Truck & Driver UK – September 2019

Truck & Driver August 2019^91

wall. In its original position there’s

still ample room and I’m 6ft tall

and weigh 120kg; slide it out and

it’s incredibly comfortable.

Once tipped, I ran to the reload

in Millom over the A595 and, as a

lot of you will know, the blacktop

from the M6 to Millom is, in places,

rural to say the least! Here, the

Scania came into its own. The

torque, allied with the auto ’box,

is a marriage made in heaven.

Coming back out of the yard,

loaded with wire from Tornado, I

was mindful of some of the

gradients and passing places I

had ‘enjoyed’ running empty, when

I’d met some of the local boys

running from the quarries... No

problem at all for this machine.

When I had to stop, even on the

narrowest, steepest of climbs to

let one past, the auto setting on

the handbrake allowed my hands

to remain on the wheel.

Won over

The upshot of the week, really,

was the conversion of a Scania

cynic to a man who was already

subconsciously crunching the

numbers and also possibly going

on the run before the Friday it

was due to be handed back.

The price tag is the major

stumbling block. Despite Scania

residuals proven with earlier

models, my thoughts at the time

were centred around this: £105,000

for this versus £85,000 for a

similar-spec Renault T High, Volvo

FH and 106 Daf. At the end of four

or five years, how much difference

would there be really without the

price premium of the V8 range?

All that grown-up stuff aside,

and the large ugly roof front

decorated with spots, I was left

on the Saturday feeling as though

I would be deciding shortly

whose kidneys I could sell to get

those chaps at Scania to drop

one off as soon as possible.

On to a Volvo next I feel, if

only for balance. I’m open to

being impressed, however, as

both the Renault and Scania

have delivered on the promises

outlined in their brochures.

THE VERDICT

Performance: 9/10

The 500 may not top the 13-litre

power stakes but it’s well on top

of the game and the Opticruise

’box is very smooth.

Economy: 9/10

Overall, 10mpg – the Scania

returned a near-identical set of

figures to the Range T High 520.

Cab: 9/10

Chris likes the extendable bunk.

Build quality is best in class.

Driving: 8/10

Supremely comfortable on long

distances and deals with the

twisty stuff with complete ease.

OVERALL: 35/40

You really can’t go wrong with a

S500. Not cheap but Scania will

contend you get what you pay for.

Scania soon counters Chris’s negativity, but he’s not so positive about the price tag

Controls clear, straightforward Great driving position, good visibility

MORE THAN JUST A TRUCKSTOP