I am think of taking one of these on lease and I am looking for the opinions of both drivers and owners - if you drive a newish exmple can you gve me the positives as well as the negatives - in particular could you live in one for up to 10 days what are they like on fuel payload and is the opticruise anygood. thanks in advance
Optidriver is basicly a volvo Ishift with renault electronics. The best autobox you can get IMO. And the engine is pretty much the same. Volvo based with Renault electronics. It would be ok for the odd night out but 10 days might be a bit much IMO. Seem fairly good on fuel too. I drive an 11reg 460 version with over 270000kms on the clock and its been faultless.
I was tramping in one a couple of years ago, 5 night away a week. Yes maybe a bit cramped compared to a big cabbed truck, but enough storage space on the inside for my gear and food etc, but really lacks storage space outside. We were doing a fair bit of flatbed work so needed to carry chains, loads of Ratchet straps and a brick net to cover most eventualities and stuff ends up having to hang on the back or under the bunk which I don’t really like.
Can’t fault the driving the thing, except maybe not a lot of room to stretch my left leg. 
Don’t be fooled into thinking that the French use them. Look around and see what TRANSALLIANCE, LANDAIS, GIRAUD and SAMAT operate.
The night heaters are good and basically thats about it.
beanie:
Don’t be fooled into thinking that the French use them. Look around and see what TRANSALLIANCE, LANDAIS, GIRAUD and SAMAT operate.
The night heaters are good and basically thats about it.
Talking out of your rear end,the Premium is a good motor & has improved in more ways than one over the years,even the earlier ones were good.
I can speak from experience as i drive a mixed amount of lorries @ the moment,from 620 & 500 Scanias,530 Dafs,480 Magnums to a 450 premium & the Premium is not far behind in many ways. The big numbers do not mean a thing to me by the way,the only numbers i look @ are the wages 
If you can get a good deal on one it is worth thinking about ,as stated the side lockers are a bit small,but there is room under the bunk… 
Overrated in my opinion, they drive ok I spose and there fine for a couple of nights out a week but anything more is a ■■■■ take. Its all well and good buyung cheap motors but your never gonna hold on to decent drivers who have a passion for the job if you expect them to be out for a week or two, in a cramped narrow cabbed motor.
I’ve got one, nothing wrong with it at all but, I do usually take our other truck as it has a much better cab for nights out.
It’s all I have driven so I guess I can’t really make comparisons to other makes. I will say take plenty of spare bulbs/fuses with you as they seem to go with some regularity on our ones. Nice enough to drive. I’m 6’8 and I have found a problem with the amount of room for my left leg as another poster said, if the seat isn’t adjusted exactly right it can cause some pain after a few hours but I imagine that’s more my problem with being so tall.
Ours are limited to 53 and on the whole the computers say they are getting between 8.5-9.5 mpg, which is quite a step up I guess from the 7-8mpg they were getting at 56. I’ve done the odd night out and found it ok, not sure I could manage weeks at a time in it but again I’m a very tall guy with nothing else to compare it to. Can’t think of any major problems reported and some of the 3-4 year old ones were pushing 450-500,000 kms.
They aren’t the best looking of trucks (I know to most that’s unimportant, wedge comes first and all that, just my opinion) but they get the job done.
i have to admit, i’ve driven alot of these of late, all 11 plate onwards and am very impressed on how they drive.
the auto is cracking, and i like the engine break, as a truck to drive, its very nice, and our lot reckon they are good on fuel.
i don’t do nights out whilst in the uk, and i’m glad, as unfortunately i wouldn’t want the renault if i was tramping all week, 1 or 2 nights would be ok, but i wouldn’t want to do aweek in 1and the outside side lockers i think are really poor.
We’ve become spoilt in regards to big high cabbed motors. I used to do weeks and weeks away in a premium for RH. I managed with the room I had.
In fact I used to occasionally take my dad (6’1" and around 18 stone). We once headed down to Spain and ended up being out for a month.
I also double manned for quite a few years in a 113 360 flat cab.
I know time moves on but what I’m trying to say is 10 days away in a premium isn’t the end of the world.
A lease on a 450 DXi?
Is it an old one,as I thought the latest version was the 460?
Ken.
Drove an 07 from new for app 2 years and very little ever went wrong. Not the biggest of cabs but will be fine for whatever you do want it to do. Auto box and engine are both spot on and is a very easy drive.
Quinny:
A lease on a 450 DXi?Is it an old one,as I thought the latest version was the 460?
Ken.
We’ve got 3 at our place and they are all 460, as you say I’m sure the 460 replaced the 450
beanie:
Don’t be fooled into thinking that the French use them. Look around and see what TRANSALLIANCE, LANDAIS, GIRAUD and SAMAT operate.
+1^^^^
Even ND are now moving to DAFs so what does that tell you…!? They look absolutely ugly IMO, a real embarrassment to be seen in one. Volvo engines aren’t the best on fuel consumption I think, you can get better mpg in other types running @ 56 even…
Decent motors for decent drivers #simples!
I have a six week old 12 plate 460 excellence which has just done 12k.I asked for one of these over an m.a.n and i am so pleased i did.I dont do nights out but if i did i would have no problem being away for a week at a time in it.It came with a fridge as standard in this model.The bunk is really comfy but if i was doing nights out i would take the hammock style top bunk out.Thre are two cupboards above head height one that is really big and the other isnt a bad size.Personallt i think cupboards on the back wall would be a goo adition of you dont need the top bunk.There is alot of room under the bunk even with the fridge for storage aswell.Like previous posts have said the side lockers are very small but they are big enough for me as i am on bulk work so dont need chains or straps.I dont think you would be able to keep adblue with you in one of them neither.Mine is returning between 7.6 and 8.1 mpg depending on where we go as its usually a bit hilly.The adblue does about 2500 to 3000k per tank.I am 5ft 10 and have the seat all the way back so how someone taller than me manages i dont know.The cab needs to be deeper front to back to solve this.I have enough leg room but again taller people will struggle.Overall i cant fault it.The seats are comfy and it gives a good ride.It pulls really well and will only get better when it loosens up.The 450 is the older engine size.We have a 59 plate 450 and theres not much init.I would recommend it to anyone my height or smaller anyone taller buy a volvo even though i am a scania fan but they are still a million miles behind.If you can wait the new renault comes out next year which is supposed to be half way between the premium and magnum.Hope this helps!Oh and forget what people say about mpg its down to weather,terrain and how you drive!
Pimpdaddy:
beanie:
Don’t be fooled into thinking that the French use them. Look around and see what TRANSALLIANCE, LANDAIS, GIRAUD and SAMAT operate.+1^^^^
Even ND are now moving to DAFs so what does that tell you…!? They look absolutely ugly IMO, a real embarrassment to be seen in one. Volvo engines aren’t the best on fuel consumption I think, you can get better mpg in other types running @ 56 even…
Decent motors for decent drivers #simples!
You would be embarrassed to be seen in a truck? I think you might be in the wrong job.
Why? Some kit is embarrassing to be seen in & some is good I think. One might be with the wrong employer but not necessarily the wrong job…
Quinny:
A lease on a 450 DXi?Is it an old one,as I thought the latest version was the 460?
Ken.
Thanks ken I need to check this out tomorrow morning my emailed quote says 2012 Renault Premium 450 Dxi premium with a few options including the “excellence”
Firstly thanks all for the responses - just to clarify the truck will usually do 4-5 nights out per week both on long distace uk and doing se england to germany , france and the like but occasionally we spend longer away ive just had a unit go to finland and we are doing Greece for the first time in a couple years.
Loads tend to be machinery and boats not big ones and things like motorhomes. All things like straps and chains we tend to carry on the various trailers either in bulkhead lockers or side lockers.
I would love to using something like a new merc gigaspace thing but I’m priced out !
Pimpdaddy:
beanie:
Don’t be fooled into thinking that the French use them. Look around and see what TRANSALLIANCE, LANDAIS, GIRAUD and SAMAT operate.+1^^^^
Even ND are now moving to DAFs so what does that tell you…!? They look absolutely ugly IMO, a real embarrassment to be seen in one. Volvo engines aren’t the best on fuel consumption I think, you can get better mpg in other types running @ 56 even…
Decent motors for decent drivers #simples!
they have never ran only renualts anyway ,just another brand snob post 
why would they be trailing the new hybrid reanults
seeing a new merc in their colours means daf are out now does it