’s aren’t great but I’d take one over an Axor.
I like scania’s and mercs they all have good bits and bad bits. The had a daf cf oth other week i was impressed with that tho
scania best truck
i cant stand them. the ones i have driven have been terrible, whether that is because it is on the agency and they give you the â– â– â– â– â– ones or not but they have been crap, very little leg room ( i like to put my left leg to the side when i am driving, i find it a bit more comfortable) and the gears, dont even get me started on the gears. they are crap. you have to set off in first or second and by the time you have lifted the clutch its time to change again. why you cant set off in third i dont know. and why put reverse so close to first? there is hardly any gap between first and reverse and the amount of times i have nearly been parked on teh bonnet of a car at traffic lights is unbelieveable!
or the mercs. the driving position is all wrong, i have not found a way of getting comfortable in one of these yet and at the end of a long day you ache so much it is a job in itself when you come to climb out of them.
the best wagon on the roads for comfort, i believe, are the daf’s. they are just so comfortable and laid out so much better than the others that i couldnt fault them really. never had to spend the night in one yet but i guess we will see if my opinion changes when i have.
thats my tuppence worth
I’m driving a Y plate 114-340,it’s old and tired but reliable,9sp box,ok if you double declutch,last time I drove a scania it was an LB81 so I think this one’s the dogs 
Simon
I’ve had several over the years. I don’t love them or hate them.
I’ve driven 2, 3, 4, and the latest R series. Most of my time with them was driving a 4 series, though.
I’ve driven rigids, artics, and drawbar outfits.
These are my thoughts.
The good points.
They are a rugged motor with good build quality. They are built with the task they have to perform in mind.
Cab access is excellent with nicely ‘layered’ steps.
They are comfortable to drive. The seats are an excellent place to be if you have to cover 800 km a day.
They are great for tramping. The electrics are heavy duty enough to run all the kettles, fridges, laptops etc you want. As a comparison, try just boiling a kettle in a Volvo FH Globetrotter XL and you may well need to get out quickly. Please remember to grab your mobile on the way so you can call the fire brigade. Oh yes - the Topline cab is also very spacious.
They are very relaxing to drive. The engine tone is very subdued when cruising and when at idle. However, when pulling they produce a very reassuring growl - though it’s not at all unpleasant. It’s kind of hard to explain, but I am sure most people who have driven them will know exactly what I mean.
They pull reasonably well on hills.
They have a pretty good steering lock. Even on 8 wheel tipper variants - it’s far better than an equivalent Volvo FM.
They are very much ‘drivers motors’, they handle nicely, and give a very comfortable ride. When in standard, 6x2 midlift tractor format, the midlift steers which makes them go exactly where you want them to.
The sound systems are generally fiddly Clarion jobs, but the speakers are really meaty and handle a bit of bass very well.
Every Scania dealer I have ever visited has been amazing. No fuss - you just go in, tell a mechanic what’s wrong and he mends it. Job jobbed. Scania garages allow you - the driver - to speak to the mechanics direct to describe the problem. Try this at our local Mercedes-Benz or Volvo dealer and you get frogmarched out of the workshop. In these places, you speak to reception, who speaks to the service manager, who speaks to the workshop foreman, who speaks to the mechanic. By this time the orignal problem has been lost in translation and what you went in for is not what the mechanic is trying to fix.
The not-so-good points.
The air suspension is soooo sloooow. This was most inconvenient to me when driving 3 and 4 series drawbar outfits with demountable bodies. The adjustment of the air suspension was necessary to load and unload box bodies, and made the job twice as long as when using a DAF because it was so slow to come down. (I’d still take a Scania over a DAF though. 
)
The brakes are not the best. You really have to push that pedal as hard as you can and hope for the best sometimes when you get cut up.
The range-change 'boxes could be a right pain at times - especially when the oil was still cold.
Basic Scanias are much more basic than most other motors. Not good if you happen to work for a firm who doesn’t like adding cost options.
In my opinion, Scania (and Scania drivers) get a lot of stick because ot what some people do to them. Some people like spending their time and money covering them with spotlights, markers lights, chome bumpers and all sorts of other bits. And that is fine - it is their time and money and they can do exactly what they want with it. If it pleases them and makes them happy - then good luck to them. It doesn’t bother me either way and I have no axe to grind. Scanias have sort of become the equivalent of the Vauxhall Nova or Citroen Saxo at 2200 on a Saturday night in your local McDonalds car park, in the modification stakes. Young blokes like doing up Novas and Saxos, whereas lorry drivers like doing up Scanias. Most lorries you see that are all blinged up are Scanias, I find. And that is absolutely fine. However, I think this puts a lot of people off them and turns them against Scania as a brand. It has become a stereotype that some people don’t want to be connected with, and I think this is why lots of people say they don’t like Scanias. Personally I don’t think this is fair or even rational. I reckon they are a good motor at the end of the day - irrespective of the image.
I guess it’s a bit like BMWs too. They tend to be driven by total idiots in a very agressive manner, and lots of drivers hate BMW as a result, despite not having driven one. The stereotype puts people off.
If the day ever comes when I am looking to buy or lease trucks, Scania would most certainly be on my shortlist.
am 22 and drive a scania 124 420 topline best thing ever better than my 03 version 2 globetrotter, the scania pulls 44toinnes better thasn the volvo and th drivin postion is better, steerin wheel right bak to me curtians across my windows and away i go !!!
Overated IMO.
At one time I would say that Scania probably WERE King of the road,but most other truck makers have raised the bar somewhat over the years,and in some cases overtaken the Swedish maker,and Flying Fenman raises some good points about them,especially the brakes.The ones I have driven,I never thought were going to stop,and made some Ford Cargos look good.
Given a choice,I probably wouldn’t make it my first,but they may well be in the top 3.
Ken.
very interesting!, now i will tell you i just got myself a job driving one a 06 plate full time {hopefully} !!! no more being used an abused by agencies and there clients! allthough saying that the agency have been handy getting me a bit of work and experience.
I had a scania r500 from new. The bed was uncomfy. The mirrors were nice and big, the steering was light. It didn’t have the guts i expected.
I now drive a 10 year old daf 95xf. Very comfy bed. Mirrors are flat. steering is heavy. Plenty of guts.
I prefer the daf for some reason.
But i’d have another scania if it was a longline topline 600bhp.
i love scania’s imo they are still the best but i like volvo’s to not had a daf yet
had a merc mp2 actros mega space 04 plate best bunk nice drive too many steps into the cab 
topline scania anyday for me
I’ve not had a Scania that I disliked yet 
The only thing I do not like is a truck where I cannot use the heel & toe driving method - the DAF is one like that because I cannot keep my heel on the floor as the accelerator pedal seems to require me to slide my foot higher for control - am I the only one to have this prob 
for tramping with the company i work for you either get a Stralis, Scania R500, Daf XF105 or MAN TGA out of all four i would prefer the Scania or the XF
ROG:
I’ve not had a Scania that I disliked yetThe only thing I do not like is a truck where I cannot use the heel & toe driving method - the DAF is one like that because I cannot keep my heel on the floor as the accelerator pedal seems to require me to slide my foot higher for control - am I the only one to have this prob
Unless you are a budding Barry Sheene or Steve Parish, I fail to see any benefit of using heel & toe while in a truck, it is a method used by racers and high speed drivers on a track.
Trucks are designed to be driven, wearing muddy rigger boots, steel toe caps or wellingtons.
hiya,
didn’t like the the long dead scania 80 it had a great cab for the time but built for the 32 ton market was rubbish compared to the old atki 220 ■■■■■■■which i had before asked for the atki back after only one trip didn’t get it,110s and 111s I thought were great thanks Harry long retired
theirs only 2 types of driver, those who drive scania’s & those who want to drive em