Part 1 ~ The TX4
So you are a black cab taxi driver in Norwich & you’ve decided to give the public some value for money & buy a new taxi cab. There are currently only 2 choices available: The London Taxi Company TX4 & the Peugeot E7, here at A2B Taxis Norwich being a modern taxi company we have both makes on our fleet.
The TX4 is available from the London Taxi Company. The latest TX4, embodies all the traditional qualities that the London Taxi has had throughout the decades of which is still a modern day icon.
It also reflects the 70 year heritage in building taxis and established themselves as still the leading taxi supplier of the modern era. The TX4 is now fitted with the latest generation of Euro IV compliant diesel engines & a range of features & driver benefits, not forgetting the unique 25-foot turning circle which keeps the TX4 ahead of the competition.
The London Taxi is the most recognised taxi in the world and is the product of over 100 years of experience in the Taxi industry. Customers and passengers will instantly recognise the unique shape and design of the taxi and will want to hail it. Whether people have ever been to Norwich or not, the London Taxi is famous and instantly recognised around the world. Drivers who buy the London Taxi like being in a purpose designed vehicle based around them, also it is the only vehicle in the world designed to be a taxi! The London Taxi Company has been building taxis since 1948!
With 2 models available the TX4 Style & the TX4 Elegance prices start from £28,995. Do you drive a TX4? or would you like one in the future? Why you prefer the TX4 to the Peugeot E7? Please let us know your experience & why you chose to drive this famous icon of British motoring? Look out for part 2 the E7 coming soon.
Your taxi news for Norwich commentator.
For me there has got to be only one taxi if you are serious about driving a cab, its the TX4! It makes me laugh how a lot of drivers quickly jumped on the band wagon & went for an unproven cheap inferior alternative in the E7. The TX4 is a fantastic taxi & in my opinion is purpose made for the job, unlike the converted van!
Being a taxi driver with pride in myself and my trade I think it is comendable, especialy in these difficult times, for a cabbie to take the plunge and invest in a new vehicle. I tested both the E7 and the TX4 and for me there was one obvious choice. I now drive the latest incarnation of the iconic London taxi the TX4. I can see how both vehicles have their benefits and, of course, pit falls but for me a converted van could never be a proper cab! However the punters seem to be happy, as they deserve, to be picked up in a new E7 and there is obvious benefit of having 7 passenger seats in comparison to the TX4’s 5/6 seats. We will have to see which one of these vehicles will stand the test of time but I hazard a guess that, just like it’s predecessors, you will be seeing the TX4 on the streets of our capital and every other city for many years to come. Could you say the same about the E7? I don’t think that I could.
im thinking about a new cab and despite the price difference there can only be one eventuality which is the new tx4. At the moment we have drivers trying to drop E7’s like they were a very hot cake and the fuel consumption hasn’t turned out to be what everyone thought so its back to the tried and trusty tx4.
I have driven most taxis as a cab driver from mk1 metrocab and mk111.
I now have a tx2 and wouldn’t think about driving anything else as nothing has the usability or turning circle like a tx.
I also would only drive an auto cab so the E7 just can’t compete being only available in manual form. Onwards and upwards for 2011!!
After owning and driving 5 Cabs, the TX4 isn’t perfect but it’s purpose built for Taxi work. I should imagine that the new variants (E7s etc) will fail on this point.
People often comment on TXs, body corrosion. But it must be remembered that these are working vehicles, and by the end of their working life often have Huge mileages.
And for a working vehicle you cannot beat a chasis/body, for longetivity and strength.
For it’s iconic looks and heritage/history the TX still is the only logical choice
E7 for Me , in the many years ive been in the Taxi business ive driven all makes & marques of Taxi , unlike most of the E7’s critics ! In 2009 i was looking to upgrade my ageing Cab ( TTT Metrocab ) & was researching the possibilities via the internet etc , My main considerations were , Driver & Passenger Comfort & Safety , Economy & Value & i have to say my E7 without Reservation has satisfied all of the above Criteria .
As a taxi owner/rental specialist and owning both TX and E7’s I would say TX’s WiNS hands down. I only have 2 E7s that work out of Gt yarmouth. That’s only because they do distant work and you can move the seats for lugggage,that’s the only good point I can think of for thge E7! TX,s are purpose built and proven for taxi work, So it will always be the TX for me. Also just a little plug for SJB taxi’s for the 3rd Year we have kept our rental prices the same @ £175 a wk, that makes us the cheapest in rental for tx taxi’s in Norwich. We are still updating our fleet every month with newer TX’s, So give us ago next time you need to hire a cab short or long term.
It is very nice to see such strong support in Norwich for the TX4 and with The London Taxi Company appointing a new service dealer Just Taxis Norwich the customer service a quick quaility work they provide will only increase the trust in the vehicle.
I will be visiting Just Taxis with our new range of vehicles on a regular basis so if you would like to talk to me about test driving a TX4 Style or Elegance please call me on 07771 917630 or arrange through Just Taxis. Tim Hughes- Regional Sales
Now that ive stopped yawning after reading the comments sorrounding the newly introduced E7 hackney cab, and the typically narrow minded views of hackney cab driver in Norwich i shall attempt to add my opinion.
Unlike every other expert who yearns to be a top gear presenter, i could see past the obvious bread van jokes that swept through the city and thought that thousands of other drivers up and down the country cant be wrong when they chose the E7.
People think that if it isnt used in london, then its not a “real” cab and shouldnt grace our streets.
There are the traditionalists amongst us who cannot see past the fairway and tx models, but these people probably had the same opinion of the metrocab when first introduced way back when!
Yes, i have driven every type of taxi available from the fairway to the metrocab series 1. 2. 3. and TTT to the Tx1 2 and 4.
Every cab has its place but there was time for a change and that is exactly what the E7 offered.
The E7 offers passenger and driver comfort second to none.
The ease in which you can carry out a wheelchair job. where before you would be clambering around the boot of your TX dragging out dirty ramps, taking an age to asseemble before replacing back in the boot etc etc.
My first wheelchair job involved pulling alongside the kerb, popping open the access flap, drawing out the ramp and hey presto! the passenger was in the cab and away before you could say “sorry madam but you cant face the front”
For vertically challenged people, tou have the electrically operated side steps so access is not an issue.
The smooth ride and quiet engine makes for a far more tolerable shift compared to any cab ive driven.
The six speed gearbox on out of town work is pure joy and for anyone who says that the fuel consumption is not what we expected clearly have not driven one on shift and noticed the vast difference in economy, which currently stands at an everage of 38 mpg compared with 23 in the TX.
“Turning circle” i hear you cry.
Well i for one have not encountered one single occaision where i was cursing the lack of manouverability and for those who drove minibuses on private hire, shouldnt really have noticed the difference.
The rear heaters are sublime, as are the front which is a godsend.
The repair and servicing costs are no more than that of any other modern vechicle with the added bonus of having the choice of who repairs your cab.
Anyway, its all down to personal choice, but the E7 offers an attractive alternative to what was a one cab market.
So im now off to wash my Bread van and get ready for another shift in Norwich, “The mecca of the traditional taxi driver” (outside of LOndon of course)
Im thinking of getting my own cab as driving a company car is not flexible enough and limits my earnings. Having read the comments Im a little confused. I did want a TX but if it only does 23 mpg I cant see how making money is possible……….and they look so good too! Still dont know what to do.
I have just purchased a new TX4. Apart from the poor fuel consumption and cramped driver position, I like it. My first chioce would have been the Mercedes Vito and in retrospect, I probably should have got one….anyway, only time will tell how good the TX4 really is.
As for the Peugeot, well, not for me. I got one of the last Euro 1V TX4 automatics for the same price as a Peugeot van.
Having had a TX4 now for 15 months I have to say it’s the biggest blunder I have ever made! Atrocious build quality, terrible fuel consumption, most uncomfortable driving position, endless problems, 22 m.p.g. £460 road tax. They are just pathetic…I hate it and it’s making me ill,