Thar likes Tar too. Review on Mahindra Thar

Thar is an overgrown UV. I will not call it an SUV, but an AUV - Adventure UV.

We have a Thar in our home which we own since Feb 2014. We use is often, like a workhorse, unlike those who take the vehicle once a week for a joy ride. The vehicle runs approx 30kms everyday and approx 400kms across the 4 weekends in a month.

Features:

CRDe Engine  : Powerful and relatively silent engine

Tarp roof  : Classy looks and less heat than the fibre roofs

Rugged design  : Shoo away puny cars on roads and easy to maintain vehicle body. Surprisingly, even in the torrential rains of Kerala, we drive it with the glass windows half down, without getting wet. Cool design!

Low ratio gearbox+ 4WD  : Honestly, there have been less than 20 instances in its whole life, where the L/R gearbox had to be used. Useful on steep inclines. However, cannot beat the CL550 MDI in slippery\murky terrains.

Air conditioning  : Good feature. But no one beyond the front 2 seats feel any cooling during tropical summer.

Last but not the least 'Rattling interiors'+ the tarp shudder at speeds in excess of 70kmph. Yes, this is OE accessory with the Thar. From Day2, you'll get this. We tried everything possible from silicon sealants for interior joints to re-fitting the entire tarp and the sound return in a couple of days to a week.

Pros:

1.  Ultimate workhorse with the ease of power steering. We carried everything from Coconut tree seeds and to cement bags, manure and heavy plumbing equipments and a whole lot of other stuff. The large loading area in the back is a boon.

2.  Go anywhere: One can go to a party, a trek, a marriage, to the farmhouse or for shopping in a Thar and can look cool

3.  POWER TO ALL FOUR WHEELS! Finding a 4WD for the kind of money spent is worthy(only if we have scope to use it often)

4.  Mahindra expedition community: will welcome you to most events. It is a wonderful experience to participate.=Most females appreciate their husband's decision to buy a Thar after the whole family participate in an event;)=

5.  Pretty refined engine compared to earlier engines

6.  Surprisingly fuel efficient: Always returned pretty decent kmpl of approx 16 on highways and 12 during summer days in city.

7.  Gazillion options to customise the vehicle

Cons:

1.  No security: No lockable glove box, lack of feeling of safety due to the tarp covered body. No airbags, seats belts for the driver and front passenger only

2.  Poor airconditioning:  No airconditioning beyond second row of seat

3.  No creature comforts:  No power windows, no stereo, no nothing+ Notchy gearbox and poor quality interiors. No door pockets or even a bottle holder.

4.  Heavy maintenance:  Requires regular servicing(every 1, 000 kms) if you are using it regularly on broken roads. Demands a lot of time \ attention from the user to keep this vehicle in good shape(Note: Poor wheel alignment led to uneven wear of two tyres in our car). Tarps are notorious to leaks which will be irritating when it rains(esp. when we are carrying stuff in the loading bay which should not be exposed to moisture).

5.  Very expensive to convert the vehicle to a usable family vehicle for regular usage. E.g., a good quality hard top costs a whopping 2 lakh rupees to install. A centre console which is a must for any driver to keep knick knacks will cost 12k

1. Not suitable for elderly. My father cannot sit even in the front seats(forget about the rear ones which are extremely bumpy and offer no protection

Conclusion:

Buy a Thar only if

1.  You are mad about owning one & want to be part of the cool MM Thar community

2.  You do not need a family car(stay at higher altitude with poor roads, essentially needing a 4x4), or you already own another car which is used as the primary family vehicle for long distance journeys

3.  You are rich and have a lot of time to dedicate to this vehicle.

4.  You have a dependable dealer-cum-service center set up in your area