[sandeepmdas]

Originally Posted by managhatke77

I was surprised because if i remember correctly Thar has atleast 6 months of waiting at some point.

I also checked out OLX and see many preowned Thar's for sale.

Do you think the Thar hype is dying down?

In a south Kerala dealership too a diesel and a petrol version were available within the last 10 days; AT hardtop variants. I think (not sure) some variants now have only 2-3 months of waiting.

Thar is somewhat affected by the Scorpio N launch. The Scorpio N Z4 variant especially, is a serious contender price wise. However, the enormous number of bookings the Scorpio N has received will definitely hamper its availability and may/might push up the demand for Thar again. However, he two new kids in the block - Toyota HyRyder AWD and MSIL Grand Vitara AWD - will certainly eat into Thar petrol territory.

My guess was the Thar would get a facelift sooner than originally planned by Mahindra, due the above-said factors. But they in fact, did the opposite; deleted some features including the silver applique on front bumper.

[airguitar]

My turn to post a summary of my experience after about 3 weeks of owning the vehicle.

Booking and Delivery

• Booked mid Feb 2022 @ Sireesh Bommanahalli, Deep Grey, Manual, LX, Diesel, Hardtop variant bought.
• Given how their products are flying off the shelves, no mollycoddling of me on their part and no discounts, no nothing
• Delivery on time - not a day less, not a day more ( 4.5 months waiting period )
• Good guidance on accessories. Chose only the Steering wrap, Mudcaps, rubber and carpet maps and the reverse camera
• Paperwork, fast tags etc were quick and no-hassles
• They arranged for an inspection pre-registration at the Singasandra yard
• Overall very good experience buying

The immediate-post purchase notes

• Vehicle not too difficult to drive in the cities and narrow spots
• I thought that the spare-wheel would hinder the IRVM view, yes a little bit, but not too much
• I had driven a friend's Thar for about 400-500 kms before my purchase - so the dynamics, seating comfort(or the lack thereof) were all well-known. I knew exactly what I was getting into.
• As many have said, the vehicle guarantees a second look from most, never mind that it has been in the market for a while now
  

Reactions from others and responses

• "You should have waited for Scorp-N". Yeah sure, new car, long waiting periods(1 year? 2 years?), niggles and first round of issues to grin and bear?
• "You could have waited for the 5-door thar or a facelift that attends to the issues raised" - No. This is not meant to be a family car. And I'm happy with the way it is. Yeah five doors would make it better for the rear-row, but see, I need the vehicle now and not count on something for which there is no date announced in first place.
• "You should have bought a soft top". Yeah sure, remember every time when you ask me to give a hand to fix the soft top on your car when it rains? And who's going to do the cleaning up of the interiors after each trip?
• "You should have gotten the Automatic" Yeah, I did feel that I should have got an automatic briefly, especially when 'hired' bikes with noob riders or delivery bikers cut across the car with a slender 2mm gap; they simply don't understand that this vehicle will not stop at a split second notice. Most of my drives are highway runs - so I can overlook the city part. So overall, I think I got the combination/variant right.
• "It's not a family car - why did you buy?" It's for ME and for my/wife and me. I retain the other monocoque - a comfortable cross-over I have, to ensure comfort for the elders at home.
• "You should have bought the red or black" - Red yes, but it's my favorite, but not my family's. Black yes, but difficult to maintain. Deep grey is a nice compromise, looks good and you cannot distinguish it from the black immediately especially when the vehicle is new.
• "Are you going to use it that much really? Or is it just for the 'My-Beast' Photo-op on social media?" I know that it will not be used for hard off-roading or even "inorganic" soft-roading. It will be used in the city, the highways, some rank bad country roads and hopefully sometime in the Himalayas. The vehicle was bought for the experience it would give over years and not for entertainment or as a toy. It will be driven a lot and the last drop of juice will be extracted from it over the time of my ownership - like all of my other cars. They have done 6 digit odos or more or close to 6 digits - I stick to them through the thick and the thin. This one though will take a lot more time to get there on the odo though.

Initial driving experiences

• Should have read the manual first, but took a few minutes to understand the 4WD gear shifts ( when to press the gear lever and shift and when not to). It's also worth noting that most QA/Mechanics/Service advisors struggle with this gear too - it isn't something that a lot of people are conversant with as it's not used that frequently.
• Vehicle stable at max legal speeds in India, i.e. 110-120 kmph. Doesn't leave it wanting.
• Can't expect to brake hard - so it has taught me more discipline on doing steady speeds, relying on engine braking more and not switching lanes frequently
• No quick overtaking or maneuvers to overtake vehicles - you have to plan a bit more (just a bit more)
• For a hefty fellow like me my butt hurts a little bit after long drives, so have had to get a foam cushion.
• Have driven upto 500kms on a stretch and yes, it strains a few muscles at the end of the day, but not too bad. The body will get adjusted to it.
• Vehicle has done some 1800 kms in these 3 weeks. Highway FE has been consistently above 14 ( so on all the three trips I have done, it showed between 14.1 to 14.2 measured full tank to full tank. Ecosense on Mahindra shows a little more than these numbers - e.g around 15 ). On a mixed run of 1400 kms (400 in city, 1000 on highways), the FE dropped to around 12.5
• "Mind the front", in sharp/tight spots like my apartment's basement, I have to mind the long front when turning ( as opposed to my previous cars where I had to mind the rear end of the car when turning ).
• Overall, happy with the machine, exactly what I wanted.

The ups

• Fabulous engine, nothing beats the roar of the engine and the raw power it brings
• High seating position, you're just short of seeing the Volvo bus driver in the next lane eye-to-eye
• Can take the worst of roads. Hey, it can take Bangalore's potholes and speed-breakers too pretty well.
• Sturdy feeling and a composed driving manner
• Good FE (esp on the Diesel Manual)
• Excellent service, response and support from Mahindra, ORA and it's network. Fortunate to have players like Sireesh, IG and PPS and all within short distances from my place. They have some really good mechanics and they understand the vehicles well.

The downs - might need some answers from the community where applicable.

• At 55kms on the ODO, the wires were chewed up by rats twice. I had to get it towed once due to engine temperature diagnostic failing and OBD being on too; and then when all the brake diagnostics failed ( HDC, HHC, ABS). Both times India Garage at ITPL did a good job of repairing immediately despite their workload. The ORS of Mahindra was also prompt. Now have a 3M spray/coating done in the engine bay and as well as near the tyres. And then raw tobacco leaves tied. That reminds me to put out the location of the shop that sells it so it's useful for others. No more rats since then and hope it stays that way.
• First service was done at Sireesh Marathahalli and there was nothing major to address.
• The A/C leaks as some have said. It leaves a vapor on the outside of the windshield middle, lower end. Doesn't seem to have been addressed during servicing ( they couldn't replicate it)
• The vehicle loses traction when it goes over even small potholes at 40-50 kmph, esp at turnings. Couldn't be replicated during service/road test. The same thing happens when I brake hard.
• N to 4L shifts are very hard. Couldn't be improved beyond a point during service
• A bit more cabin noise than I would have hoped for [ both vibrations and the noise of rubber riding the road ]
• A/C lacks fine control - the fan speeds and temperature not gradual. Even at the first speed, it feels like some let loose a tornado.
• Wiper swipes unpredictable at Speed-1. Sometimes swipes correctly, sometimes doesn't return even after a minute. Causes a lot of frustration. Again couldn't be replicated during service, but the moment I went on my drive, I could see it.
• The right side driver window at night reflects vehicles on the left due it's non curved nature. At night it's so common to get shaken to see something on your right and then only realize that it's the vehicle on your left. This is very irritating.
• Cramped footwell on the driver's side - my sneakers routinely rub against the plastics at the end, my sneakers also touch the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal at the same time if I don't take the extra care.
• Rubber brushing against something at highspeed turns. This happens on the front right wheel. Again could not be replicated. What do you expect when all service stations in Bangalore are bang in the middle of traffic zones - there is no good place to go for a good road test.
• Creaking noise on the right rear wheel. Has reduced after service
• Overall, this is my first car with "fit and finish" type of problems even before the first service. I know realize some of the things that a Hyundai gives to it's customers and why they matter. Some of the issues are also difficult to replicate/reproduce at the service station and sometimes it's frustrating.
• I sorely miss the rear wiper. The defogger alone isn't good enough for me.
• Ergonomics issues - buttons not placed at the right heights or directions. Simple things such as "time" I have to look for it like a needle in the haystack - there could have been a clock that shows time in large fonts.
• Failure to connect via bluetooth and or/Android auto. When it works, it works well. When it doesn't, which is atleast once in two to three days, I go mad. I have to reinstall Android Auto on the phone and try out different tricks like a monkey. They flashed the software this time, but said they will need to upgrade if the problem persists.
• Vehicle is difficult to wash - especially the area under the bumper and it's nooks and crannies - takes a lot of time to cleanup.

Closing notes

• Would I have bought another car if I were to have a second chance ? A big NO. Love the car and it satisfies the purposes I bought it for. Very few cars provide that experience at that price point. It gives me the experiences I need. It's also made me a bit more technical with cars than I have ever been. .
• I expect that the niggles will go away/be corrected after a bit. So beyond the initial "coming to terms" with it, I'm more accustomed to dealing with it.
• I love it every bit like a parent would a smart but cantankerous kid - "it's theirs" and "it provides a sense of fulfilment". And my kids love the car too and it's been a great experience for them already and some stories that they can retain in their memories.
• Can't wait to take it to Bimbra for a few fittings - though will not do anything too fancy or just cosmetic. I would love a better seat/seat cover, LED headlamps and fog lamps and perhaps a sliding window for the hardtop ( which I don't know if will void the warranty, so will have to check )

Separately, I have the 3+1 extended warranty. Would you suggest I take it for the fifth year too? At 17.4k is it worth having it?

Thank you everyone that replied on the Manual Transmission SUV thread (Want to buy a 4x4 SUV with manual transmission) and also @condor, @cool_dube and others that pitched with inputs over phone calls.

[vellatechie]

Originally Posted by airguitar

• Failure to connect via bluetooth and or/Android auto. When it works, it works well. When it doesn't, which is atleast once in two to three days, I go mad. I have to reinstall Android Auto on the phone and try out different tricks like a monkey. They flashed the software this time, but said they will need to upgrade if the problem persists.

It happens quite often in my car. Sometimes the screen is blacked out (while using maps, even though Spotify runs in the background) and sometimes when I start the car the android auto isn't detected.

For the latter, just restarting the car resolves the Android Auto everytime. Using a diff cable, switch on/off stereo, or even trying out a diff cable never resolves this for me but restarting the car almost always helps.

[tilt]

Originally Posted by airguitar

*SNIP*

• Wiper swipes unpredictable at Speed-1. Sometimes swipes correctly, sometimes doesn't return even after a minute. Causes a lot of frustration. Again couldn't be replicated during service, but the moment I went on my drive, I could see it.*SNIP*

Are you talking about the intermittent wiping frequency? If so, that is something that you set. There is a procedure for it as follows:

Turn on the wiper at the intermittent position. The moment it wipes once, turn it off. Then you decide when to turn it on again (to the intermittent position). The interval you give it between turning it off and on again will be the frequency at which it wipes from then on.

If you wish to change that frequency, repeat the above exercise with the gap being your desired new frequency.

Cheers

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by managhatke77

Do you think the Thar hype is dying down?

More than the hype dying down, I reckon it is "reality strikes" moments for many folks who bought the Thar primarily for making Instagram reels/Youtube shorts. Additionally, there would be enthusiasts who made a genuine attempt to foray into the "jeep world" (which had eluded them for years for lack of a more easy-to-live-with vehicle, which came their way in the form of All New Thar) but are giving up after valiant attempts at making peace with the impracticalities that it comes with. And yes, Scorpio-N launch is a significant factor as well, especially for the second type mentioned above, as well as those still waiting on their Thar deliveries. I expect Thar sales to dwindle over the years to come.

Originally Posted by airguitar

My turn to post a summary of my experience after about 3 weeks of owning the vehicle.

Congratulations! Wishing you hundreds of thousands of happy and adventurous km on it. Some pictures are in order here.

Originally Posted by airguitar

The downs - might need some answers from the community where applicable.

Welcome to the exciting world of jeeps Some responses below:

The vehicle loses traction when it goes over even small potholes at 40-50 kmph, esp at turnings

I presume this is more of that "unsettled rear end" feeling. If so, it is due to the stock suspension setup of the Thar. Some of the owners here on this forum have switched to after-market suspensions, and have reported significant improvements on this front.

N to 4L shifts are very hard

Yes, it does take some effort - more of a whack than a shift, as was the case with most stick-shift transfer cases I've used. Coming from a Korean crossover, you will take some time to get used to a jeep. Also, regular usage of that lever will make shifts smoother over time.

A bit more cabin noise than I would have hoped for [ both vibrations and the noise of rubber riding the road ]

Again, part of jeep ownership. The A/T rubber doesn't help the cause either.

A/C lacks fine control - the fan speeds and temperature not gradual

Agree on fan speed but I found the temperature control to be quite granular.

Wiper swipes unpredictable at Speed-1

It is the "intermittent" mode - not unpredictable, but programmable. Please go through section 9.12.4 in the owners' manual. It is a very good feature in my opinion. You need to muster the patience to read through the owners' manual, my friend.

The right side driver window at night reflects vehicles on the left due it's non curved nature

I am still caught off-guard at times by this

Failure to connect via bluetooth and or/Android auto

I have heard this many a times on this forum and as a matter of fact, did face this frequent disconnection issue in my earlier days with the Thar. Interestingly and coincidentally, I switched over to a better (read higher specs) phone and the issue has not resurfaced since.

Love the car and it satisfies the purposes I bought it for

You are sorted, my friend.

I would love a better seat/seat cover

Purely from a functional perspective, I would highly recommend these canvas seat covers from Armoro. Leaves one completely devoid of worrying about seats getting spoiled, just as how it should be for a jeep.

LED headlamps and fog lamps

Would strongly discourage you from doing that. LED lights are a disaster when it comes to visibility in rainy conditions. Better/cheaper option is to upgrade to these - simple DIY and very effective. I've had these on for a while now - really good.

I have the 3+1 extended warranty. Would you suggest I take it for the fifth year too? At 17.4k is it worth having it?

I was in the same dilemma myself, and have decided to forego it. Having owned multiple Mahindras in the past, I know spares are not very expensive and major mechanical components rarely fail in these jeeps. But, your call.

also @condor, @cool_dube and others that pitched with inputs over phone calls

Least I could do to help a fellow-BHPian and a fellow-jeep-enthusiast.

[airguitar]

Originally Posted by managhatke77

The Sales Rep mentioned that they have many colors of the Thar readily available and can get the car immediately. I was surprised because if i remember correctly Thar has atleast 6 months of waiting at some point. I also checked out OLX and see many preowned Thar's for sale.
Do you think the Thar hype is dying down?

That's a bit of surprise TBH as even 2 weeks ago there were many rolling out and I had to wait out the full waiting period of 5 months. It's true that preowned car websites have many listed up for sale - that may typically have been the folks purely that went by the car's look and glam quotient outside.

But the other bit is surely it wouldn't have taken close to 2 years for the hype to die down? If it was the hype and if more people would have spread a 'bad' word after buying it and the booking should have dropped sometime early 2022 or late 2021?

Or are people pulling out due to the Scorpio-N ? Well, I nearly pulled out because of it, but didn't in the end. It gives everything a thar does and more (technically); but doesn't among others the convertible top or the jeep body.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by managhatke77

I also checked out OLX and see many preowned Thar's for sale.

Do you think the Thar hype is dying down?

Originally Posted by airguitar

That's a bit of surprise TBH as even 2 weeks ago there were many rolling out and I had to wait out the full waiting period of 5 months. It's true that preowned car websites have many listed up for sale - that may typically have been the folks purely that went by the car's look and glam quotient outside.

I got my Thar in March after waiting for 6 months. Contemplated going the pre-owned route and searched different websites and with dealers. Found that most of the listings were either fakes or duplicates to lure you in. If you call, they will say the car got sold just a day ago but still continue to keep the listing on for many weeks.

One dealer kept on insisting that he had a <3k run Diesel automatic but would never show me the vehicle. Twice, I went to see the car after confirming that it was in his showroom and both times it wasn't there. He would instead try to sell me an older vehicle Just walked away after giving him a piece of mind and decided to wait for the new car.

[batish]

Oh God! Please somebody tell me this is normal for 4 months old car. Why is this material wearing off so quickly?

[ishlinea7260]

Has the rocky beige colour been discontinued?

[Kapany]

Originally Posted by ishlinea7260

Has the rocky beige colour been discontinued?

Yes. Two more colors expected.

[ishlinea7260]

Originally Posted by Kapany

Yes. Two more colors expected.

Logged onto the website and tried booking one in rocky beige.
Stopped before processing the payment and received a call from customer care after half an hour who specifically mentioned that no colours have been discontinued and all 6 are available.
The dealership on the other hand says just three are available grey , black and red.

[airguitar]

Originally Posted by Kapany

Yes. Two more colors expected.

Hope a lighter shade is on offer. White or offwhite would be a good one ( but sure a maintenance problem )

[Kapany]

Originally Posted by ishlinea7260

customer care specifically mentioned that no colours have been discontinued and all 6 are available.
The dealership on the other hand says just three are available grey , black and red.

Yes you are right, no doubt. The customer care is still saying that all colors are available but a few people I know who tried booking it in RB were all told that no more bookings will be done in that color. Dealers are quite confident that two more colors will be launched soon.

@airguitar- I am with you. A white or canary yellow Thar would be quite a head turner !

[aneesh2M]

Originally Posted by batish

Oh God! Please somebody tell me this is normal for 4 months old car. Why is this material wearing off so quickly?

Attachment 2341130

Attachment 2341131

Hi, as per my knowledge this wear pattern is not normal. This type of issue happens particularly due to faulty molding of soft feel material. The material used is PU and when the same is not done properly the Pin holes like this remains in the final product. This is also called air pockets (few PU Resins needs to be degassed before molding to avoid air entrapment which can cause bubbles/pockets or pin holes like this.)
Please check if the area which you highlighted feels softer then rest of the area on same part. I would suggest claim this as manufacturing defect and Mahindra should replace the parts under warranty.

[Pancham]

Originally Posted by ishlinea7260

Logged onto the website and tried booking one in rocky beige.
Stopped before processing the payment and received a call from customer care after half an hour who specifically mentioned that no colours have been discontinued and all 6 are available.
The dealership on the other hand says just three are available grey , black and red.

Guys given Mahindra‘s background and how our auto companies deal with customer service (in general) we have to stop taking their word for good. The customer service will never confirm something that is not officially announced or is not on the website. Only dealers will have the inside information I think. So no point bothering the customer service as they are pretty useless when it comes to gathering information like these.