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WHAT DOES THE TEAM THINK?

OPERATORS CHECK OUT THE CONTENDERS

Manufacturers make plenty of promises about their vehicles — but how do working operators rate the latest crop of 7.5-tonners?

nrEco FORD CARGO • lveco Ford's Cargo seemed to generate less controversy than just about any other vehicle in this group. As Arthur Saxby put it: "I can't see anybody having any real complaints about this truck."

Trevor Buckle noted the good door pulls and cab access, but thought drivers would use the steering wheel as the second handgrip. Inside, he thought the cab very nicely laid out, and liked the way in which all the instruments fell within the circumference of the wheel. Visibility got mixed reviews: Saxby liked it, especially the extra nearside visibility through the extra panel in the door, and David Mitchell gave it "average, not brilliant" marks, while Graham Forbes reckoned it not as good as that of the Roadrunner.

Mitchell picked out the mirrors as being worthy of praise — being convex made then especially good for reversing, he said. Saxby thought the rev counter unnecessary but Forbes liked it, on the basis that any indication to a hire driver of correct driving practice was worthwhile.

Room in the cab — one of the biggest in the group — was seen as good. Forbes liked the "walk-through" cross-cab access, but Saxby noted that there was not much storage space visible.

On the road it was the Cargo's engine noise which attracted most criticism: all our drivers noted it as a problem. To put it in perspective, Forbes found it much noiser than the Volvo or MAN, and a bit noisier than the Roadrunner.

The driving position ranked well, as did the gearchange: "It's a good positive change, better than the Roadrunner's and with better ratios," said Forbes. Mitchell liked the gearchange and the steering, which he found "very good". Saxby liked the handling on this laden vehicle, while Buckle picked out the brakes, with their "nice progressive feel" for praise. Forbes noted that the Cargo pulled very well — in particular, the way in which it picked up cleanly from just 800rpm in top.

All our drivers thought the daily checks would be easy to carry out on the Cargo, with oil and water checks and fillers out in the open. Saxby liked the easy access to the air filter as well, but noted with this body that access to the battery for checking was "very tight". Buckle felt that the bonnet stay was a "very Heath Robinson affair". Elsewhere around the chassis, Forbes thought that the radiator could be mounted a little higher off the ground, and that the exhaust had too little clearance.

As might be expected from the most popular 7.5-tonner on British roads, most of our panel had experience of the Cargo, and had some idea of problems which might arise with it.

Saxby had had trouble with cab corrosion, especially on the front panel. Mitchell's drivers had objected to judder in the new disc brakes, but once that had been cured had expressed a preference for the Cargo brakes over those of the "more snatchy" Roadrunner units. Forbes had identified the source of some of the excessive noice — the grommet around the base of the gear lever — and named that as his major gripe.

Most thought this Cargo suitable for their particular operations, although several had reservations on gearing. "We don't need the overdrive or a fast axle," said Mitchell; a view that was echoed by Saxby. The increasingly unusual manual — rather than key — engine stop attracted a surprising amount of praise; several of the panel preferring it for its simplicity.

IVECO FORD TURBO ZETA

• lveco Ford's Turbo Zeta is a new version of a very old basic design, and it came in for a bit of flack for some of its features. Mitchell summed up the cab interior as "cheap" adding that cross-cab access was not very good and neither were the heating controls ("lousy" was his actual comment).

Forbes found the door aperture a bit too low and thought that "you could bang your head easily on that". He found the cross-cab access quite good, however, and thought that the instruments were well laid out: "Everything you need to see is in front of you," he said, adding that the vehicle seemed well appointed.

Buckle discovered that the window winders, in typical Italian fashion, worked "backwards" compared with those on all the other vehicles, and was not too impressed with the visibility, which Mitchell found "average".

On the road, it was the gearbox — or, rather the gearchange — which came in for most criticism. "Not particularly easy," was Mitchell's verdict, while Forbes just found it "a bit notchy".

Mitchell found the steering positive, but Buckle felt that the small-diameter wheel made it a bit heavy, especially at low speeds. He summed the whole driving feel up as being "harsh, like a 20year-old design, and primitive compared to the others".

Compared with the other integral van present, the Renault 50, Forbes found the Turbo Zeta "much quieter", but he was not sure whether the Zeta would handle as well as the Renault. The brakes, however, felt good, with a better feel than those of the Renault, and the Iveco did have a lot of low-down torque, he thought.

None of our testers were very excited about the prospect of working on this vehicle. Mitchell thought it had "difficult access", while Forbes thought it would be "an awkward machine to work on". Buckle did note that removal of the engine cover would give good access to the top of the engine, but felt that other parts would be difficult to reach.

He also remarked that while the dipstick was easy to get at, as was the radiator filler, the oil filler, inside the cab, should have been outside, as its use would inevitably mean oil on the cab floor. He did, however, like the battery box — mounted on slides for access — and the mounting of the screenwasher bottle inside where it would not be susceptible to freezing. Around the back, Mitchell did not like the way the wheelarches intruded into the body, nor the lack of tie-downs, but he did think the sliding side door would be an advantage in urban use. Buckle thought the front grille "cheap and nasty" while Forbes thought that the air tank and radiator were too close to the ground. He reserved his real criticism for the passenger's seat, however. This was more firmly padded than even the thin seat atop the engine cover, and he said: "Nobody could sit on that all day — it's a disgrace."

Desirable improvements centred on better accessibility, a better gear linkage, better finish and a better rear step. Forbes found the step dangerously small and also questioned the need for the interconnecting door from the cab to the load space, but Mitchell said he was looking at the possibility of just such a van for some rural parcels runs.

LEYLAND DAF ROADRUNNER

II Most of our drivers were familiar with the Roadrunner, and some already had praise — and brickbats lined up for it. Inside the cab, Arthur Saxby reckoned that the seating (the up-market suspension driver's seat included) was not as comfortable as that on the Cargo, but his big complaint was that there was "nowhere to store anything excc floor". Dudley Yates disagreed: storage space for maps and pers: cies on a delivery vehicle like thi Nobody doubted the good visk the C44 cab, and David Mitchell way that on the instrument dust( erything can be seen at a glance' again had found something slightl rent: the air and temperature gat were covered by the steering wh when he was seated comfortably. Forbes would have liked to see a counter, but liked the cab for its feeling of airiness, and reckoned was exactly the right size. Evert) praised the easy access, but Mitc thought a rubber mat would be e keep clean than the carpet on thi: model.

The most unusual complaint ab cab came from Forbes. In his exy "People who hire them from us p crete blocks on the passenger se they knock the (kerbside) vvindom when they fall off!" Dudley Yates that, in his experience: "The doo: are still a nuisance," and that the still tended to fall apart.

Outside, Forbes liked the way haust was up out of the way, and the air tanks were outside the chi: rails, they were far enough behinc front wheels to be protected by ti he thought. David Mitchell confirmed that view: "Our fitters prefer to work on these," and one of the few complaints came from Trevor Buckle, who noted the small washer bottle hidden under its flap. Yates liked the plastic wheelarch liners, which would protect the Roadrunner from the sort of rusting problems that his Cargos had suffered from in the past.

On the track, the Roadrunner earned qualified praise. Mitchell noted that the driving position was very good, as was the turning circle. Trevor Buckle noted a slight steering tremor, spotted by Graham Forbes too — who also disliked the offset steering column which forced the brake pedal over to the right.

There was a disagreement over the brakes: Forbes said that they were "nice and progressive", but Saxby thought that "they could be more progressive". There were a lot of second places for the Roadrunner, too — Saxby thought the gearchange was "not as good as the Ford's", while Forbes compared the steering unfavourably to that of the Volvo. Forbes also found fault with the gear ratios: the wide gaps between the gears masked some of the eagerness of the Cummins/ Leyland engine, he thought.

When it came to helping Leyland Daf's engineers design the next Roadrunner, there were few suggestions not already covered by individual criticisms. Arthur Saxby, however, would like to see a bigger mirror on the offside.

How good was the Roadrunner for each operator's application? Dudley Yates was quite happy: "We run four at the moment, and they are very satisfactory. I can get a four-tonne load legally on a box van. . . so yes, we will be having some more of them when the time comes." Arthur Saxby, while liking the Roadrunner, said: "There's no way we could have this package" — more basic trim would obviously be a priority, and he thought that Leyland Daf was beaten for service backup in his area by both Iveco Ford and Bedford.

David Mitchell was also voting with his chequebook: "We've just ordered another 48 for Scotland," even though Lynx has had a few cases of water appearing in the Roadrunners' exhaust pipes.

MAN 090

• MAN's G90 was brand-new (one of the first in British service, it was hired back from BRS for this, its first day of work) but most of our drivers were familiar with its MT forbear.

One or two of them found difficulty getting in — Buckle found the first step fine, but the second turned his leg the wrong way. Once inside they all found the cab an agreeable place. Saxby said it was small, but had lots of space even if the roof felt a bit low. Buckle found the driver's seat very comfortable, but the instruments offset. All thought the cab was well-finished ("Very German," said Forbes) but Mitchell had a few criticisms: there was, if anything, a bit too much instrumentation, and the warning lights were too small, he thought.

With 112kW on tap, the performance of this little truck impressed everyone who drove it: "Lively," said Mitchell; "Very lively," said Buckle; "Lots of pull," said Forbes. Buckle found that the engine surged a bit at low speeds, and thought the gearchange was heavy. Saxby didn't like the gearchange — he could find the gears, but the length of the lever sometimes made it difficult.

The brakes came in for some criticism, too: Buckle found that they "responded well", but Forbes found them ". . . a bit grabby. . .". On the comfort front, Buckle said that the nonsuspended driver's seat transmitted a lot of road shock to the driver, while Forbes felt the vehicle rolled more than, say, the Volvo FLA. Mitchell didn't find the driving position to his liking and made a few recommendations about this, while Forbes discovered an odd wind noise (possibly from the offside mirror) at high speeds. He also noted that the clutch pedal was too far off the floor: "Drivers will ride that," he said.

Outside the vehicle the new front bumper attracted most criticism: "It's too deep and too low," said Forbes. Mitchell did not like having headlights in the bumper as they would be costly to repair. Forbes also felt the sump hung too low. All thought that access for routine items was all right, and Buckle liked the rubber-bushed springs.

To improve the vehicle, Buckle would like the gearlever cranked back by 10cm to bring it closer to the driver: Saxby would take the lights out of the bumper and Forbes would lower the clutch pedal and fit a rev counter.

On choosing the G90 for their own fleets, our panel gave a cautious thumbs up. Forbes liked it, particularly for its performance and its cab with good walkthrough access and rubber matting — ideal for tipper use_ Saxby thought the cloth seats would not go down well for his use. Mitchell commented: "We had an MT once, but it packed up — the gearbox was too puny," adding: "I can't see the need for 150hp for parcels!"

Most, however, came away genuinely liking the little MAN. Although Saxby found himself "a little cramped" in the small cab, the others were very positive. "It doesn't seem like a 7.5-tonner. it's a very pleasant little truck to drive," said Buckle. "If I didn't have an HGV, I'd probably be happier in this than in the Renault," said Mitchell, "but it seems to price itself out of the market." Forbes said: "It's a truck you could drive all day with ease."

MERCEDES-BENZ 811D

• The Mercedes-Benz 811D surprised one or two of our testers who had not previously encountered this model. Yates summed it up best: "I got a bad first impression of this vehicle, but ended up being pleasantly surprised." Likewise Forbes (a user of the bigger 814 who had never considered the semibonneted 12 range) said: "A little flyer — a bloody good little truck with no nasties."

He had started off by being impressed by the "wonderful" access to a cab which he described as being ". . . very German, very clean and tidy". Saxby noted that the first step was a little high, but that cross-cab access was quite good, and that the seats — including a dual passenger's seat — were also good. While visibility in general got good marks, Mitchell found that the quarter lights in the doors obscured the line of sight to the door mirrors, while Buckle

found that "you could skin your knuckles on them". He added that, although most gauges were nicely separated and easily visible, the ignition switch was hidden (Yates had the same trouble with the master lighting switch).

Yates also noted that "a portly chap" might have difficulty getting in behind the big steering wheel, that there was no map pocket and that the quality of the hazard warning switch left much to be desired. Buckle found the heater slides to be stiff and "primitive".

On the road Saxby found the 811

• • easy to drive — good for nonHGV drivers". Mitchell agreed: "It's nicer than the 814. It has a car-like feel, better for first-time drivers, and the driving position is pretty good."

Forbes was impressed by the performance: "It's got good low-down torque, even for a little four — I'm really surprised," he said. Buckle agreed that it accelerated well, "especially if you keep the revs up". He liked the steering, with the typically-large MercedesBenz steering wheel, while Saxby praised the easy gearchange.

Buckle noted that the handbrake was out of easy reach and that the footbrake seemed to have a lot of free play in it, while Yates noted that the brake pedal "has a different feel to it than all the others". Forbes said that it was noisy, and noted that there were some rattles in the plastic trim.

None of our testers really liked the concept of a semi-bonneted truck with a non-tilt cab and the engine half in, half out of the cab. Access to the engine from the front was "not good" according to Mitchell and Saxby, but Forbes conceded: "A non-tilt cab doesn't matter so much if the dealer services it." Both Saxby and Buckle reckoned that the daily check items were easy to reach, but the location of the battery under the driver's seat caused a few eyebrows to rise.

Outside a couple of testers felt that the exhaust pipe seemed unnecessarily long (it goes all the way to the rear of the vehicle), but everything else was tidy and out of the way. Yates liked the flat-topped chassis rails ("good for the bodybuilder") while Buckle liked the rubber-bushed springs.

Suggested improvements were few: Forbes would like less noise, as would Mitchell; Yates would like a parking brake which would hold on a 25% (1-in4) hill: this one would not.

The biggest worry about putting the 811 into a fleet seemed to be its price. Saxby (who would like it with vinyl seating rather than cloth) thought price might be a problem, while Mitchell thought that if the price was right, he would certainly favour the Mercedes over the Renault 50 or Turbo Zeta in van form. Forbes said that, no matter how attractive the vehicle was, he still didn't like non-tilt cabs.

MERCEDES-BENZ 814

• The Mercedes-Benz 814 shares its basic cab structure with the smaller, semibonnetted 811D, so it was not surprising that many of the comments on this cab paralleled those made about the 811's cab.

Forbes, for instance, noted that it was "dead easy to get into", and that it was "very German" inside. Yates commented that the instrumentation was very clear and marked the cab up for "good access". Mitchell thought it had very good visibility, and a nice interior with "a very practical texture" to the interior trim.

Buckle liked the simple instrumentation, but was concerned that drivers would use the steering wheel as a grab handle. More than one operator noted the single steering-column stalk but interestingly, in the light of their almost universal condemnation of the Renault G08's non-Eurostandard stalks, they all liked this big right-hand, multi-function unit.

Forbes thought that the parking brake lever site on the dashboard was "not the greatest idea ever", and was also disappointed by the high engine cover that would make fitting a third seat very difficult. Yates liked the tinted glass and the good storage space, while Mitchell thought it would be easy to keep clean.

This one was a favourite with most of our drivers out on the track. Comments like "lively" abounded, along with positive comments about the brakes, handling and steering. Forbes said: "There's almost a danger of going round bends too quickly," while Buckle added: "It drives as though it's a much bigger vehicle." Yates reported that "the engine is one of the quietest", while Mitchell decided that the whole vehicle was "very smooth".

The steering was liked by all for being light and positive, and one of our drivers

even had praise for the great dish steering wheel so berated by our testers. The brakes were also poi "They feel firm," said Yates. "Th, the best progression," said Bucldi brakes are almost too good", said Not all was sweetness and light however. Mitchell noted that ther lot of engine vibration on tickover found the detent protecting reven too strong and barked his knuckle what he described as "silly" quart, catches; and Mitchell thought ther lot of roll when cornering.

Underneath, there were a few which our team did not like. Yates the accelerator linkage needlessly cated, with lots of joints which wo wear. Buckle didn't like the look power steering reservoir ("difficult up"), but reserved most of criticis the battery position ("impossible ti without a mirror").

Forbes felt the exhaust and the bumper were both mounted too lo approved of the plastic fuel tank, N Yates liked the spare wheel mount right at the back.

Suggested improvements were I Forbes would like a lower engine ( facilitate fitting a third seat; Mitch( would cut the price; Buckle would prove minor catches and controls.

For their own operations, most buy — if it was cheaper. Forbes (1 uses 814s) said: "It's fine, but it pi itself out of the market. Otherwise happy to buy". Mitchell said: "We dered them for Lynx, but the price high". The man with a technical re, not buying was Dudley Yates: "I gi payload out of my Roadrunners", h

RENAULT 50 SERIES

• The Renault 50 Series didn't wi of friends on first acquaintance. Tre Buckle noted that the grab handle 1 awkward to use, so the steering wl was likely to be used for assisting E He noted the long gear lever and Ii brake lever, and the long lift from f footbrake pedal, but reserved his n approbation for what he considered "an abomination" of an instrument binnacle.

David Mitchell didn't go quite so he just thought the interior was "ch and nasty", and he did not like the I step either. The sun visors, folded on long stalks, did not impress Arthur Saxby, while Graham Forbes slammed the poor forward vision resulting from the semi-bonnetted layout and low seating position. "There's a lot of wasted space in this cab," he said, pointing to the distance from the windscreen to the driver's seat, and from the seatback to the rear bulkhead.

On the track, the complaints about vision continued: "I don't rate it for visibility, and the seating's terrible," said Mitchell. Saxby disagreed, saying the seating gave "a comfortable driving position." The gear lever ("a big, sloppy, vibrating thing", according to Mitchell) was notchy but positive to Trevor Buckle, who also noted that the new Perkins Phaser engine "pulls well".

Graham Forbes was also satisfied with the performance, but not so with the noise inside this integral van. What did impress him were the roadholding and steering, but the brakes got a thumbsdown for being hard and non-progressive.

When it came to maintenance, David Mitchell was honest: "I've never been a big lover of semi-forward-control vehicles," he said. Though he liked the design of the Phaser engine, he wasn't too keen on working on it in this installation: "Imagine trying to change an injector on that!"

Outside Buckle, among others, condemned the spare wheel carrier: "difficult to use, and disgraceful ground clearance," he said. Forbes noted that the exhaust pipe stuck out several centimetres beyond the tyres on the right-hand side — and that they in turn were right out at the edge of the wheelarches. The rear step into the van body was, he felt, dangerously small, and once inside David Mitchell again found the wheelarches instrusive.

Given the limitations of the layout, most helpful hints for the future centred around improving the noise insulation inside. Only one of our group could see a place for the 50-Series in his fleet. Arthur Saxby said: "We could live with it — and do. You can make quite a nice workshop out of it."

Forbes agreed on that: "You would only ever need it for a fitter."

RENAULT G08

• Renault's G08 gave a few of our testers — familiar with its long-serving appearance — some surprises. Buckle immediately noted the "superb seating position", and Forbes gave his approval to the suspension seat.

All acknowledged that the interior of the G08 was rather basic, "but that's ideal for a tipper," said Buckle. Forbes also noted that this was a basic cab — and rather a confined one: "I find it a bit claustrophobic," he said. Saxby agreed: "A tall person ends up very close to the wheel and dashboard."

Mitchell felt that the driving position made him feel as though he was "falling over the wheel", while Buckle said that a tali driver had to stoop to see out of the low-browed windscreen. While the instruments rated "adequate" or "good" comments from most testers, almost all found problems with the steering wheel obscuring the tachograph or other instruments. Opinions were divided over some unusual points in the layout of the controls. Buckle and Forbes both picked up on the handbrake being on the "wrong" side — it lives on the right-hand side of the driver's seat instead of in the middle of the cab — but Forbes thought he could live with it.

Most mentioned the column-mounted stalks being the reverse of their usual positions: "I wish people would standardise on column controls," said Forbes. The point which everybody picked up was that there is no gear-position diagram on the gear lever knob or dashboard — they felt it would be confusing for hire drivers, for instance — and the unlabelled gearchange caused a few problems for our testers: most gave it low marks. "It's not easy to adjust to," said Saxby. "It's vague," said Forbes. Buckle didn't like it either — or the long-travel clutch.

The steering also took some flak. "It has little self-centring action," said Buckle, "and it needs a conscious effort to steer." Forbes found it "not very positive", while Mitchell said: "The steering takes a bit of getting used to."

There was no argument about the performance of this one: with tipper gearing and the big Perkins engine, Forbes commented: "It's very torquey," and remarked that with this much power available, "it could do with a higher back axle."

Several drivers thought the Renault noisy, but as Saxby said: "It's no different from a Bedford in that."

The only other driving criticism, again picked up by most of our panel, was that the quarter light frame obstructed their view of the driver's mirror.

Outside, the major criticism of the G08 was its low ground clearance, particularly for this tipper-bodied unit. "The damage underneath this one suggests that the ground clearance is not all it should be," said Buckle, adding that the radiator looked vulnerable too. Saxby, Forbes and Mitchell all noted the low-slung exhaust system. Forbes said: "The ground clearance is not enough for us."

Suggested improvements followed on from the criticisms: better hand-brake location; better ground clearance; standard column-stalk positions, and a gearposition chart. Saxby also recommended a better dealer network.

Opinions varied on the suitability of the G08 for our operators' businesses. Saxby thought that it would be "quite acceptable for the job we do". Forbes said: "It's not something I'd buy just for driving — it's not bad for tipping, but definitely not for distribution." Mitchell said: "The question of how long it will be in production puts us off — and National Carriers had some, and had bad cab corrosion."

RENAULT MIDLINER

• If there was one vehicle which really triggered our drivers' emotions, it was the Renault Midliner with its perceived French eccentricities.

Reactions centred on the cab interior: "It's a bloody nightmare, said Forbes, "only the French could do this to us!" Particular dislikes were the haphazard nature of the controls, with the indicator stalk (which looks like it should be a trailer brake control, sticking vertically out of the instrument panel) taking most criticism: "I don't like stalks coming out the dash — somebody will break it off," said Saxby. That view was shared by Yates and Buckle. Yates also found that the parking brake lever trapped his fingers when it was released, and thought the windscreen wiper arc was too low.

Under way, the performance and handling attracted much praise: "It pulls well," said Buckle, and Forbes thought it had good torque. He also liked the handling, as did Mitchell, who thought it was "very positive", but Forbes found the ride very bouncy. Although Mitchell did not like the position of the steering wheel (also noted by Yates) he thought the Midliner was "very easy to drive — it makes you a bit lazy".

The brakes and gearchange were wellliked, although Yates found the truck pulling to the right under braking, and two drivers reckoned that the detent protecting reverse was not strong or positive enough.

The clutch was criticised by Forbes and Yates as being very heavy, and Forbes found the power steering pump very noisy and the ride rather bouncy. That indicator stalk carne in for more stick, because the indicators did not self-cancel, much to Yates' annoyance.

Several drivers noted the low gearing, but the big criticism was noise: "It's a distinctive, drumming, background noise," said Buckle. "It's a deep note that really gets on your nerves," said Saxby. "Lots of noise," said Yates.

Outside, the daily-check items seemed to be accessible, though Yates thought the body obstructed access to the big fuel filler, and Buckle thought the battery hard to get at. He was surprised to find grease points on the springs, having expected to find rubber bushes on a 7.5-tonner. He also expressed surprise at finding a mechanical handbrake — a point echoed on by Forbes, who did not like the big, looping brake lines to the rear axle.

Yates was pleased to find a big electrical isolation switch, and confined himself to describing the transverse-silencer exhaust system as "strange". Forbes was more direct: "It's bloody silly," he said, pointing out the vulnerability of the low-mounted box and complicated pipework.

It was the general lowness of the vehicle which counted it out for Forbes and his tipper application, and Saxby reinforced that viewiew, saying. "It's not the kind of vehicle for municipal work." Yates commented "It's not my first choice — unless the price was exceptionally good. Apart from anything else there's not enough payload at 3.17 tonnes." Suggestions for improvements centred on replacing the fussy, "plasticky dashboard" (which, in fairness, has been done on the replacement model which has not yet reached Britain) and on reducing the noise. Yates would like the parking brake lever repositioned.

In summary, Forbes found the Midliner "a bit old-fashioned". Yates, who felt that "it looks less like a juggernaut than the others", also felt that in this low-geared form it felt like a tipper chassis. Saxby's conclusion was: "It didn't strike me as a premium vehicle."

VOLVO FL4

M There was much interest in the Volvo FL4: it is new to Britain and has been projected as being very much an up-market machine. There was also a fascination with its small engine and the performance expected from it.

Every one of our testers commented favourably on the overall quality of the cab and its interior, though there were some reservations. "It's a lovely cab — you'd think you were sitting in a 12tonner," said Mitchell. The low steps were praised by Buckle, Saxby and Forbes — though the latter pointed out that this gave too little ground clearance for his operation.

What nobody liked was the severelyrestricted cross-cab access and the impossibility of fitting a third passenger seat. "Cross-cab access is out of the question," said Yates, while Buckle noted that although the grab handle at the front of the door opening was convenient, there was no handle at the rear, so a driver would tend to grab the steering wheel. He liked the safety aspect of the deep kerbside window, but not the stretch to the heater controls.

Seating caused a few disagreements: Forbes thought that the seats were so adjustable as "to fit any driver", and Mitchell thought the seats "brilliant", but Buckle just could not get comfortable: "The driver's seat is too low even at its highest setting," he reported.

Out on the track the overwhelming impression of our group was that the FL4 was underpowered. Buckle thought it was "stodgy: it doesn't give the acceleration you expect when unladen". Forbes thought it "sluggish".

By contrast, all liked the suspension: "It feels superb," said Forbes, and everyone praised the low interior Fit level too, but most noted that the g change was rather notchy. Forbes U the steering, thinking it felt very pa tive, but Mitchell said it was a bit lil for his taste. Yates liked the brakes Buckle thought them unprogressive Back at base attention turned to maintenance, and here the Volvo gc lot of stick for its layout of dally-che items. Having the dipstick remote h the oil filler was strongly criticised z Trevor Buckle didn't like the long d stick either; both the oil filler and tt clutch reservoir were said to be dill to fill.

Both Buckle and Saxby pointed o that the fuel filler, placed high up, v obscured by the body fitted to this ample, as was the battery, making topping-up "a mirror job", said Budl Would our panel buy the FL4? Fc said: "We have one, but it's not a ti I'd buy.

"I don't think it's got enough cubic capacity, but really, it's too gi for our operation — it would make good distribution vehicle." Saxby sa without the third seat option the FL would be "no good for us". Mitchell the FL4 "We use the FL6 and FL7, would like to use the FL4 — but it itself out of the market." Mitchell h final word, however "If I were an ( operator, I'd jump at the opportunit one of these."