• PERFORMANCE
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The Mercedes is an effortless performer. Although not as quick as some of the more powerful box-bodied 7.5-tonners we have tested, the 814 is certainly no slouch. Acceleration from rest was not quite as brisk as the 814 we tested back in 1984, but that had a dropside body.
Of course performance is more than simple. acceleration, and the 814 scored well in all important areas. With no yawning gaps between gears, maintaining progress is easy. This, combined with a light clutch and a slick gearchange, helps to make the Mere very easy to drive.
The full-air braking system ensured that the handbrake held the 814 on the MIRA 33% (1:3) test hill, facing up and down. Restarting lived up to Mercedes-Benz claimed gradeability, managing the 25% (1:4) gradient, but not the 33% (1:3) (Mercedes claims a rolling gradeability of 29.3% (1:3.4) in first gear for the standard 3.14:1 axle.
Low noise levels help to make the 814 a relaxing vehicle to drive at speed, and a sharp eye on the tacho is needed to keep the speed below the legal limit off motorways.