Favorite Worst Metro Buses

[Antozilla]

I have to tel you I really like the Orion VI.  Low floor, you can see out the front window.  None of that stadium seating.  Sure it looks like a shoe box but its cute.


I really hate the Orion VIIs.  No improvement on the VI.  You can't see out the front, stadium seating in the rear and I am also told that they are not holding up well.

[WES]

I guess the top five current metrobuses are:

1) '90 Metro B

2)C40LF-John Deere engined

3)Orion VI

4)C40LF-C8.3G-Westport engined

5)Neoplan AN460


Top five of all time:

1)GM New Look-8Vs

2)GM New Look-6Vs

3)'86-'87 Metro B

4)Flx New Look-8V

5)90' Flx Metro B

I like the Orion VI, those puppies have  speed and if you were fortunate to have gotten one a highway route with a "good" driver, you would see how fast these buses were.

The Orion VIIs,  look weird, especially from the sides.  The next gens are even worst looking--all the way around.  Orion should have done with the Orion VI that Nova did to the LFS, making it a low entry bus from a complete low floor bus, instead of redoing the whole model.  Whether that would have been functional or not is another thing.

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

Favorite 4 (in no order):
-Orion V (21-2200s and 42-4400s) (YES I SAID 21-2200s!)
-Orion VII
-New Flyer (all types)
-Flxible Metro

Most hated 3 (in no order):
-Orion VI
-Orion V (9600s)
-Orion II

What I wish they had/kept (stealing MetroLiner's idea):
-All the retired Metro-B's
-New Flyer D40LF's with DD50 engines (like BCT's New Flyers...WHICH ARE FREAKIN GONE)
-Gillig Advantages (like Ride-On's newest ones, and the 30' ones as well) - preferrably hybrids
-MAN artics (I just wanted to see them)
-Orion VII diesel (same engines as some of BCT's older Gilligs (Cummins ISM or ISL with unknown transmission))

[OrionFlyer]

My favorites (no order)

New Flyer C40lfr
New Flyer D40lfr
New Flyer DE40lf
New Flyer DE40lfr
Orion VII
Orion VI
Flxible Metro D, E
1995 NABI's

Most Hated

Orion V (I'm tired of seeing these things. I can wait until they're out of here. Unfortunately that won't happen for a long time)
Flxible Metro B
New Flyer C40lf

[MetroLinerXLZ]

My favorites:
The GMC RTS's (will always miss 'em)
The OLD fleet of Metro B's (especially bus #8854)
The Metro D's and E's (so smooth running, and most have their own unique sound)
C40LFs (all of them, those are the strongest running buses in D.C. IMO)
Orion VI (and they're speedy)
Orion VII's (the 30-footers and the John Deere set)
All them Neoplan artics, and the NABI 60-BRTs

The Least liked:
Orion V's (the 2100s SUCK, except #2198)
Orion VII's (the Cummins set, except the 30's)
ANY of the C/D/DE-40LFR models (because of the "European" styling; I'm SICK of it!!)
ICK-arus Model 436's (I wish they didn't lose their ZF's, or at least got a B500R instead)
The CURRENT fleet of Metro B's

What I WISH they had/kept:
The OLD fleet of Metro B's
NEWER NABI Model 436's or perhaps some 416's (original front end)
TMC or NovaBus RTS's
Orion VII CNG's with Allison B400R transmission
Orion VII Diesels
Orion VI's with Cummins ISM engines

[WMAveteran]

My favorite Metrobus is the GM RTS (even though the original models were slow, had non-opening windows and frequently non-functioning A/C).  The worst Metrobus was the AM General although they had great windows.  Prior to Metro my favorite DC Transit bus was the GM Suburban that appears on my avatar.  Unfortunately these busses were not passed on to Metro because DC Transit kept them for private charter services after the Metro takeover.

[Tristan]

I gotta agree with Antonzilla, the Orion VI is at least my favorite current Orion model.  I also am fond of the II because of what it is - a HIGH QUALITY small bus.  If you look at Ride On, Howard Transit, or Connect-a-Ride and their horrible cutaways, you'll see the value of the ugly duckling.

I also have to admit that the Metro-Ds are not my favorite, especially the DD50-powered stock.  They're ragged out - many in worse shape than the Metro-Bs, and the DD50s are ragged out and too quiet to enjoy.

[WayneNYC]

I'm also no big Orion fan, but I really like WMATA Orion VIs.  Those buses are really fast. 

Others favorites are:

Flxible Metro E (especially the soft seaters)
NFI DE40LF
C40LF

Honorable mention goes to the Metro D, C40LFR, D40LFR, DE40LFR and NABI 436.

Cannot stand the '00 Orion V (2100-2231) and the '92 Orion V (9600) after they were repowered.

I tolerate the '97/'98 Orion Vs.

[C40LF_2464]

All the Flxibles thats all i gota say

[79MetroExtraMD]

I gotta agree with Antonzilla, the Orion VI is at least my favorite current Orion model.  I also am fond of the II because of what it is - a HIGH QUALITY small bus.  If you look at Ride On, Howard Transit, or Connect-a-Ride and their horrible cutaways, you'll see the value of the ugly duckling.

I also have to admit that the Metro-Ds are not my favorite, especially the DD50-powered stock.  They're ragged out - many in worse shape than the Metro-Bs, and the DD50s are ragged out and too quiet to enjoy.

I agree. The VI sucks and the II is a good high quality, heavy duty midi. Maybe Metro should sell them to Howie's truck when the DE37LFAs come in. At least they'll have something durable.

As for the Metro Ds, there are a few DD50s that whistle and 9831 is starting to take on its Ride On Gillig 5380s.

Another thing. I don't get why alot of people don't like the 2100s. It's been the thing on my mind since 2006.

[Tristan]

I was saying that the Orion VIs are, if nothing else, my current favorite Orion model. I said I agreed with Antonzilla who said he liked them as well.

We've discussed our disdain for the 2100s in prior threads.  They're just nothing to like, just like the Brand X Generic bus, in looks and in sound.  The best of them sound like nothing more complex than a lawn mower; the worst of them are much worse than that...and there's nothing outstanding about them to offset their plainness.

[C40LF_2464]

Stop hating on the VI's    there my favorite Orion bus

[79MetroExtraMD]

I was saying that the Orion VIs are, if nothing else, my current favorite Orion model. I said I agreed with Antonzilla who said he liked them as well.

We've discussed our disdain for the 2100s in prior threads.  They're just nothing to like, just like the Brand X Generic bus, in looks and in sound.  The best of them sound like nothing more complex than a lawn mower; the worst of them are much worse than that...and there's nothing outstanding about them to offset their plainness.

Meh. The 9600s were worse than the 2100s. I'm glad those POSes are off the fleet. As for my favs and dislikes

Favs
Anything New Flyer
Anything Flx
NABI 60BRTs

Dislikes
Orion VIs
Orion VIIs (cheaply made)
Neo AN460s
*These remind me of the crappily made AN440LFs Bmore has and even these have gone thru hell more than any bus with over 4 years of service.
NABI 436 tics
*Never ever put a Voith tranny on a tic. OMG these buses are the slowest on the fleet (and these were reman Voiths I think). I'm glad the 60BRTs came with Allisons.
Thomas SLF230s
*Aluminium bodies. Poor suspension. Just all around bad riding. They remind me of the SLF230s that MTA had, DUH BUS has now, and they aren't the best buses that were ever made. Swap em for some ice cream trucks.

[LandoverDivision]

Favorite (Not in any order whatsoever):
ALL Flxibles (except those horrid 9800 series ones) but my favorite were the 8000 series Bs
Orion VII (All of them)
Orion V (2100 series and the suburban seated ones)
C40LFR (these things are beast)
NABI 60-BRT
NABI 60-SFW

Least Favorite:
30 foot Orion V (I swear WMATA needs to get rid of these)
Orion V 4200 and 4300 I get tired of these easily
Detroit Deisel 9800 series Ds (They sound horrible like a messed up Metro-E)

[LandoverDivision]

My favorites:
The GMC RTS's (will always miss 'em)
The OLD fleet of Metro B's (especially bus #8854)
The Metro D's and E's (so smooth running, and most have their own unique sound)
C40LFs (all of them, those are the strongest running buses in D.C. IMO)
Orion VI (and they're speedy)
Orion VII's (the 30-footers and the John Deere set)
All them Neoplan artics, and the NABI 60-BRTs

The Least liked:
Orion V's (the 2100s SUCK, except #2198)
Orion VII's (the Cummins set, except the 30's)
ANY of the C/D/DE-40LFR models (because of the "European" styling; I'm SICK of it!!)
ICK-arus Model 436's (I wish they didn't lose their ZF's, or at least got a B500R instead)
The CURRENT fleet of Metro B's

What I WISH they had/kept:
The OLD fleet of Metro B's
NEWER NABI Model 436's or perhaps some 416's (original front end)
TMC or NovaBus RTS's
Orion VII CNG's with Allison B400R transmission
Orion VII Diesels
Orion VI's with Cummins ISM engines

1. What's wrong with the current fleet of Bs?
2. Cummins Orion VII (2500-2600s) DO NOT suck.
3. The 2100 series DO NOT suck.
4.  Deisel Orion VIIs are HORRIBLE!
5. The NABI 60-SFW is one of the best older buses they have.
6. ZFs SUCK!