SCANIA S500 VS S650 V8
Truck & Driver July 2019^73
“The best truck I’ve ever driven,” says Tom of the S500Driver’s opinion: Scania S500, Tom Gould
Chris gave me this truck
when it was just a week old.
He took it out to begin with
and I’ve driven it ever since.
It caused a real stir for a while
because initially there were
so few on the road.
In my previous job at
Stobart Biomass I had an old
R480 Topline and, before
that, an R450 Highline
twin-steer. They were both
good vehicles but the New
Generation is so different
to drive and live in. Initially
people weren’t sure about
the looks but now they’ve
become very popular in a
relatively short time.Much better cab
The cab is a major step
forward as the visibility is so
much better, helped by an
improved driving position
over the new model – you sit
nearer the driver’s door – the
mirrors are excellent and the
deep windows really help in
a confined space. It doesn’t
feel like a big truck when
you’re used to it, despite the
height of the cab.
The flat floor makes it
really easy to cross the
cab, and the beds are very
comfortable, especially when
the bottom bunk is extendedHappy with 500
It would be nice to have the
650 V8. The extra power does
make a difference, it hardly
ever seems to slow down
on a hill, but I’m more than
happy with this 500, it does
everything we ask of it. I love
driving the 500 and do my
utmost to get the best possible
fuel consumption and driver
performance score, especially
if I can beat Chris! I’m pleasedto say that after more than two
years of use, the brake wear
indicator on the dash shows
that the pads on each axle
have more than 90% life left.
Even though my truck is a
very early production model,
it has been virtually trouble-
free – just an issue with the
rear cab suspension that was
soon sorted. Three years old at
the end of the year, it’s the best
truck I have ever driven, as
simple as that.outwards. Interior and exterior
storage is very good; there are
plenty of smaller storage areas
around the dash and elsewhere
in the cab too.
The heating and ventilation
system works really well,
despite it being a big cab. I’m
often away all week, but it’s
never a problem with this cab,
and access is very good – the
steps are well laid out.
I find the 500 engine to be
a big step up from the 450, it’s
just that bit more comfortable
when loaded to 44 tonnes. The
gearchange is much faster with
the layshaft brake; it’s able to
change up in situations where
the old gearbox would stay in
the lower gear.
Also, the low-speed control is
much better, it’s possible to just
inch the truck along in forward
and reverse, and I find the gear
selection faultless.
The ride is better with the
slightly longer wheelbase,
while the reduced front
overhang means it’s not as easy
as it was on the old model to
catch the front end when going
up a slope, especially with the
centre axle lifted. The brakes
and the retarder work really
well; it’s possible to do almost
all of the on-road braking
without touching the footbrake.Driver Tom Gould reckons the New Generation cab (this is the S500) is a major step forward