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"The driver likes the size of the vehicle but says it could do with a bit more
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power" Carol Stratton
Carol Stratton is deputy manager for Brent Plastics, a laminate distributor based in Willesden. London. which manufactures bespoke panels used in the production of domestic and laboratory furniture.
She says: "We run five vehicles—two Mercedes Atego 7.5 tanners, a 3.5-tonne Sprinter and two 6.5tonne Iveco City trucks. We bought the first 6.5 tonner 16 months ago, and the second about a year ago, because they are narrow and have a good payload, and lveco was the only manufacturer that offered a truck at that weight. They are both fitted with 4..3m curtainsided bodies so that we can fork-lift the product on and off. The 7.5 tonners give us the payload we require, but we find that operating the narrower and lighter 6.5 tanner Is better for making deliveries into central London. We run them fully laden and they will carry up to 3.5 tonnes.
"Fuel consumption Is very poor. It went up by 30% over the MercedesBenz 7.5 tonner it replaced. It was so bad that we stopped using it for deliveries to a customer In Scotland. Fuel for an Atego on that run costs us 1157 and for the lveco Dally 650 it was £230. The trucks we use In London cover about 25,000 to 30,000 miles a year and others do about 40,000 miles a year. Ideally we would like to replace them every three years. but the last Mercedes 7.5 tonner we replaced we had kept for 12 years.
"On the oldest of the Ivecos, we have had two turbos blow up as well as replacing all the brake cylinders and a servo. On the younger one, we have had just replaced the one turbo. There was no question about the work being car
fled out under warranty but we weren't reimbursed for the cost of recovery the second time the turbo packed up.
When It came time for the truck's first annual test, it failed due to a design fault. On full lock, the front wheel was rubbing against a brake pipe. We were told it would be the subject of a recall, but we were never notified. The second one had the same fault and we had to arrange for the main dealer to put it right, as our servicing is carried out by an independent garage. Iveca's backup is not that good. We seem to have a communication problem that is not apparent with the Mercedes dealer.
"The driver likes the size of the vehicle but says it could do with a bit more power. The six-speed box gets worked hard keeping up with the traffic in London. The cab's trim Is not standing up too welL flier° are already some interior panels hanging off.
"Original price and residual value were not an ssue with Iveco as they were the only ones offerng a 6.5 tonner at the time we bought them. But m reflection it was a bad move, mainly because if the fuel consumption. We won't be buying mother one. The M-B Sprinter only goes up to 6.0 :onnes, which doesn't quite give us the payload, nit if a 6.5 tonner should materialize we will take look at that; otherwise, we may consider the lark) later this year"