What is Your Favourite Type of Bus/Coach?

[OptareLover]

Reply to this thread with your favourite type of bus and why!

For example, my favourite is probably the Optare Solo, because they're so speedy and engine sounds great. Now, I know, this is a very controversial opinion, as many enthusiasts don't like Solos. My local Stagecoach Optare Solos (former Strathtay) are absolutely amazing (I reckon someone who's not a fan of them can admit they're pretty good). I seriously don't know why these ones in particular in amazing, they're just built different. (Pun intended haha... They might actually be built different lol)
After Optares, my 2nd fav would probably ALXs or *1st-generation* E300s.

I'd love to hear everyone else's fav(s)

 

[Eyersey468]

Of that list my favourite is the Dart. I also like ADL Enviro 200 and E400 including the MMCs, Transbus/ADL Enviro 300, Geminis and Plaxton Presidents

 

[OptareLover]

If my local Volvo B5LH ADL Enviro400 MMCs weren't so dead, they'd honestly be pretty good buses and beat regular ADL Enviro400MMCs.

Pretty nice engine sounds from downstairs at the back, in my opinion.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think the best city bus which has ever existed is the integral Mercedes O405N, or the articulated O405GN, N being for Niederflur, i.e. low floor and G being for Gelenk i.e. articulated. A very boxy looking vehicle, but an extremely practical and well-built one, and with none of the bizarre quirks of the Citaro such as the odd seating layouts or the tendency to self-immolate. The true workhorse of the German urban bus networks of the 1990s and 2000s, but rare in the UK, though there were a few knocking around Manchester in the late 90s, notably with Finglands, and some with different bodies with First Manchester.

As a second choice I'd go for the "big windows upstairs" original Wright Eclipse Gemini (not the current one which with the small windows upstairs both looks odd and doesn't give a good upstairs view out). This bus became the face of London buses on most publicity for a while in the 2000s and said London almost as much as the Borismaster, but while being a more practical vehicle overall!

Of the options given, though, I'd vote for the Solo, simply because it (like the Gemini for London) for many years was the face of the UK rural bus service.

I've never really liked anything from ADL, for some reason the use of square windows (or part-square ones) makes them look cheap to me unless bonded glazing is used, and that isn't practical because it takes too long to get a vehicle back on the road when one is broken. And nothing shouted "cheap and nasty" like the once-ubiquitous Plaxton bodied Dart.

 

[JD2168]

My current favourite types are Volvo B9TL Geminis & Volvo B7RLE Eclipse’s. Of the list above I like ALX 400s & Enviro 400’s most particularly if they have a tuneful Voith Gearbox on these two types.