[dearchichi]

Originally Posted by SUVolens

To answer your questions:

Thank you for the pellucid responses.

It's good to note that the braking behaviour was back to normal but for a handful of times around the trip to Umling La. A bunch of astronomy enthusiasts and I had been to Hanle last September, and the terrain that gets you there from Leh is spectacular. I'd surely want to take my family up there, and to Umling La too. I hope Maruti fixes the issue for good.

I can empathise with your highway driving experience in a Ford Endeavour. I had a Tata Safari for 14 years that babied us across the 2L kilometres we covered with it over every kind of terrain across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana and Eastern Maharashtra. While there were a few niggles during that period, we didn't suffer a breakdown ever. The ride quality was supreme, and the cabin space inside caused my brother-in-law to joke about it being a 1BHK on wheels. It was a sad day indeed when I Iet it go in 2020.

Since then, I've only been using my brother-in-law 's Grand i10, since he doesn't use it at all. I never thought I could adjust myself to its relatively diminutive size and harsh ride, but it has given us no trouble for the 50K KM we have driven it around. It takes a bit of work to have it swallow all of our luggage while on extended trips, but it's a refined, reliable performer.

I have been evaluating options for a replacement for the Safari: Gurkha, Crysta, Hycross, XUV7OO, ScorpioN and now the Jimny. I am drawn to the Jimny's understated disposition, it's capabilities as a cruiser and an off-roader and it's proven track record across the world. Before launch, several folks here cautioned us against its use as a cruiser due to its front and rear rigid axles and its instability in crosswinds. But, the more trip reports I read, such as yours, the more I'm convinced that it's a good choice.

Wishing you many miles of fun with it.

[Rajain]

Originally Posted by SUVolens

The Ford is (was?) a cruiser like no other available for sale in the country at that price point. For 4 with a month’s luggage on-board, it is comfortable, quiet, efficient (well almost) and unruffled over the worst the journey can throw. It is also UNSTOPPABLE by vagaries of terrain. These facets I can endorse myself by multiple cross-country travels in it in all compass directions, as far as Bhutan, Goa or even Turtuk. So, if you’re lucky enough to live in an area which doesn’t bring down the curtains on a diesel car in 10 years of its life - there can’t be a better travel mate for highways.

Without a doubt. I second and third that. It is an absolute gem of an engine (BS 4 so no issues of DPF), I have myself taken it to many extremes, covered 71,000 kms in 2 years and it simply smiles through.

A Jimny is a vehicle from a different segment and will do 99% of the stuff the owner asks for it to do. In winter Spiti people have complained of DPF issues in Force Gurkha, Scorpio, Thar and Isuzu. But I have seen Fortuner, Rubicon and Endeavor start with no sweat at all. And Jimny being a petrol engine will anyway not have any of this.

Hopefully Maruti will address the brakes issue. So many other users have reported the same and only at higher altitudes.

Herez wishing you God speed, fair winds and following seas.

Cheers
Rajain

[bhugs]

loved your writing style which is quite witty, I must say. Enjoyed thoroughly the entire travelogue and pics were awesome too.