[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Ok good to know that it might be correct, since you drive in the hills engine heating and expansion would be more. Solution would be to try a better and larger degassing tank from another vehicle.

You can also install an "Expansion tank" connected to the radiator. That will collect excess coolant as it expands (beyond the capacity of the radiator). When the radiator cools down the coolant will come back to the radiator from the tank.

This is essentially what the tank connected to radiator does in modern cars.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by Aroy

You can also install an "Expansion tank" connected to the radiator.

Yes this is what i meant, the can that Thar already has is a basic one and not really able to cope up with the requirements. A more modern one from another vehicle might work better. Some other model from Mahindra stable itself should suffice.

[Zezé]

Originally Posted by afc.wanderer

My 2014 Thar just finished its 1 year warranty, and a couple of weeks later I set out on a trip from Delhi to Trivandrum and back. Got there and back without any major issues, and the engine really seems to have smoothened out in a palpable way after doing 6900kms over 11-12 days of driving, so I'm happy with that.

..............On the whole, I'd give the performance of the vehicle an 8/10. I cant think of any other vehicle that I'd rather have done this trip in

Dear afc.wanderer, I have read your post with interest.

I am planning to buy a Thar, in the near future, for my regular commute within the city and more importantly for long distance driving, though never 6,900 kms over twelve days.

I do know that whilst the latest model is overpriced and it has a sissy look, it is still a Thar. But the one niggling doubt I have about buying a Thar is regarding the driving comfort over long distances.

To check this out, I thought of hiring a Thar and going on a trip of a few hundred kilometers but I understand, from reading threads on the forum, that it is well neigh impossible to do so because no one will risk have the 4WD mechanism messed up by an inexperienced user.

I would, therefore, appreciate if you will share your views regarding your long trips with special reference to the comfort of a ride. And whether you have made any mods to the Thar to improve the ride quality.

In this context, I would also like to clarify that I appreciate that whatever the mods, the Thar is not an SUV and therefore, it would be unfair to expect the same comfortable ride as a Scorpio of an XUV500.

[KMT]

Zeze bhai, by "Mahindra" standards a thar is comfortable.

Buy it if you need 4x4 low ratio or if you are having the onset of midlife crisis.
I suffer from both conditions :-)

If you have a lazy 10L lying around, it is a nice toy to have.
I use it for above 15k KMs annually for work purposes per year and it has jacked my back.

My Back doctor has told.me.to get rid of it.

However, I find it to be a very useful "tool" for my work.

[cpbopanna]

Originally Posted by Zezé

...

I am planning to buy a Thar, in the near future, for my regular commute within the city and more importantly for long distance driving...

I do know that whilst the latest model is overpriced and it has a sissy look, it is still a Thar. But the one niggling doubt I have about buying a Thar is regarding the driving comfort over long distances...

I would, therefore, appreciate if you will share your views regarding your long trips with special reference to the comfort of a ride. And whether you have made any mods to the Thar to improve the ride quality.

... the Thar is not an SUV and therefore, it would be unfair to expect the same comfortable ride as a Scorpio of an XUV500.

I have certain specific opinions:

1. The 'sissy' look is not permanent, dump the front and rear bumpers and go in for off-road bumpers

2. Replace the 'extended' fender extensions either with fender extensions from the older model or from the Mahindra's accessory kit

3. I use my Thar for two purposes, intra-city driving with three co-passengers (mine is a four seater), or long-distance driving with just ONE co-passenger. I have replaced my front seats with seats from a Honda City (and aligned them to the centre of the steering wheel as well) and have a Tata Indica's seat at the rear (front facing)

4. As long as you drive on (well-surfaced) highways, the journeys are a breeze! The leg-space, under-thigh support and the overall feeling of 'all-round visibility' is amazing!

5. I just returned from a 750 km drive in two days, Bangalore to Mangalore and back, and am still fresh as a daisy - it was a 2-day trip!

6. And yes, I have a hard-top, which contributes tremendously to the comfort factor, keeping noise and dust out while retaining the chill inside!

7. I have not modified any components of the suspension, the tyres are stock HT. But the brake booster and vacuum tank are from a Scorpio, I have added spacers to the rear wheels (to balance the wheel track difference between front and rear) and the tyres run on negative offset alloys.

8. I have daisy-looped a Race Chip Pro 2 between the ECM and the engine; to boost power and torque by approximately 10% from stock.

The conclusion is that the Thar with these 'small' changes is a comfortable two-seater long-distance tourer and an excellent (four-seater) city roundabout.

With Bangalore's notorious non-moving traffic, I get a mileage of 9 kmpl and on the highways at a constant 120 kmph, I can just nudge 10 kmpl, with the air conditioner on throughout! If I am slightly light on the throttle (2000 - 2500 rpm), 11.5 kmpl is easily achieved!

On the highways, I find the Thar to be more steady than a Scorpio.

I hope these personal observations of mine help you in the right direction!

[Zezé]

Originally Posted by KMT

Zeze bhai, by "Mahindra" standards a thar is comfortable.

............ or if you are having the onset of midlife crisis.
I suffer from both conditions :-) ..........

….….I would prefer to describe my wanting to buy a Thar as ‘self actualisation’, as defined by Prof. Maslow.

Originally Posted by cpbopanna

I have certain specific opinions:
.................

3. I use my Thar for two purposes, intra-city driving with three co-passengers (mine is a four seater), or long-distance driving with just ONE co-passenger.

4. As long as you drive on (well-surfaced) highways, the journeys are a breeze! The leg-space, under-thigh support and the overall feeling of 'all-round visibility' is amazing! .........

5. I just returned from a 750 km drive in two days, Bangalore to Mangalore and back, and am still fresh as a daisy - it was a 2-day trip! .......

7. I have not modified any components of the suspension, the tyres are stock HT. But the brake booster and vacuum tank are from a Scorpio, I have added spacers to the rear wheels (to balance the wheel track difference between front and rear) and the tyres run on negative offset alloys.

8. I have daisy-looped a Race Chip Pro 2 between the ECM and the engine; to boost power and torque by approximately 10% from stock.

The conclusion is that the Thar with these 'small' changes is a comfortable two-seater long-distance tourer and an excellent (four-seater) city roundabout.

With Bangalore's notorious non-moving traffic, I get a mileage of 9 kmpl and on the highways at a constant 120 kmph, I can just nudge 10 kmpl, with the air conditioner on throughout! If I am slightly light on the throttle (2000 - 2500 rpm), 11.5 kmpl is easily achieved!

On the highways, I find the Thar to be more steady than a Scorpio.

I hope these personal observations of mine help you in the right direction!

Thank you, cpbopanna for the detailed response. Your post has clinched the argument for me in favor of the Thar as it fulfills our requirements; both as a long distance tourer and city vehicle plus the thrill of driving a jeep.

What remains now are the financial aspects. Since, I will need to modify the Thar after I buy it, my ‘finance minister’ insists that I get an estimate the costs of the same, before we proceed down the path. Makes sense, I guess.

As we envisage, the Thar will be a two seater for both long distance touring and city driving. The only ‘passengers, in the rear, are likely to be our two dogs.

Based on your observations and what I have read on other threads, I have put together a wish list of mods I would like to carry out, over a period of time, in descending order of priority. I have not included items like a water proof undercoating, etc since this expense would have to be incurred, irrespective of the vehicle I buy.

1. Hard top for security as also to maximise the efficiency of the A/c;
2. 2 DIN with a GPS and reversing camera;
3. Adding spacers to the rear wheels;
4. Off road bumpers - front and rear;
5. Bull bar [is that the correct nomenclature??] in front with the Hela or similar lamps;
6. Fender extensions, as suggested by you in the above post;
7. Power windows and
8. Central locking.

Based on your experience, do you think I would also need to factor in the cost of brake boosters and vacuum tank??

Would appreciate if you could give some idea of the cost of these mods to get a rough idea of the on the 'real' on the road price of the Thar.

Just an observation but, following the demise of the Mr. Behram Dhabhar, you have become the chief evangelist of the Thar as a lifestyle vehicle, on this forum.

[cpbopanna]

Originally Posted by Zezé

….….I would prefer to describe my wanting to buy a Thar as ‘self actualisation’, as defined by Prof. Maslow.



Thank you, cpbopanna for the detailed response. Your post has clinched the argument for me in favor of the Thar as it fulfills our requirements; both as a long distance tourer and city vehicle plus the thrill of driving a jeep...
[*] Hard top for security as also to maximise the efficiency of the A/c;[*]2 DIN with a GPS and reversing camera;[*]Adding spacers to the rear wheels;[*]Off road bumpers - front and rear;[*]Bull bar [is that the correct nomenclature??] in front with the Hela or similar lamps;[*]Fender extensions, as suggested by you in the above post;[*]Power windows and[*]Central locking.[/list]Based on your experience, do you think I would also need to factor in the cost of brake boosters and vacuum tank??

Would appreciate if you could give some idea of the cost of these mods to get a rough idea of the on the 'real' on the road price of the Thar.

Just an observation but, following the demise of the Mr. Behram Dhabhar, you have become the chief evangelist of the Thar as a lifestyle vehicle, on this forum.

Thank you for your nice words, always glad to help!

1. The Italian Hard-top should roughly cost you around Rs. 1.75 Lakhs, prices have now come down!
The other options are the Hyderabad hard top (HHT) and the ones from North India - Bimbra and Azad.
Please keep a budget of 1.5 to 1.8 Lakhs for a good hard top.

2. I cannot comment on a 2-DIN system, since I use a good old cassette receiver with no frills attached.
For the GPS, I use my cell phone.
I do not know about the new Thars, but the old Thars with metal bumpers could not be fitted with reverse sensors!

3. I paid Rs. 8,500 for a pair of MS spacers (wheel-adapters).
However I understand that prices have sky-rocketed now and are close to Rs. 15,000!

4. Off-road bumpers front and rear from somebody like Swastik Fabs should set you back by around Rs. 25,000

5. Please avoid the Mahindra bull-bar which is atrocious!
The Swastik Fabs front bumper has a bull bar attached, Hella fog lamps (to be mounted on the bull bar) will cost around Rs. 10,000

6. Original Mahindra fender extensions may cost around Rs. 6,000

7. AutoCop power windows and central lock will cost around Rs. 13,000

You can budget around Rs. 2.50 Lakhs for all these mods!

[KMT]

Well I have done a slightly different set of mods and have spent about 2L.
Given the current Thar price, 10.5+2.5 is 13L , And the only guarantee you get , is a deep and meaningful relationship with your mechanic.
With the Isuzu vcross available at 15-16L that is an option worth considering in AP (tax free).

[Zezé]

Originally Posted by KMT

........With the Isuzu vcross available at 15-16L that is an option worth considering in AP (tax free).

No, the Isuzu VCross is not an option, at least for me. Though a 4WD with lots of whistle and bells, at the end of the day it resembles a pickup truck like the Tata Sumo [or was it the Safari] of old.

Having said that, I have compared the Thar with other options like the Scorpio, Duster AWD, XUV500. The on the road price of each of these vehicles, is higher than the Thar after mods. I haven't considered any cars from the Tata stable for obvious reasons.

If I have missed any SUV/MUV which would substitute the Thar, in terms of price and performance, I am open to looking at it.

Originally Posted by cpbopanna

Thank you for your nice words, always glad to help!.............

.........You can budget around Rs. 2.50 Lakhs for all these mods!

Thanks of the prompt response, cpbopanna. You haven't mentioned the cost of brake boosters and vacuum tank. Are these mods purely optional or will they 'creep' in at some point in the future.

In any case, for the purpose of preparing a budget, I will consider INR 3.00 lacs for mods, which will take care of price fluctuations. Effectively, the 'real' on the road price will be around INR 13.50 lacs.

[cpbopanna]

Originally Posted by Zezé

...Thanks of the prompt response, cpbopanna. You haven't mentioned the cost of brake boosters and vacuum tank. Are these mods purely optional or will they 'creep' in at some point in the future.

In any case, for the purpose of preparing a budget, I will consider INR 3.00 lacs for mods, which will take care of price fluctuations. Effectively, the 'real' on the road price will be around INR 13.50 lacs.

Sorry, I missed the brake upgrade!

The new Thars come with an upgraded booster, but you still need a larger vacuum tank. That will hardly cost you 2k!
Regarding a music system, I am sure that a budget of 23k should suffice!

So yes, INR 3 Lakhs for the mods should be sufficient!

[Zezé]

Originally Posted by cpbopanna

Sorry, I missed the brake upgrade!

The new Thars come with an upgraded booster, but you still need a larger vacuum tank. That will hardly cost you 2k!
Regarding a music system, I am sure that a budget of 23k should suffice!

So yes, INR 3 Lakhs for the mods should be sufficient!

I understand that the front seats have been upgraded too. The 2105 Thars come with Scorpio/XYLO seats. Should improve the ride quality a lot.

As regards the power windows and central locking, guess one would have to wait for the expiry of the warranty before these mods can be carried out.

[cpbopanna]

Originally Posted by Zezé

I understand that the front seats have been upgraded too. The 2105 Thars come with Scorpio/XYLO seats. Should improve the ride quality a lot.

As regards the power windows and central locking, guess one would have to wait for the expiry of the warranty before these mods can be carried out.

If the seats are from a Scorpio/Xylo, they should be good.

Regarding the central locking and power windows, I doubt that the installation will affect the warranty since you are only tapping the power line and nothing else!
Anyway, better to check with your dealer!

[Zezé]

Originally Posted by cpbopanna

.....Regarding the central locking and power windows, I doubt that the installation will affect the warranty since you are only tapping the power line and nothing else!
Anyway, better to check with your dealer!

Will check with the dealer and in case the warranty is not affected, will move these two items higher up the 'to do mods list'. Guess we have all got used to power windows and central locking.

[Aroy]

The beauty of Thar is that it is derivable as is straight from the showroom, without any modifications at a reasonable price.

I feel that if all the upgrades/additions discussed above are required, then the Scorpio 4x4 is a better acquisition, as it comes with most of the items added by Thar owners. The only downside is a marginally lower GC.

https://autoportal.com/newcars/mahin...s-4wd-199.html

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by Aroy

The beauty of Thar is that it is derivable as is straight from the showroom, without any modifications at a reasonable price.

I feel that if all the upgrades/additions discussed above are required, then the Scorpio 4x4 is a better acquisition, as it comes with most of the items added by Thar owners. The only downside is a marginally lower GC.

https://autoportal.com/newcars/mahin...s-4wd-199.html

Scorpio doesn't have a MLD (rear). Thar has it. And from the discussions on the forum elsewhere, it seems it isn't easy to fit one on the new Scorpio (for now). Just saying.