You may don’t like my answer here but, again, based on my experience I would stick to any European brand as far as chassis. As engines goes, there is a bit more room to move.. Volvo, Mercedes, MAN, DAF, Mack, Caterpillar, Scania and Cummins..

Maybe looking at the brand map of workshop available in Australia could help influence your decision, especially if you are not mechanically minded..

Chinese vehicle, while looking very good when new and using quality engine and gearboxes from other manufacturer, in my experience don’t offer quality chassis! That’s why they are cheaper to buy in the first place. They don’t last very long, like most Chinese products..

Maybe in the future, as Chinese quality manufacturer constantly improves, this will not be an issue any more. If you really have to go for a Chinese vehicle, make sure you take it for at least one hour driving test and not just in the city but also on the Hwy. That is where the nasty surprise normally do tend to show up. Pay special attention at how the steering box behave (as in, not moving the steering wheel and still being able to go constantly straight) and look in the mirrors at the white lines on the road to see if it does track straight (you want the same distance between the wheel and the white line on both side front and back).. The steering wheel play or lack of precision in Chinese buses, with Higer being the worst, is probably the biggest complaint among buses companies owners…

Cummings’s engines are the most expensive to work on, while Cats are the cheapest.. The others are all very similar in repairing costs.