[ashis89]

Few more chances for the crook to run around! This time the Ford brothers gave him company!



When you are home, impromptu plans are the order of the day. So last weekend, we went on a picnic to Pentha beach, a round trip of 300 kms. 9 people and two cars - my Seltos and my uncle's Endy 3.2! This beach is right next to the Bhitarkanika National Park.
Good roads, bad roads and small patch of off-road. All done with some careful driving.

After coming to Odisha, my in-laws were waiting and our attendance was due at their place. Took off on a 325 km trip via the scenic Kantilo-Daspalla-Sonepur route. Good part is the excellent roads but bad part is the deforestation to make those roads.

I got the longest range in a full tank of diesel 893 kms with the DTE showing 50 kms. This includes city use of 50+ kms and a lot of idling too! Tanked up again yesterday with diesel costing @82.08/L, the costliest till date!

Here the Coyote has got the company of my FIL's Freestyle TDCi. Up ahead, is a trip to Hirakud among other places and few more trips!

Now let the pictures do the talking

Giving company to the mighty 3.2


Pentha beach and prawn farms (this was private land)!


That's a Monitor Lizard crawling away into the forest


One of the cleanest beach that I have ever seen in my life. No trace of contamination and no beings around except for a couple of villagers returning from work










For the next trip, we started at 07:15 hrs. only to get a lot of fog till Khurda. After this the fog cleared up and soon we were driving along the banks of Mahanadi!


The famous Daspalla jungle has also thinned up a bit to make way for our 4-lane roads.


I raw till reserve for the first time since Coyote has been welcomed home. The DTE was showing 64 kms when it hit reserve. After driving around a bit, I tanked up till the brim and it took 55L of diesel with space for some more! ODO stands at 17900 kms.


As there's some repair work going at my in-laws place, the Seltos and the Freestyle are parked outside throughout the day and then brought in at night. We might take the Ford on our next trip and I will share a comparison of both the cars.


Both the Ford cars were suggested by me and the respective owners are very happy with their purchase!

[ashis89]

I was impatiently waiting for this trip to my birthplace Sambalpur and my favourite spot - Hirakud dam! Both father and son woke up early and gave a good wash to the Coyote! They have a hose pipe at home.....yay!!



First stop was at Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary. We didn't opt for any safari tour and chose to spend time along the right dyke. I can never get enough of this place



It was a cloudy day which impacted the visibility of the hills around the dam. After spending some time around the serene waters, we grabbed some lunch and head back home.




Next day, we had gone out on an errand and had a couple of hours of spare time to kill. My wife suggested a short trip the Matkhai Devi Temple on NH26. When we reached the spot, we saw road work going on and decided to continue a little further. One will cross the dense Bolangir forest range while going on the Saintala/Bhawanipatna road (NH26). Such were the tempting roads that we kept going for good 35 kms before turning back.




On the return leg, we visited the Sailashree Palace. The property is not being maintained regularly but is still worth a visit, especially the temple inside it. You can sit beside the pond around the temple and spend a few hours away from all the noise of the city.







By then it was time for me to return to Bhubaneswar. This time, I took the Boudh - Nayagarh - Khorda route. The road from Bolangir till Nayagarh is in excellent shape. The next 20 odd kms within and beyond Nayagarh is broken. However even this patch won’t be a challenge for low slung cars.

Again, I can't get enough of the long winding roads within Daspalla






Home cooked lunch spread out on the table top. Warm sunlight, cool breeze and hot coffee in a flask. What else can one ask for?


The countryside!


Trip stats


After this trip, it was time for another wash and just like last time, I have access to hose pipe (again!) which makes cleaning a lot easier! The Turtle Hard Shell Wax was applied a month ago. Since then, Coyote has seen 2 full water washes, 3200 kms on varied terrain and a long drive through rains. After all this, I could see some water beading during the 3rd wash and that shine after the wash wipe.

Ready for the full roadrunner show!


If I don't push too hard, I regularly see 18+ kmpl and a range of 800-900 kms even in full city use. I realized the engine loves to stay +/- 2000 rpm range and the 5th gear for best FE. This was after loitering around in the city


Just when you think all is well, Murphy’s law strikes. Govt. has initiated rebuilding the drain (which was perfectly fine!) in the locality where my parents reside. The contractor is digging the drain which will cut off the passage into the apartment and all the residents have been asked to remove their cars or leave them inside for the next 30 days. I chose the former even if it meant keeping the car away from me. We decided that the Coyote would be given a covered parking while RoadRunner will be parked on the road somewhere nearby

Yesterday I took Coyote and parked him at my uncle’s place. Few moments ago, I receive a call from him enquiring about all the variants of the Seltos. He is hunting for a city runabout to accompany his Endeavour 3.2 and after driving the Coyote today, he is impressed. I suggested the GTX+ DCT given that we don't have B2B traffic here in Bhubaneswar. And since he loves driving and is accustomed to the power in 3.2, the turbo petrol would do more justice.

Nothing else to report as it has been business as usual so far. I hope the experience remains the same in the coming years too. *touchwood*

[ashis89]

During my stay at Bolangir, I also made a trip to Bargarh to visit my aunt and chose to take my FIL's Freestyle TDCi. This gave me a chance to compare both the cars along the same route and traffic condition. The Ford is 2+ years old and run 16k kms while the KIA is 1+ year old and run 18k kms.

A brief comparison after spending 7 days with both the cars including a 150 km highway drive:

- The Ford starts with a big shake and sounds louder at idle compared to the KIA. The clatter settles down once the engine warms up. On the move, the Ford is very silent until you rev it beyond 2500 rpm. The cabin insulation is very good too.

- The gears are a bit notchy and need a little effort to engage when the car is cold. They ease up after few kms but KIA is smoother.

- Steering is heavier on the Ford and provides very good feedback. Again KIA is lighter and provides equal confidence on the road. I would choose the KIA here.

- Ford's suspension is stiffer and has slightly lesser body roll than the KIA. KIA is slightly softer and more comfortable on bad roads when you slow down. When at speed, the Ford eats up the rumblers better. To note, KIA has high profile tyres while Ford has low profile ones.

- Ford has an aggressive anti-stall tuning and a better pick-up in the turbo range. KIA feels more linear here. However feels more rev-happy beyond 3k rpm.

- Low end torque is much better in the KIA. Slow down and you can still pull away happily in higher gears with RPM hovering around the +/-1000 mark. On the other hand, the Ford eggs you to downshift unless you want to ride the clutch.

- Clutch is heavier on the Ford and frequent gear changes will tire you faster.

- High seating and good visibility on the Ford never makes you feel that you are driving a hatchback! Very good ground clearance too.

- Very good brakes on the Ford though I was doing 80-100 kmph throughout the trip. I never felt the brakes to be any lesser than the KIA at those speeds.

- I could hear some rattles from the dashboard and boot area in the Ford.

- Two shortcomings that I found in the Ford - lack of underthigh support and side bolstering on the front seat and poor headlights.

[ashis89]

Another new year (and I hope it brings us all some good luck)!

On Jan 1, I decided to start my day with my parents and pay a surprise visit to my in-laws and wife. After grabbing some hot breakfast, off I went. But wait! I had RoadRunner with me while Coyote was at my uncle's place. So I wished my grandma and my uncle's family a very happy new year, took their blessings, exchanged the cars and started with Coyote!

One 10-min stop within Daspalla jungle before reaching my destination


I reached in 5.5 hrs as there was scarce traffic due to new year


Cozying up with the Ford on a winter night!


Next day was another impromptu trip - Debrigarh Wildlife sanctuary. My sister's family had booked a full 8 seater jeep for a safari within the sanctuary. But they were 5 folks and they asked us to join in case I wasn't too tired after my drive the day before. Now who am I refuse a drive and that too a 120 kms one (the day ended adding 320 kms to the ODO) and to meet family!

So off we went and while at it, we made an unplanned stop at Hotapal lake!

The last few kms towards the lake is a narrow village road.

So we drove ~5kms on a road like this


and parked like this


to see this! It looks impressive on a clear day


The jungle safari was a nice experience. We saw few animals and birds and enjoyed the dense forest. On the way back, we caught some snacks by the dam, enjoyed the sunset and returned home.

There's a haze around the place and you can barely see the mountains beyond the dam






The Hirakud dam lit up at night is a sight to behold. Sorry, I couldn't take a better shot as it was another impromptu stop


What was to be a 120+120 km trip turned out to be 321 km long one. Almost at the end of a tankful of diesel after covering 700 kms with the DTE showing another 180 kms


I wanted Sunday to be a leisure one. But my wife had other plans. She wanted to visit a small check dam, probably 6-7 kms from home. I agreed to go post lunch but I pointed out that being Sunday and the new year's occasion, there could be crowd and some unsocial elements. She ignored and we went.

The road to this place starts off well but gradually narrows down, passing through a village and the last section is mud road. While going, I noticed people of two wheelers and even autorickshaws returning who were driving a bit too fast for the size of the road. It was making me uncomfortable as they were crossing me with narrow margins. All this while I was going at 10-20 kmph to make way for people and stopping at spots wide enough whenever I saw a car or auto approaching. I even reversed some distance at a spot to make way for an oncoming car.

Last 1 km to the spot and we hit the dirt road. A couple of autos crossed me slowly. And then I see a maroon Baleno charging at me, probably doing 70-80 kmph. Loud music and 6-7 guys cramped in it. I knew it was a disaster. They came head-on, swerved away very late and then over-corrected before brushing with my rear quarter panel. They didn't slow down and went away with the same flow. I saw all of this in front of me and then in the ORVM.

Big dent


And some paint loss


With a bad mood, we decided not to proceed further and return ASAP. Took a u-turn and within a few hundred meters, I see the same car parked by the side of the road along with 4-5 two-wheelers. 10-15 mens are howling and dancing their heart out blocking most of the road. Gave it a thought and decided there was no point fighting with them for my damage. Returned quietly, vented my anger on wife for suggesting that place, tanked up Coyote and went home.

Started early today and made it to Bhubaneswar by early afternoon, crossing 20k kms on the way.






After having done multiple 300 km trips and mostly non-stop, it has been a fatigue free experience with the car. I am able to work a full day before or after making a 5-6 hr. trip. I also noticed that I get higher FE on single lane roads with oncoming traffic or within the city with moving traffic. Given the traffic, I can't do high speeds and have to baby the accelerator most of this time. With this, I get to see numbers of 18-21 kmpl on the MID. On free roads, I get to exploit the full range of the accelerator to accelerate fast (though I still maintain below 120 kmph) and this drops the FE.

The HIDs have been a real boon on these single lane roads. They are powerful enough to make that errant truck driver to switch to low beam. Also with the light height at the highest point, I can keep driving at low beam throughout without feeling the need for high beam at all (until that errant trucker comes, that is).

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by ashis89

And some paint loss

Ouch! First damage always hurts.

Are you sure it's paint loss? To me it honestly looks like paint transfer/some other marks?

Regards,
Shashi

PS: Please try cleaning it with a polish/compount/colgate toothpaste and kindly report. I'm curious

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Ouch! First damage always hurts.

Third one

Are you sure it's paint loss? To me it honestly looks like paint transfer/some other marks?

Regards,
Shashi

PS: Please try cleaning it with a polish/compount/colgate toothpaste and kindly report. I'm curious

From the look of it, it looked like paint loss. I could be wrong as the car was dirty with a lot of dust. Due to lack of parking, car is parked at my uncle's house.

I will get it back on Saturday, wash it, check the damage thoroughly and also try the polish/colgate option.

Next update, hopefully a positive one, on Sunday

[sagwal]

Originally Posted by ashis89

I also noticed that I get higher FE on single lane roads with oncoming traffic or within the city with moving traffic. Given the traffic, I can't do high speeds and have to baby the accelerator most of this time. With this, I get to see numbers of 18-21 kmpl on the MID. On free roads, I get to exploit the full range of the accelerator to accelerate fast (though I still maintain below 120 kmph) and this drops the FE.

This is very good observation. We usually think that highway will give better mileage but it is other way around if speed is not kept under check on highways.

You are getting very good mileage and credit goes to car and your driving style.
Keep posting

[Sudeep_Kimster]

We have been in touch since long now.
I have had first hand access to these verbal ownership reviews, your travelogues in in Whatsapp or calls .
Great to see Coyote racking up miles and your travelogues expanding every week.

Hope to meet soon in Bhubaneswar and have a Seltos GTG.

Meanwhile any updates on the dent? Color loss seems nominal, can be given a miss if not a eagle eyed looker.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

PS: Please try cleaning it with a polish/compount/colgate toothpaste and kindly report. I'm curious

Thanks for the idea

Finally after 20 days, I was able to work on it. Washed the car thoroughly and then applied Colgate in the scratched area.


Left it for a couple of minutes and then rubbed it off with a moist microfiber. Results were good and I gave it another go as well.

Finished it off with a round of waxing.


There's paint loss in a very small area and that too seems like the top coat probably.


From a distance, one can see the dent only and nothing else

[Amyth Prabhakar]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Thanks for the idea

Finally after 20 days, I was able to work on it. Washed the car thoroughly and then applied Colgate in the scratched area.

Left it for a couple of minutes and then rubbed it off with a moist microfiber. Results were good and I gave it another go as well.

Finished it off with a round of waxing.

There's paint loss in a very small area and that too seems like the top coat probably.

From a distance, one can see the dent only and nothing else

Ashish, Why don't you go for paint-less dent removal ? Since I don't see any paint loss, it can be brought back to shape easily. I had got it done on my old car once it works well and a lot cheaper than repainting.

[sagwal]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Thanks for the idea

Finally, after 20 days, I was able to work on it. Washed the car thoroughly and then applied Colgate in the scratched area.

A scratch in the clear coat of paint will disappear for a moment when soapy water is sprayed on it.
Scratch will disappear when it is dried with a microfibre towel.

If scratch does not disappear for a moment then it is a scratch in base coat (color) that may need paint correction.

For better explanation please go through this video.

How to Remove Clear Coat Scratches from Car PERMANENTLY (EASY)

[ashis89]

After my last trip around New year, Coyote was parked quietly except for one small trip to Puri. It ran all of 150 kms in the past 30 days (RoadRunner saw 500+ kms during the same time)

My friend gave me an offer to visit a wildlife sanctuary 200 kms and stay for the weekend. Main attraction was no cellular network in that region and some beautiful scenery. We thought of cooking up the perfect storm!

Car was under cover and was spic and span after my last wash. It still had half tank of fuel. So we just drove off.

Roads were a mix of NH, SH, local village roads and of course no roads within the forest. The trip was done in absolute bliss.

Some pics






















The last tankful lasted all of 1003 kms as the attendant had filled in quite a few litres after auto-cut. While returning today, I tanked up again and the FE was 19 kmpl.




First thing I did after returning home, wash Coyote. Was an easy job as the previous waxing session meant the dust was washed off quickly.

Originally Posted by Amyth Prabhakar

Ashish, Why don't you go for paint-less dent removal ?

On the card, once I return to Bangalore.

Originally Posted by sagwal

For better explanation please go through this video.

How to Remove Clear Coat Scratches from Car PERMANENTLY (EASY)

Thanks for the informative video!

As I suspect, it is minor paint loss and not just clear coat. I will get it checked some time soon.

[ashis89]

My father had been wanting to visit our village and few other places in western Odisha. Only the weekend in hand and quite a few places to visit meant it was quite a whirlwind tour.

We covered 360, 220, 340 kms on three consecutive days and by the end of it, my father was a little tired. Well paved national and state highways, under-construction roads, village roads and few patches of no roads - all covered in this leg.

The days were too packed and I didn't get a chance to click much pictures except for these.

The soothing Bargarh canal




Tea break within Daspalla (again!)


FE has been 18+ throughout the trip



On the return leg, I crashed badly into a huge sharp pothole while giving way to an ambulance. A small portion of the road edge had washed out in a V shape. I must have been at 30-40 kmph and the ambulance had lined up beside me, leaving me no chance to escape but to crash with a deadening thud. Checked for damages on the tyre and alloy but couldn't find any so far.

BBSR TBHP Meet

Next day, I caught up with BHPians for a quick meet

[ashis89]

While washing Coyote today, I found a stone chip on the windshield with a small crack. I hope it doesn't expand but I will keep an eye on it.



Found the first scratch on the alloys, that too in the unlikeliest of the places!


There are few surface scratches on the doors and even the plastic trims which I have learnt to ignore. It is no surprise to me as I have scraped thorny plants and shrubs on several occasions. Given the road conditions and terrain, it was unavoidable each time.

I had another peek into the tailpipe but it remains clean after these 22k kms.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by ashis89

While washing Coyote today, I found a stone chip on the windshield with a small crack. I hope it doesn't expand but I will keep an eye on it.

From the pic, it looks like it has depth. Would suggest you get a resin kit and fill that up, else will expand in the summer heat and will invariably result in a nice long crack.