"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
09/02/2014 at 16:24 • Filed to: None
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"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
09/02/2014 at 16:24 • Filed to: None | 1
| 2 |
[ Full Disclosure : This isn't my bus. I don't even have a Class D licence, so I'm reporting from a passenger seat. I did sit right at the front though.]
Exterior - 5/10
There isn't all that much you can do with a bus. Large box designed to as many passengers as it can within its regulated overall length. It's painted a dull grey as well. Nonetheless I suppose it's OK as buses go.
Interior - 6/10
Neat blue seats, sensible, durable carpet. Like I said, it's a bus. The driver gets a nice enough environment though.
Performance - 7/10
It has a 13 litre six cylinder engine with 420bhp and lots of torques. For all this it's in the EU so it has a 100 km/h limiter so that's your lot. Unless you want to engage neutral and coast downhill but that'll show up as a violation on the tachograph and your employer won't be a bit happy.
All you need is to be able to accelerate up to the limiter reasonably promptly but not so much that passengers are inconvenienced and maintain that speed uphill if necessary. It does all that perfectly well.
Economy – 7/10
I haven't the faintest idea what the company actually achieve but in terms of fuel used per passenger a full bus is a lot better than a car.
Braking - 6/10
It stops without throwing passengers forward. There's an electric retarder to supplement the service brakes, not so much to provide extra braking to to reduce the wear and tear on discs and pads during start/stop driving.
Ride- 8/10
I was being driven long smooth Swedish motorways so I can't comment on rough road ride but the comfort level on good roads is excellent.
Toys – 6/10
You get a seat with a little tray ahead of you and that's about it. But then again there's a toilet and free wi fi which may work or may not. You also have a large screen at the front showing your progress and the driver may have the radio on.
The driver does better. He/she gets a separately air sprung seat, cruise control and sat nav. On the other hand, he/she has to blow into an alcotester before the engine will start. Too much booze on one's breath results in disgruntled passengers and a need to seek alternative employment.
Gearbox - 9/10
If we were in America we'd probably have a heavy, expensive, inefficient Allison torque converter automatic but we're not and we don't. Instead we have Volvo's seemingly marvellous iShift, a 12 speed automated manual. Just like a Smart but with more gears and indeed more gearboxes (three speed main, two speed splitter, two speed range change). Surprisingly to car drivers it does without synchromesh. Gears are instead changed by matching revs using throttle (downchanges) and engine brake (upchanges). It all works very well indeed. Unlike Volvo trucks it creeps so you feel as if you're in a conventional automatic and changes are imperceptible, partially because if you're at the front you're a long way from engine and box. In normal driving it doesn't actually use all twelve gears and skips through them wherever it can. Only in slow stop/start driving are you aware that there is a mechanical transmission and you can feel a slight jolting as power is applied and released.
Audio - 3/10
Basic radio if the driver turns it on and that's all. No engine noise unless you sit right at the back and then you just hear a very large diesel grumbling away.
Value - 7/10
Can't comment on buying the bus, but a 75 minute trip is reasonable value as far as Sweden goes.
Total: 64/100
505Turbeaux
> Cé hé sin
09/02/2014 at 16:28 |
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how bad did the bus driver want to throw you out a window for asking all these questions? :)
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Cé hé sin
> 505Turbeaux
09/02/2014 at 16:29 |
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The internet is a very useful resource...