(23 May 2015, 4:19 pm)aureolin wrote I think cheap and tatty is an unfair comment to make.
Whilst it's not the same build quality as the Citaro, which GNE have opted to purchase over the years, it's still a new bus..... and they're anything but cheap. "Tatty" by definition would suggest it were shabby or have had seen better days, yet the interior is probably the best in the fleet (although I do favour the type of seating in a Citaro!). Not to mention the technology add-ons, which WrightBus aren't exactly going to give away with the bus...
I can appreciate where the MPD comparison comes from though. I believe the two use the same family engines, and I'd be surprised if there is a huge mechanical difference between the two. You do get that MPD sound from the rear seats too, but they certainly seem to have a lot more 'umph' than the MPDs have (and had).
All depends on how they're looked after. The 57 reg E400s 7501 - 7506 weren't looked after by Blyth but the rest of them (bar a few which had a stint at Redcar) were looked after by Ashington well even on the 501 / 505 / 518 and the X15 / X18. Notice the difference between 7501 - 7506 and 7507 - 7513. It all depends on the setup too and whereas Arriva set theirs up for fuel economy and make various other mods, GNE on demanding routes set theirs up for power and performance.