How even after 1.25L km, I feel the Getaway pickup was the right choice

The Getaway 4x4 has had its share of repairs, but I'm still enjoying the drive every time.

BHPian ringoism recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

A few technical notes to add:

Car crossed 125k km on our final day.

FE notes:

• NH: ~12kmpl w/o AC, ~11+with;
• EXPY @ 115kmph & AC ~ 10
• MZ twisting/steep roads/off-road: 8.5

Best: 13.5 - NH at low speed in fog;

Worst: 7.6 - MZ hauling nearly a tonne of manure, + <5min. cold runs in town, w/ very steep gradients.

As noted earlier, I drive for performance vs. economy, and someone with a lighter foot could improve on some of these figures.

A staff member at the Aizawl ASC told me the 8.5 figure was quite good for MZ conditions, where everything suffers relatively poor FE. Father-in-law's Wagon-R Stingray shows a mere 11.5kmpl as a long-term avg mostly in-town, without A/C.

The gearbox had been rebuilt (due to in-gear noise) at Bhuntar ASC just a couple of weeks before leaving. The fifth gear and the output roller bearing showed damage and were replaced. A light whine in 2/3/5 remains but none of the former growl/roughness. Glad we got it done, real failure could have been possible out there.

Experimented a bit with removing the MAF sensor connector, as several have claimed it provides better low-end grunt without affecting FE (CRDe torque thread). This hack forces the ECU to assume a default "normal" airflow curve based on rpm, throttle position, and 20° ambient. Can say that yes, it works and helps prevent clutch-burning when starting on steep gradients, reduces the need to downshift as much, makes 3rd gear much more flexible, and allows for lower-rpm shift points. And didn't increase fuel consumption very significantly if at all.

The downside is that this also disables the ambient air temperature sensor, prevents any compensation as the filter becomes progressively clogged, moreover, cannot compensate for altitude. And the midrange seems to me to suffer some power loss, apart from anything below 1500rpm, just feels less lively /less fun to drive. So I finally re-connected. But anyway it points to the reality that the car could be helped significantly by a good re-map, at least for hill driving.

I may cut a choice wire there and install a switch on the dash so that when I want/need that bit of grunt it'll be there. The temp sensor would also not be affected in this case.

As to evaluating and comparing this to other options, incl. those we'd thought of prior to purchase:

1. Mobilio/ Duster / Terrano: Apart from the serious off-road/landslide zone/mud jungle track portions, they would have worked, and saved us a bunch of fuel. But those portions were many. This is to say the travel budget would be enhanced, but places to travel would be more limited.
2. Either of the above with a trailer: Might have enabled the manure-hauling, but now besides the off-road limitations, lots of steep gradients, tight manoeuvres, and higher speeds would have to be avoided. Legitimate safety /legality concerns are there.
3. Xenon: Considerably better FE claimed, varying opinions & experiences re: durability/ reliability of components; 2nd row not ok for adults on long runs (main deal-breaker), bit rougher ride quality, spares supply more challenging.
4. V-Cross: Initial cost & spares/ svc network esp. in NE.
5. Yeti - Still my dream car but driving 9k kms without seeing one (actually hardly seeing Skodas at all) underscores the fundamental risks of trying to use one for long-distance family travel & exploration.

Getaway 4x4 with mHawk vs. CRDe: Having driven a Scorp 4wd mHawk of the same year, I don't think performance would be much better, but FE would. Would probably have to pay at least a couple lakhs more for one than what this one cost us. Hard to find, and the mHawks are not as tolerant of abuse/overheating as the old CRDe. Have seen a number of those engines apart now. And it probably can't be converted to a manual pump (for supreme reliability) like the CRDe can.

So I think we made the right choice here, and enjoying the drive pretty much every time.

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