I took SMB5888H
last month (20 March) and it was quite bad... The suspension was
cui and was incredibly bouncy when the BC pressed on the acclerator
(he was late). As with the MAN A22s (ZF), the bus was jerky when
starting off and braking. The good points for the bus, however, had
to be the more powerful aircon and sturdier bodywork...
The Enviro is a good bus, though it feels mainly electric (i.e
using a lot of eletronics to control the comfort of the bus and so
on). Comfortwise, the bus is relatively smooth, though the pickup
can be slow (braking is also sometimes jerky). Aircon is not well
ventilated throughout the bus due to the awfully small aircon
outlets. My only other issue with the Enviro is the creaky bodywork
(more plasticky compared to 'adhesives' on the MANs with Gemilang
bodywork). The BCs also need to control the bus well, especially
due to the slippery brakes which squeak easily.
Overall, you might think the MAN A95 wins because of power and
bodywork, but I would frankly choose the Enviro anytime.
to clarify my earlier post, I am actually in favour of the E500s over
the A95.
while I understand that the E500s have an aluminium body, I am
not sure if a steel frame still underlies the aluminium skin of the
E500s. based on the assumption the E500s have a steel frame
underlying the aluminium body panels, it should be several orders
sturdier than the A95's body as the A95's body frame is also made
of aluminium.
similarly, both the E500s and A95s use the same, if not very
similar Denso AC systems; hence i am surprised that the A95 has a
more 'powerful' AC. assuming both buses use the same AC, then its a
matter of fan speed which the BCs have control over.
both the E500s and A95 are heavily reliant on electronics in all
areas, and control of braking is dependent on the BC's level of
skill as well as how the EBS (electronic braking system) is tuned
on the vehicles.
i wouldnt want to comment too heavily on the E500's interior as
the interior is specified by the operator. as for bodywork quality,
SBS7888K's current condition will give you a good gauge of how the
A95 will eventually become.
