So I had a chance to ride some of the newest Prevosts last Tuesday night to and from Staten Island, and there are a few differences between these and the 2400s.
Pros:
-Easier to adjust seating. The 2400s have a really annoying seat adjustment set up. The seats on the newer Prevosts are very similar if not identical to what can be found on newer MCI express buses.
-Display signage is easy on the eyes. I like the display signage on these buses MUCH more than on the 2400s. It's more appealing to look at too.
-They've fixed the horrendous logo on these. The 2400s that haven't been repainted yet all have that hideous
logo on them. Makes the buses look even uglier.
Cons:
-Leg room is still horrible. I can't seem to put my finger on this one, but it's something I wondered about both going to Staten Island and coming back. Going to Staten Island, I had extra leg room only because it was a wheelchair seat. However, there was absolutely no room for anyone to sit behind me, which meant two seats couldn't be used. Luckily the bus I was on wasn't too crowded, otherwise it would've been a problem. I switched my seat twice coming to and from Staten Island in part because of the lack of leg room. Even with the chairs in front of me completely upright, I still felt cramped coming back.
-The Stop Request button is TOO loud. I was starting to get a headache on the way back because the noise associated with the bell is right in your ear and it becomes quite annoying. Between the lack of leg room and those redundant automated announcements, I couldn't wait to get off and make my way over to the BxM1.
-Climate control is too much. I usually don't complain, but I was quite irritated with how high the AC was on. It wasn't exactly that warm out so I don't know why the AC was on full blast as if it was 90 degrees out. If it's that bad now, surely folks will be freezing come winter time.
All in all while I like the design of these over the 2400s, I would not be thrilled to have to use these on a daily basis, even with the possibility of being able to charge my phone. My hope is that MCI can win the next order. These buses are quite expensive and quite frankly, the should've gotten some feedback from riders before these new ones hit the streets, similar to what they did with the new Metro-North trains. I have heard similar complaints from other Staten Islanders. Sure, it's nice to have new buses, but these could've been better, particularly in terms of leg room. I wonder if there are more seats on these buses, because I can't understand why leg room is such an issue.