[diff_locked]

Folks,

With all due respect, I have gone up next to impossible inclines on elephant tracks with a Gypsy (in Arunachal Pradesh)...pity myself for not having pics to show! The sheer weight of a MM jeep would hinder such progress. Anyone who has been up to the Bandhavgarh fort(MP) about 7 years back would know - and that too without any safety paraphernalia whatsoever!!! And may I add, I don't know many who have even attempted the same.

These u-tube videos of less than decent inclines are fine but when it comes to real world application...it is a different matter altogether - what with a one vehicle crew and absolutely no support or back-up whatsoever, except the elephants that is!!!

I hope I make sense to at least some around here.

Cheers...
cheers:

[DirtyDan]

What kind of fuel average are you getting with your Gypsy.

[Blue Thunder]

Originally Posted by DirtyDan

What kind of fuel average are you getting with your Gypsy.

I was visiting this thread after a long time, when I saw this question now ....I get around 9 kmpl (with the stock 1.0 L carb engine).

[susan3004]

Originally Posted by headers

Yes the gypsies lack the low end torque compared to the DI mahindras..but are much lighter than them and hence perform superior in some situations..

The gypsies are basically extremely reliable when compared to the mahindras and are pretty decent offroad machines..The mahindras are extremely rugged and dependable too but one needs to spend a llot of time and effort to get them in that shape..

ex670c aka arka has one of the better jeeps which is great too..but the gypsies rule when it comes to sandy terrain..and SPEED!!!

welcome to offroad anytime..buddy!

We generally tend to compare MG with M&M, which I feel is not truly justified. Agreed that both are jeeps/off roaders, but these have their own limitations.
There are some terrains where a Gypsy is better and there are places where Mahindras do better than the formers.

Although I agree that a Gypsy requires less maintance than its counterpart.
Posting photgraphs of the event wherein Gypsies excel(Mahindra would have been difficult here, although I had a Mahindra in my backup team)

[Blue Thunder]

Hi, susan3004, great pics, and very glad to know that you are an Army Officer. My father is a retired Army Officer; though he is living a relaxed retired life now, he has enjoyed a lot of action while in service. Any mention of the Army makes me very nostalgic.

Do post more pics of the Gypsies/MMs :-)

PS : are you in the second photo above with the Gypsy?

[susan3004]

Originally Posted by Blue Thunder

Hi, susan3004, great pics, and very glad to know that you are an Army Officer. My father is a retired Army Officer; though he is living a relaxed retired life now, he has enjoyed a lot of action while in service. Any mention of the Army makes me very nostalgic.

Do post more pics of the Gypsies/MMs :-)

PS : are you in the second photo above with the Gypsy?

Yes, service does give you a chance to see and be a part of the action.

I am standing tall, rightmost in the photograph with the Gypsy. On the extreme left is my navigator and the guy in the centre in the care taker of my vehicle.

I will follow it up with more photographs.

[sudev]

Originally Posted by susan3004

...Posting photgraphs of the event wherein Gypsies excel(Mahindra would have been difficult here, although I had a Mahindra in my backup team)

The Raid is different ball game where speed and agility are of essence and Gypsy is the right stuff. M&M stands out where durability and grunt is the need of the hour.

The last picture you posted with view from Dal Lake bund ...remember just about then the large earth quake hit Sirnagar. The whole convoy on Raid vehicles were waiting to go in to the end venue when the earth shook under our feet!!

[susan3004]

Originally Posted by sudev

The Raid is different ball game where speed and agility are of essence and Gypsy is the right stuff. M&M stands out where durability and grunt is the need of the hour.

The last picture you posted with view from Dal Lake bund ...remember just about then the large earth quake hit Sirnagar. The whole convoy on Raid vehicles were waiting to go in to the end venue when the earth shook under our feet!!

Yes, I remember the earthquake! Infact, we could feel it before reching this location and also while standing there.
Remember those cracks in Hotel Centuars' building??

Next day, when we were driving down to Jammu we were stopped by the army team who had just stumbled over an IED and in the informal chat which I had with the officer in charge, he told me that I will come back for the rescue work in the quake affected areas. His words had come true, and in another couple of days I was in general area Poonch to do the needful! That was really something.....natural calamity.

[gotzuk]

hey susan3004..
the red gypsy standing in the background in the first pic is mine
and here's another shot of my gypsy taken at the same place,
possibly around the same time..
cheers

[susan3004]

Originally Posted by gotzuk

hey susan3004..
the red gypsy standing in the background in the first pic is mine
and here's another shot of my gypsy taken at the same place,
possibly around the same time..
cheers

That's simply amazing! World is a small place.
The photographs are taken absolutely at the same time! I couldn't remember the owner of the Gypsy, but I always, very fondly saw your vehicle in the background and admired it.

[gotzuk]

Originally Posted by sudev

The whole convoy on Raid vehicles were waiting to go in to the end venue when the earth shook under our feet!!

sir,
not to mention the numerous aftershocks, which
tormented for another hour, and the big one during
the night, which i serenely slept through!!

cheers

[vinod_nookala]

Hi,
Its not Mahindra VS Gypsy. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. What Gypsy has in its favour is light weight which helps it in sand and snow. Nothing can match a Gypsy king in terms of off road speed and throttle response. But in all other practical purposes Mahindra excels.

Di powered mahindras have more lugging power, which translates to more towing power. The IDI peugeot unit both 2.1 and 2.5 litre are torqy. The other department where a Gypsy cannot match Mahindra is axle articulation. With open diff's this feature is very important to maintain traction & momentum in any terrain. Also a stock Gypsy would have problems in fording deep water due to its inherent petrol engine deficiency. Having lower compression water might enter the tail pipe and also get into electricals. Diesels have an edge here. Decending you have more engine breaking in mahindra than a gypsy due to higher compression.

All in all-
1. Gypsy has speed going for it and Mahindra has torque
2. Axle articulation (Suspension flex) gypsy cannot match a Mahindra
3. On road refinement a mahindra cannot match a Gypsy, diesels are noisy. But mahindra rides better
4. Gypsy has lower maintenance than a mahindra, but few parts are costlier.
5. Most important, mahindra is practicle it sips diesel and Gypsy drinks petrol
6. Gypsy controls are nicer and they respond quickly and you have better control over vehicle (eg steering, brakes compared to older mahindras)
7. Gypsy is fun, Mahindra is practicle and a workhorse

Hope i have been near the truth as much as i can!!
Both have one thing in common, both have served our country and have been protecting us for quite sometime now.

Happy jeepin!!!:-)

[4x4addict]

To add my two cents to Vinod's comment it's really not a Gypsy Vs Mahindra issue. I think if Maruthi had the sense to plonk a nice diesel in the gypsy it would have been an excellent vehicle.

In extreme off-road situations where torque is more important than speed diesels win since they produce gobbles o torque at very low RPMs so you can crawl up the boulder by sheer brute force.

Four cylinder Petrols on the other hand need to rev much higher to produce decent torque hence they are not well suited for extreme off-road situations but in a Rally type of situation where speed is essential Gypsy is the better vehicle.

Mahindra and Gypsy has both it's strengths and weaknesses, but being the owner of an MM540 I can say that if Gypsy offered a good diesel it would be my first choice since gypsys are fare more refined than Mahidra's as a daily driver.

[sudev]

Originally Posted by gotzuk

hey susan3004..the red gypsy standing in the background in the first pic is mine

Welcome ....small world is it not. Where are shots of your little side trip to Chandratal?

@MODS: Perhaps the title needs a change as many Gypsy lovers are posting their pics here as well...or is therrrrre another Gypsy pictures and comments thread?

[Hemanth]

I completely agree with VinodNookala. Since i own a Gypsy and driven my uncle's Mahindra to a great extent.