The very first Team-BHP Test Drive of Force Motor's Trax Gama

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by vid6639

I keep a track what happens to teh tempo travellers in my office. there are 2. And they arent exactly trouble free. they have quite a few small niggles. The belts keep breaking off. The driveshafts has fallen off a couple of times. The brakes leak and the braking becomes all awry. The accelerator cable has been fixed several times.

Are they usage related or quality related? I mean did it happen due to wear and tear. But comparing a mini-bus to a SUV may not be correct. However, what is your take on the Force Motors A.S.S?

Originally Posted by vid6639

The engine is reliable. it's the other stuff. We have been stranded twice till now once with the driveshaft falling off and the other when the belt tore.

The Gama uses the exact same engine. So that's a good thing. Any idea why driveshaft fell?

[amtak]

Hi Samurai,

Isn't the JUDO 4*4 on your list. I have seen a lot of 4*4 Judos used by the Reliance Energy guys in Mumbai. and I agree with you, its a very reliable vehicle and FUN to drive... I wanted to buy it some ages ago...and Believe me I would have bought it if I was in MP and not Mumbai...these vehicles rock there...

[Conan]

The steering in Gama is of Worm and roller type. Most of the car/suv/muv in india are Rack and pinnion type of steering. Maybe this one is as good as a power assisted rack and pinnion type.

[Samurai]

Amtak, Judo is same as Gama except for some river fording abilities.

[vid6639]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Are they usage related or quality related? I mean did it happen due to wear and tear. But comparing a mini-bus to a SUV may not be correct. However, what is your take on the Force Motors A.S.S?

The Gama uses the exact same engine. So that's a good thing. Any idea why driveshaft fell?

all these are quality related as the van does go for servicing and its just 2 yrs now. done around 70,000kms.

A.S.S. I dont have much idea. I just keep chatting with the drivers. For small stuff like accelerator cable breaking or the belts they dont take it for the service. They just repair it themselves.

The driveshaft problem was very peculiar. There was some metallic sound coming the whole way and finally when we reached office the entire shaft just fell to the road. It was a proper metal fracture of the shaft.

[kphilip]

Sam , kerala is a place where we can find plenty of offroad crude vehicles..Mahindras are in plenty when compared to trax although pricewise they dont have much difference..Correct me if i am wrong here.

[condor]

The belts keep breaking off.

Not a comforting point. This cant be about usage. These belts would most likely be from the same manufacturer as the belts on other vehicles. If they break often on the Travellers, would it be a problem in the Traveller's engine than with the belts themselves?

Originally Posted by theMAG

And you claim to have lived in Karnataka's capital for 6 years. The shame of it all.

Sirsi is about 400kms from Bangalore.. Let's give him a little space there. Or should I say distance ?..

[Jaggu]

me feels....

Scorpio/Safari:

• Better refinement, comfort
• Can drive out from showroom without much headache on customization
• More passenger oriented and luxurious
• More complicated parts, need to handle lil careful
• More costly
• More safer design?
• Another Joe in an indian SUV

Trax:

• Cheaper to buy
• Can be customized for luxury and will get more attention on road as well as at service center Exclusivity rather
• Less complicated parts, can take more abuse
• Less refined ride
• Less safer design?
• Need to spend some good time and energy on getting it kitted the right way

Finally if you have driven it and found it to suite your taste, go for it, if confused go for one more TD and maybe check out other cars and then make the final call.

At the end of the day its your money and its you who will have to live with the car, so take your time and decide.

[ramzsys]

mahindra bolero slx may be the best choice..there isn't much difference in ride comfort between gama and bolero, but the bolero gives much image value. anyway that's a users suggestion.

lend a thought for tata spacio with 3L DI engine. It has 16 inch wheels, and suited well for the rural roads and has low running costs too..
there's a review of the spacio in team-bhp.

[hell_rider]

Samurai,

I've traveled in some really, really, interior parts of Tamil Nadu, Pondichery etc. Places where there are no villages, just hamlets of around 15-20 homes. and where the abodes are straw / mud huts with coconut thatch roofs and people sleep on the main roads. On the main roads, I repeat, not along the sides. These places were like from another age altogether. But nothing the good old Ambassador couldn't take. and take comfortably.

Just exactly what kind of bad roads are we talking about here ???

[swathyd]

after reading some threads i spoke to force dealer. He told me that under new scheme the vehicle has a warranty of 300,000 kms/ 3yrs whichever is early and also 12 free services. The service interval is 12000 kms .

They claimed a mlg of 13 under city conditions and 16 in highway.

[kphilip]

thats a good mileage for a vehicle like that.3yrs warranty, well thats a bonaza..

[Alfa_Kilo]

@Samurai

Will the 4x4 version have diff. locks on both axles, or only on the rear?
Does the Gama 4x4 have PTO like the Judo/Gurkha?

BTL used to offer a ~90bhp TCIC engine once upon a time. Has it been killed off by the emission norms? The Gurkha and Judo were powered by it.

PS: Nice to read a review of an honest UV/4x4 for a change, I am getting sick of all the pseudo SUVs littering the marketplace these days.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Alfa_Kilo

Will the 4x4 version have diff. locks on both axles, or only on the rear?

I am told it is the same exact diff locks.

Originally Posted by Alfa_Kilo

Does the Gama 4x4 have PTO like the Judo/Gurkha?

um, No.

Originally Posted by Alfa_Kilo

BTL used to offer a ~90bhp TCIC engine once upon a time. Has it been killed off by the emission norms? The Gurkha and Judo were powered by it.

The OM616 is history now, current special edition Gurkha is powered by TD 2650 FTI.

Originally Posted by Alfa_Kilo

PS: Nice to read a review of an honest UV/4x4 for a change, I am getting sick of all the pseudo SUVs littering the marketplace these days.

Heh, heh... but you saw the general reaction towards a honest UV.

[ggkg]

I heard 4x4 need not necessarily be with Diff locks. That's an extra optional item. The more options you ask for the less chances of getting it in your lifetime of course!