What 'car' is your truck?

What 'car' is your truck?

Author
Discussion

sider

Original Poster:

2,059 posts

223 months

Wednesday 11th April 2012
quotequote all
I do a lot of miles, in my car for work, and see a lot of trucks on the road.

Reading other posts on here - it seems that some trucks are better than others. Which i suppose is obvious.

To us outsiders, well to me anyway, Scania's always used to look the best, but i looks to me that MAN is the way to go now.

But what 'car' is your truck?

Am i right to assume:

- a Mercedes is a Mercedes - i.e. good spec, quite posh, not massively reliable given the reputation?

- MAN = BMW?

- Scania - sort of Saab'y - quite good, but not as good as the old days?

- Renault - not like Renault cars - always seem a bit rarer than others and quite well-kept.

- DAF - Maybe Peugeot or Citroen? European built, quite cheap to buy and run, for the masses?




sider

Original Poster:

2,059 posts

223 months

Wednesday 11th April 2012
quotequote all
Not sure i could name any more - other than Iveco and Volvo?

Which i believe as an outsider to be the lovechild of Fiat and Ford. Seem a bit Mondeo'y. I.e. new ones look good and nicely spec'd but they don't age gracefully and normally end up getting run into the ground.

Volvo - to an outsider seem a good truck but quite common so can't be too pricey. Unless they're pricey but nice and reliable and worth investing in. Volvo car?

I'm guessing Foden was perhaps a bit like 'old' Jaguar. British. And expensive?

Seddon Atkinson - errrm, not sure really.


martin mrt

3,784 posts

203 months

Wednesday 11th April 2012
quotequote all
Volvo is owned by Volvo, which in turn is owned by Ford however I'm not sure if Ford own the truck side of Volvo

Scania used to be Saab before the GM buyout, but I believe VW have bought a large percentage of the marque

Mercedes is Mercedes

Iveco were owned by Ford but are now Fiat owned

Renault I believe are owned by Volvo, the newer stuff has Volvo Chassis and running gear

DAF is owned by Paccar, not a car manufacturer as such

Man VW has a majority sharehold within MAN and have been linked with the marque for many years

I'm reliatively certain that the above is accurate but I may be wrong in some cases

GC8

19,910 posts

192 months

Wednesday 11th April 2012
quotequote all
Foden were cheap and usually quite light. Built using Paccar/DAF cabs with a choice of third party engines. Certainly nothing like Jaguar...

I suspect that the poster above has missed the point somewhat. The OP is making analogous comparisons, as opposed to trying to establish which car manufacturers build the truck brands mentioned.

sider

Original Poster:

2,059 posts

223 months

Wednesday 11th April 2012
quotequote all
GC8 said:
I suspect that the poster above has missed the point somewhat.
Yes, still interesting though for us none truckers.



martin mrt

3,784 posts

203 months

Wednesday 11th April 2012
quotequote all
Apologies I now realise what the OP meant

philmots

4,635 posts

262 months

Thursday 12th April 2012
quotequote all
A Mercedes truck is nothing like a Mercedes car! They're very agricultural.

Renaults are one of the cheapest but are a Volvo underneath - which are one of the best!

Most trucks are bought on fuel effeciency and reliability. Volvo appear to be the truck of choice at the minute. Ours are fantastic.

FunBusMk2

17,911 posts

220 months

Friday 13th April 2012
quotequote all
martin mrt said:
Renault I believe are owned by Volvo, the newer stuff has Volvo Chassis and running gear
Do some (all?) models still have DAF interiors?

Humper

946 posts

164 months

Friday 13th April 2012
quotequote all
Well, going by price, mine's a 10 plate Bentley Continental, maybe i should have bought that, it's got twice the mpg, similar power, and will depreciate just as quick.

philmots

4,635 posts

262 months

Saturday 14th April 2012
quotequote all
FunBusMk2 said:
Do some (all?) models still have DAF interiors?
We had a load of Renault Premiums and they weren't a DAF interior (thank god!)

Oggs

8,813 posts

256 months

Saturday 14th April 2012
quotequote all
The reckon the the 310 Daf we use are like 1.0 corsa's slow as hell... worse with a load. :-(

GC8

19,910 posts

192 months

Saturday 14th April 2012
quotequote all
310 for six or eight wheels?

Oggs

8,813 posts

256 months

Saturday 14th April 2012
quotequote all
Daycab 4 wheel units :-( O the shame of it......

GC8

19,910 posts

192 months

Saturday 14th April 2012
quotequote all
310bhp in a 17/18 tonne four wheeler isnt slow! Ive seen eight wheel FL7 insulated Tarmac tippers with 280bhp engines in them!

Many six wheelers dont have 300bhp, with 280 being the norm. I know someone who bought a new 18 tonne CF insulated tipper specced with a 340bhp engine and it flew...

chilistrucker

4,541 posts

153 months

Saturday 14th April 2012
quotequote all
philmots said:
A Mercedes truck is nothing like a Mercedes car! They're very agricultural.

Renaults are one of the cheapest but are a Volvo underneath - which are one of the best!

Most trucks are bought on fuel effeciency and reliability. Volvo appear to be the truck of choice at the minute. Ours are fantastic.
have you seen the new top spec merc yet. saw one on trial in hungary last year, looked a serious bit of kit, and judging by the reviews, its a massive leap forward, we'll see?
i think the ideal truck would be down to drivers preference, and a bit of mix and match of various trucks. personally i like the look of the big scanias, but if it could come with all the running gear and i-shift box from a volvo, with the layout and room of a daf super space cab, then for me personally that would be just about spot on.
my current drive, is a daf ssc, left hooker.

philmots

4,635 posts

262 months

Sunday 15th April 2012
quotequote all
I've seen a couple of the new look Mercs on the A1... All foreign registered though. They've probably not officially made it over here yet.

One of main reasons for liking the Volvo is the quick steering rack compared to most other makes. It makes every part of driving and manoeuvring so much easier I've yet to find a downside.

One thing I like about the merc... Is on cruise control when you need to use the brakes on a hill it doesn't cancel! In the Volvo you have to reset every time.

Panda76

2,578 posts

152 months

Sunday 15th April 2012
quotequote all
What bugs me with Volvos is leg room.
Apart from that they are great,just wish the seat would go back that little bit more.

y2blade

56,193 posts

217 months

Sunday 15th April 2012
quotequote all

philmots

4,635 posts

262 months

Sunday 15th April 2012
quotequote all
Panda76 said:
What bugs me with Volvos is leg room.
Apart from that they are great,just wish the seat would go back that little bit more.
I could see how some would struggle. I'm 6ft and about on the limit for leg room.


chilistrucker

4,541 posts

153 months

Sunday 15th April 2012
quotequote all
Panda76 said:
What bugs me with Volvos is leg room.
Apart from that they are great,just wish the seat would go back that little bit more.
i find this a problem in a few trucks i've driven recently.
renault premium, m.a.n, and iveco stralis.
i do miss my regular daf at the mo