Mahindra Thar vs Force Gurkha: Help Me Select New Ride

[L0WKEY_]

This is my first post here so apologies in advance for any mistakes. I am about to buy a new vehicle and the road conditions in and around my village area (Shimla and surroundings) are such that it has to be a 4x4. My vehicle usage will be 50% city (roads ok), 35% rural (roads quite bad) and 15% where there are no roads . Also for approx 01 month every year the vehicle will be used to carry heavy loads. I plan to keep the vehicle for approx 15-20 years minimum. Also 50% of the times, my better half and parents will be travelling with me so has to be at least little comfortable (AC/ heater must for winters). I have zeroed down on 02 vehicles (Thar and Gurkha) and few of my queries are thus:
1) Taking into account the load carrying, do you think gurkha will be better than Thar because of the tubular chassis?
2) Taking into account bad roads where I will be frequenting, which vehicle would you suggest for better ride comfort?
3) Taking into account the time period I intend to keep the vehicle (15-20 years), do you think tubular chassis and Merc based engine of Gurkha will outlast Thar?
4) I personally am more inclined towards the Thar because of the CRDe and better interiors (facelift), but the Tubular chassis and DIY engine (I am not sure about this) of gurkha compels me to look towards it
5) How much is the load carrying capacity of Thar?? Will this load carrying affect the chassis badly? Will Gurkha fare better then Thar here?
6) If I go for Thar, can I attach a trailer to it for load carrying? If yes what is the max weight the vehicle can bear?
7) Any other vehicle under 10 lakhs that you think will cater to my needs??

PS: Just attaching some picks to give you an idea why I have to go for a 4x4. The pictures are of a state highway!!

MODS: Sorry if I have posted at wrong place. Please move it to correct forum.

 

[nmm mithra]

Re: Need some help to select a new ride !!

Gurkha will be a better bet than the thar because of its low end torque in any gear makes you to be stress free in the trails you have mentioned and still it can win in many trails than you have mentioned. But still the thar is also a close competitor of gurkha, but i feel gurkha will be the most reliable in the long run when the roads are rough.

But still you can buy a Maruti Suzuki Gypsy if it is only about 4x4 fun and some serious off-roading, with the 1.0 Lit. Petrol engine which has more amount of low end torque. If Gyspy is not in your list then just TD it to experience it in your roads.

 

[vikyjoshi]

Re: Need some help to select a new ride !!

You can also take a look at Xenon XT. It looks smashing has a capable engine, and avaialbe in 4x4. Price should be close to around that of gurkha.

The vehicle is a novelty so owning would also be also matter of pride. It has pretty good fittings like AC, power windows, powersteering. And if you mod it it will be drool worthy car.

http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...tata-xenon-tuff-truck-concept.html#post318307

 

[L0WKEY_]

But still you can buy a Maruti Suzuki Gypsy if it is only about 4x4 fun and some serious off-roading, with the 1.0 Lit. Petrol engine which has more amount of low end torque. If Gyspy is not in your list then just TD it to experience it in your roads.

Sir, I dont want a vehicle for offroad fun. Its a necessity for me. And as I told that sometimes my parents and better half will be travelling with me so the barebones gypsy is not an option. I need at least a functional AC and PS. If it would have been for purely offroad purpose, I would happily have looked at Thar DI and spent the rest on making it more capable offroad.

You can also take a look at Xenon XT. It looks smashing has a capable engine, and avaialbe in 4x4. Price should be close to around that of gurkha.

The vehicle is a novelty so owning would also be also matter of pride. It has pretty good fittings like AC, power windows, powersteering. And if you mod it it will be drool worthy car.

http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...tata-xenon-tuff-truck-concept.html#post318307

Sir I dont want such a loooong vehicle else Mahindra bolero Camper Gold would have been my first option. I need something which can take my family around happily on all kind of terrains and at the same time should live up to the calls (extreme bad roads, occasional load carrying) that will be made on it from time to time.

 

[safarian]

Dear LOWKEY,

Welcome to TAI.

You are absolutely right, xenon"s length is cumbersome in hills and add the typical turbolag. It is one of the most comfortable UV for highway drive.

IMO, for family usage, go for Gurkha hard top. Otherwise Thar Crde would be a better drive.

Regards .........

 

[BlackPearl]

@L0WKEY, you can also have a look at the Bolero LX 4WD and fit it with an after market AC and Heater. I have both the Bolero 4WD and a Thar CRDe. The Bolero is much more suited to rough conditions and heavy load carrying utilities. The ride is a bit harsh due to leaf springs all around, but I think it will suit your requirements. The ride gets settled with load.

 

[mayankdixit]

Welcome sir belated though on this forum.You have not changed the handle as can be seen. I have been in awe of your thar and bolero threads running in other forum. Do you feel thar isn't as good as bolero 4wd due to IFS.?

 

[BlackPearl]

Welcome sir belated though on this forum.You have not changed the handle as can be seen. I have been in awe of your thar and bolero threads running in other forum. Do you feel thar isn't as good as bolero 4wd due to IFS.?

Thank you..

The Thar is more comfortable than the Bolero due to the IFS, but I feel that for years of trouble free service and load carrying capacity, the Bolero with live axle will be a better bet. Due to IFS the alignment also needs to be done more frequently on the Thar. My Bolero has done 62K kilometers over all kinds of terrains and the Thar only 16K, the clutch on the Thar is already harder than that on the Bolero. My friend's Thar at 65K kilometers had to change a few suspension parts and they are more costly.
For me, the Thar is a vehicle with stunning looks, powerful engine for the highways and capable 4WD for the mountain trips, but not for heavy utilities.

 

[L0WKEY_]

The Thar is more comfortable than the Bolero due to the IFS, but I feel that for years of trouble free service and load carrying capacity, the Bolero with live axle will be a better bet. Due to IFS the alignment also needs to be done more frequently on the Thar. My Bolero has done 62K kilometers over all kinds of terrains and the Thar only 16K, the clutch on the Thar is already harder than that on the Bolero. My friend's Thar at 65K kilometers had to change a few suspension parts and they are more costly.
For me, the Thar is a vehicle with stunning looks, powerful engine for the highways and capable 4WD for the mountain trips, but not for heavy utilities.

Sir, Bolero LX is only available for govt sector and the local dealer (being only one in the city), is not willing to sell it to private sellers. On the other note, dont you think gurkha will be a better option then Bolero 4x4 ??

 

[Sakthivel Rajendran]

Technically Gurkha is better but as a overall package( engine, comfort, built quality, endless customisation) Thar Crde facelift along with its new mechanical locking rear differential is the better option and definitely it will last for 10-15 years. One disadvantage with thar is it's soft top and more over for your parents they might find it difficult with the side facing rear seats and the only solution to it is to install two buckets seats at the rear.
Since your are in a hilly region ( rain & snow) installing a hard top and MT tyres like Maxxis would be essential.