Lakeland Bus Lines HD 60fps: Riding 2017 MCI D4500CT 17195 [Parsippany to New York] 7/29/17

READ FIRST:
Lakeland's new state-sponsored buses entered service a little over one week ago, and today was my first opportunity to ride on the front end of one of them from Waterview Park and Ride in Parsippany to The Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. The new buses are governed to 70 MPH. Enjoy =)

Time-lapse version:    • Lakeland Bus Lines HD 60fps: Riding 2017 M...  
Ride 17189:    • Lakeland Bus Lines HD 60fps: Riding 2017 M...  
17187 & 17189:    • Lakeland Bus Lines HD 60fps: Brand New 201...  

Old review of these new buses:
I have to say that I was quite impressed with the smoothness of the updated powertrain, which is a Cummins ISX12 (425 hp and 1450 lbft torque) with Cummins C-brake (jake brake) mated to an Allison B500 Gen V 6-speed transmission. The updated engine brake software makes stops much smoother; instead of the jake brake being constantly set to a specific level of output, the brake output varies depending on how far the brake pedal is depressed by the bus operator. This means that there is more constant and active blending of the engine brake and the air brakes.

The Cummins ISX engine shares some auditory similarities with, but doesn't sound exactly like the old Detroit Diesel Series 60; the quality of the base is a bit throatier with the Cummins. Additionally, you can hear the variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) adjusting as the engine returns to idle speed.

The seats were also of a different quality; the cushions do not sink as far down, but instead stay firm at the points where you want your body to be supported. Overall, I can say that I'm still quite satisfied with the new coaches. Enjoy the ride =)