ODO : 14,000 km; Drive from Kolkata to Kausani, Munsyari, Pilibhit and back
During May 2019 I drove to Uttarakhand in my Ford Endeavour 2.2 Titanium accompanied by my friends Cmde Harsh Bhargava and Mr. Sajjan Tailor for a 9-day self-drive expedition. Our route was Kolkata - Varanasi - Bareilly - Kausani - Munsyari - Champawat - Pilibhit - Lucknow - Varanasi - Kolkata.
The views of the Himalayas from Munsyari are quite awesome. While returning we visited Pilibhit Tiger Reserve and did a Jungle Safari during which we had two tiger sightings. The total driving distance was 3,271 km.
Day-1 (12.05.19) : Kolkata to Varanasi : Drove 681 km; actual driving time 13 hrs 20 mins. Golden Quadrilateral to Varanasi very good except a few short stretches where bridges / flyovers are under construction. Found several toll gates quite crowded with big queues of trucks and cars.
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ay-2 (13.05.19) : Varanasi to Bareilly : Drove 534 km; actual driving time 12 hrs 15 mins. Travelled via Jaunpur, Lucknow and Hardoi. Some long stretches between Varanasi and Lucknow were crowded and not-so-good. Rest of the roads very good.
Day-3 (14.05.19) : Bareilly to Kausani : Drove 251 km; actual driving time 8 hours. Drove via Bhowali and Ranikhet. Good roads.
As one leaves the plains and starts ascending the hills, beautiful vistas appear Day-4 (15.05.19) : At Kausani.
Endy at Kausani Day-5 (16.05.19) : Kausani to Munsyari : Drove 257 km; actual driving time 9 hours. Drove via Baijnath, Chaukori and Thal. Roads upto Thal quite good. Between Thal and Munsyari there are some narrow and broken stretches and the problem is compounded by a trench dug on the side of the road, apparently for laying cables, which reduces the usable width of the road by taking away the shoulder on one side. About 40 km before Munsyari we encountered heavy rains and hailstorm. The hailstones were making such a loud racket on the car that we were worried about our windshield and moonroof breaking. But no shelter was available and I kept driving slowly. Luckily, the hailstones were not hard and no damage was caused.
View of the Himalayas from Munsyari Day-6 (17.05.19) : Munsyari to Champawat : Drove 211 km; actual driving time 9 hrs 15 mins. Hill roads throughout.
Day-7 (18.05.19) : Champawat to Chuka Beach (Pilibhit) : Drove 130 km; actual driving time 4 hrs 40 mins. Between Pithoragarh and Tanakpur massive road widening project is going on and progress on this stretch was slow due to rough road surface. It is at Tanakpur that the hill roads end and plains start.
After several days of hill driving, it was wonderful to find such tree-lined straight roads after Tanakpur Jungle safari at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve Day-8 (19.05.19) : Chuka Beach to Varanasi : Drove 588 km; actual driving time 12 hrs. Travelled via Lucknow and Jaunpur. Good roads.
Day-9 (20.05.19) : Varanasi to Kolkata. Drove 682 km; actual driving time 13 hrs 30 mins.
The total distance covered during the trip was 3271 km with a total driving time of 64 hours.
Performance of my Endeavour : Endy performed superbly throughout. Even on steep hill roads there always was more than enough power on tap and the automatic transmission made driving effortless. Suspension absorbed bad stretches with aplomb. Steering is excellent. Body roll is minimal. Ride quality is awesome. Brakes are far far superior and effective as compared to my previous car (XUV-500). There is not a single squeak or suspension noise.
Special mention must be made of the Endy’s aircon. We drove through places where the ambient temperature was 44 deg C but the AC continued to be super efficient.
Fuel economy over the entire trip of 3271 km was 12.05 kmpl, accurately computed by tankfull-to-tankfull method. The Endy’s trip meter computed the mileage to be 13.10 kmpl. As I have reported earlier, the car’s computer consistently gives an erroneous fuel consumption reading of about +10%.
Use of spare wheel : I could never comprehend why Ford decided to give a stepney with a different aspect ratio in the Endeavour. While the 4 wheels are 265/60 R18, the stepney is 265/65 R17. We are all aware of many cars (including some very expensive ones) either not having a spare wheel or having one of smaller size and can understand the main rationale behind a smaller stepney, which is ease of stowage. But in the Endeavour, the stepney is same in size (diameter and width) as the other wheels. The stowage space under the car accommodates both kind of wheels with equal ease. Also, both tyres cost almost the same (the R17 tyre is just about Rs 2,000 cheaper). As far as the steel wheel is concerned, I would think that the cost difference between a 17" and a 18" of the same width would be marginal.
Ideally, the stepney should have been identical to the other tyres so that 5-wheel rotation could be carried out and all 5 wheels subjected to same use over time. Even with a steel rim stepney, if the tyre had been same, one could use it by removing it from the steel rim and mounting it on an alloy rim.
I feel that keeping the spare tyre as a virgin throughout the life of the car is a sheer waste. After a few years the spare will become hard and will have to be replaced by another tyre destined to lifelong spinsterhood. So I decided to use the stepney after my 10,000 km service and fitted it in the rear. As recommended in the User Manual, I keep a pressure of 45 psi in that wheel and 35 psi in the other 3 wheels.
The drive to Uttarakhand was the first major long drive after I started the experiment of actually using the stepney. My experience was quite positive. Ford recommends not exceeding 80 kmph with the stepney but I stretched it to 110 kmph and did not feel any difference in ride quality or handling. Since I rarely exceed 100 kmph, I think I shall continue using the stepney till it wears out and then replace it with an alloy wheel of standard (265/60 R18) size.
The main disadvantage in using the stepney is that it does not have a tyre pressure sensor and so the TPMS warning light keeps coming. Also, in the event of an actual puncture in any of the tyres, there would be no warning. I took up the matter with Ford and requested them to fit a tyre pressure sensor (at my cost) in the stepney but they refused, stating that the stepney is meant only for temporary use.
The other disadvantage is the aesthetics – the black steel rim looks like an ugly duckling as compared to the alloys. Maybe I’ll get a nice wheel cap one of these days!
Roads near Munsyari