Passengers - Bus Reviews & Opinions

[CL]

Safe to say, 5409, no doubt one of, if not, the best Hybrid Bus out of the West Midlands. Very unique, seeing as it's the only E400H modified with Start/Stop technology. Although, quite dark on sunny days, due to the big allover window sticker on both rear windows.

Missing it so very much from Birmingham. Have to visit Wolverhampton sometime soon for a ride on the 1.

I've heard 5409 is currently off the road with RTA damage

Such a shame, still one of the best in the whole Hybrid fleet, don't you think?

I prefer 5421 personally

To be honest with you. I've only ever been to Wolverhampton twice. I really need to explore the county, before my Term Plus (School Days) days are over. I'll be sure to hunt it down on the 1 for a ride.

[dw1308]

4757 - Terrible suspension, the doors rattle like mad even over the tiniest pothole, a strange whistling noise keeps emanating from midway down the bus (presumably where the air tanks for the brakes are), engine however is still full of life and the gearbox doesnt hunt about for a gear like some enviros, the interior was smart and the bodywork was not too bad either - 6.5/10

[Liberator9]

Rode 1921, 4052, 4376 today:

1921 - Its short loan at PB has taken the bounce out of its tyres/suspension! Rode it this morning and the ride was not as bouncy, or absorbing the road surfaces as well, as it did the other day. Led to some higher levels of rattles as a result. Due to the tyres inflation I suppose? Down to 8/10 for the poorer quality ride compared to the other day!

4052 - Warm, smooth riding and doesn't rattle or creak much. Nice President, that is good for its age. 8/10

4376 - Good Trident - suspension very good, engine and gearbox smooth too. Few rattles as well. Sadly the interior has a graffiti tag at the rear, which will need cleaning off at some point. Also, this is a first, there is a graffiti tag on the outside, by the Graham Nash name tag. How some low life has managed to get away with tagging the exterior I will never know.

[Trident 4609]

4590 and 4603- All i need to say is the the gearbox is knackered. The engine sound is different to other tridents as a result

4560- Very nippy Trident. Has a distinctive B7RLE MK1 like whine.

WN E200's- For brand new buses they don't half rattle! This is mainly from the cab area. They do feel smoother than the 62 plates in my opinion but the breaks do feel sharp.

[don]

WN E200's- For brand new buses they don't half rattle! This is mainly from the cab area. They do feel smoother than the 62 plates in my opinion but the breaks do feel sharp.

I haven't been on an NXWM one but went on two brand new Stagecoach ones in Devon a couple of months back. Sat at the back on both. They both suffered from significant vibration of the panels and glazing only in the second window on the near side - that area is where the second door would be on the London version and notably doesn't have the same stanchion and handrail arrangement of the rest of the body, as it's the wheelchair/buggy bay.  It would be interesting to hear if the NXWM ones do this (they were long wheelbase). I thought they were both very smart and solid except that - one was very smooth on acceleration and braking but the other was notably more jerky especially under braking but that may have been down to the standard of driving (possibly).

Nathan - do you think the rattling around the cab is maybe down to the amount of cash in the cash vault?

[Liberator9]

1896 - Nice Scania - very smart externally and internally due to its refurb last year. Suspension very good, with quick acceleration and smooth gearbox. Rattles are few, but some of the panels do creak a bit on turns. Haven't noticed this on the YW examples much recently - I don't know whether its due to the panels having been tightened up during refurb. Heating very good - hoping I'll have this during the cold Winter mornings. Like most of the WA Scanias, seems to vibrate a lot when idle. AG and YW examples don't do this - 8/10

4675 - Had this on the 5 today - nice Gemini - few rattles, suspension rides well, and smooth gearbox on the whole. Will be perfect when it's been refurbed. 8/10

4664 - Same as 4675 - noisy cooling fan, but suspension fine and doesn't rattle much. Again - once refurbished with new seat covers and etchings removed, it will be another good Gemini. 8/10 Beats a Trident!

[Liberator9]

7023 - AVOID!! Absolute shed of a bus - looks dreadful from the outside - very faded red front with the lack of silver lights, due to accident repairs. Rattles like mad on any road surface, and the suspension is abysmal most of the time. Literally felt like the floor fell through when going over the road humps on the 71. The cab door alarm went off at one point, due to the fact that it had been shaken loose. Worse Scania by a mile I have ever ridden - avoid it!  3/10

4138 - Route 6 WALSALL - In contrast, excellent Trident. Suspension is best I've known from a Trident - virtually no rattling, and engine smooth running - gearbox occasionally jolted, but it is a Y reg. Very smart externally and internally. 9/10

4764 - X51 -  Great Enviro 400 - very smooth riding and love the leather seats on this bus. Fast running and smooth gearbox - very smart inside - outside smart as well, just the faded red now needs repainting. Virtually no rattling either, despite having sat up near the cab. 9/10

1935 - 37 -  Fortunately 1935 was a typical Scania Omnilink - smooth running, little rattling and good suspension. AG are looking after their original order very well I must say - interior and exterior very smart. 9/10

30134 - S2 - Black Diamond livery - very smart internally and externally - smooth running, warm, and does the job fine. Suspension not as good as the Enviro 400, Trident, or 1935. Having ridden 1935 over the same patch of road, 1935 did a thousand times than the Optare.  8/10


Aside from the abysmal 7023, all the buses today were very good. I shall avoid 7023 as far as possible now. Never moaned about the Scanias, but this one is not worthy of wearing the badge - needs the Enviro 200 name tag being stuck to it!  ;)

[2900]

839: sat on rear seat my experience of this as follows, annoying rattle from the right hand side opening window, every thing from the platform rattled pretty crap really ,smooth engine and box,
Suspension ok, on the whole not great 3/10

[Liverpool Street]

BC802 - I had the unfortunate pleasure to catch this ppiece of proverbial shit from town to a friends in Quinton. Has to be the worst 'new' bus in the fleet, very noisy from rattles, dreadfully slow (and it wasn't the driver) , extremely harsh suspension and the retarder is very poor (comes on in one big lump. I nearly fell over)

Interior Quality - 1/10 - It gets a 1 for its bright lighting.
Passenger Comfort - 0/10 - See above.
Drivetrain - 0/10 - Terrible Engine & Gearbox setup.

Overall: 0/10

Its shameful a 62 plate vehicle could be this bad. If my car was anything remotely like that, I would expect a full refund.

Shame on you, ADL.

[Ronnoc]

BC802 - I had the unfortunate pleasure to catch this ppiece of proverbial shit from town to a friends in Quinton. Has to be the worst 'new' bus in the fleet, very noisy from rattles, dreadfully slow (and it wasn't the driver) , extremely harsh suspension and the retarder is very poor (comes on in one big lump. I nearly fell over)

Interior Quality - 1/10 - It gets a 1 for its bright lighting.
Passenger Comfort - 0/10 - See above.
Drivetrain - 0/10 - Terrible Engine & Gearbox setup.

Overall: 0/10

Its shameful a 62 plate vehicle could be this bad. If my car was anything remotely like that, I would expect a full refund.

Shame on you, ADL.

Agreed, I have been in one and fell over nearly 5 times, the 5th one was when the bus was braking and I nearly hit my head on the handrails.

[Liverpool Street]

BC802 - I had the unfortunate pleasure to catch this ppiece of proverbial shit from town to a friends in Quinton. Has to be the worst 'new' bus in the fleet, very noisy from rattles, dreadfully slow (and it wasn't the driver) , extremely harsh suspension and the retarder is very poor (comes on in one big lump. I nearly fell over)

Interior Quality - 1/10 - It gets a 1 for its bright lighting.
Passenger Comfort - 0/10 - See above.
Drivetrain - 0/10 - Terrible Engine & Gearbox setup.

Overall: 0/10

Its shameful a 62 plate vehicle could be this bad. If my car was anything remotely like that, I would expect a full refund.

Shame on you, ADL.

Agreed, I have been in one and fell over nearly 5 times, the 5th one was when the bus was braking and I nearly hit my head on the handrails.

I thought it was just me imaging it, or my elderly (albeit muscular) legs were weakening...

Nope! Just shitty ADL products failing to meet even one of my own 'quality measures'.

I pray the E200MMC has rectified these issues.

[mranon]

they are cheap and nasty end of. i think they ride and travel better with anything but the voith gearbox. the retarder is all or nothing, the gears clunk and cant make their mind up. massive step into cab. and the rattles! disgusting. shame nx have abandoned other brands esp volvo.

[Liberator9]

1930 - Finally got on this one - along with 1929, I have managed to ride all YW's original Scanias now.
Excellent bus, had it on the 27 today. Suspension very smooth and rides out the road imperfections excellently. Virtually no rattles. Engine and gearbox smooth running. Externally and internally in perfect condition - well done YW and Scania.  10/10

1929, 1910 - 9/10 for both of them. Good suspension, few rattles and smooth running. That's about all there is to say, but in this case that's a good thing.

4089 - 49 (YW) Good for its age - Whiny ZF gearbox, but smooth. Suspension fine and few rattles. Interior and Exterior in good condition.  8/10

4674 - 11C  Nice Gemini - engine and gearbox smooth riding. Suspension was excellent - as most of the AG Geminis are. Rattles are minimal, and being a 2012 refurb, is well presented. Paintwork is vivid red and NX Grey Dot scheme inside, which is smart. Be good to have all the Gems in this refurbed state. 9/10

[Mike K]

they are cheap and nasty end of. i think they ride and travel better with anything but the voith gearbox. the retarder is all or nothing, the gears clunk and cant make their mind up. massive step into cab. and the rattles! disgusting. shame nx have abandoned other brands esp volvo.

The cost driven 5 year deal with ADL may prove to be short sighted. Costs may be saved in the short to medium term but imagine what these E200s might be like in 15 years.

[Liberator9]

I dread to think - no way will they last as long as Wrights products, or the Scanias.