[sjcherian]

The End:
I start at the end where I am the owner and this is the happily ever after story of life with "Chérie" (a mix of my last name , "Darling" in French, the color and the fruit) our Feb 2012 Toreador Red Thar Crde 4x4 (Non AC model). Is this a perfect story of everything going well and absolutely no issues ? No, there are ups and downs which add the much needed flavor. As it stands 16 months down I hope to keep "Chérie" around for as long as possible. Will I remain loyal to her ? Will I cheat on her with a younger and more attractive model ? I said the same thing when I got the Swift and in the first few years was pretty sure I would not need another. But the obsession with Jeeps had started ears prior to getting the Swift so couldn't resist the call of "Chérie". Apologies to my dear Swift I didn't write up an ownership review of you even after six years while here is a write up of a little over a year.


I am the second owner and may probably be one of the first to get a pre-owned CRDE 4x4 on TBHP (but probably one of the last and laziest to write up a review). The total number of Kilometers on it now close to 15,000 of which I have driven close to 12,000 kilometers in around 16 months.

This is the first pre-owned vehicle I have bought and is the third vehicle currently at home the others being a 2005 Blue Getz GLS (34,000 Km) and a 2007 Red Swift ZXI (48,000 Km) which were all bought new. From the time of its purchase barring a handful number of days I have driven the Thar for my daily commute of around 38 Km which takes around an hour in city traffic each way on a minimum. During the week for most part I travel alone barring a handful of days where I give a lift to friends from work.

The first secret rendezvous:
28th June 2012, Thursday: Sitting bored in office with a really slow day and waiting to leave. Finished reading whatever I could on Google Reader and was browsing TBHP and the classifieds. Saw an advert for a CRDE Thar in Pune and thought - why not look around for a used one in Chennai. Searched around on the net and found one on Cardekho in Chennai. Thought about it for a bit (seconds) on my own and after talking with a good friend at work - decided to send a message through the website asking for more info. The website sent me the details of the owner in an SMS and I called him up immediately. The person sounded middle aged (slow measured speech in Tamil) had driven it for around 3 thousand kilometers in 4 months and was having to travel abroad very often and was wanting to sell it. I got his address and directions to get to the place.

Sneaked out of the office at 4:30 PM to reach his house at 5 and meet him. The last stretch wasn't very clearly marked on Google Maps so I had slowed down and was driving looking around - when I saw the Thar parked at the side of the road and the owner was standing there nearby. The owner identified me by my red Swift :-).

I was given a short explanation of why he was selling the Thar and then the owner asked his 3 sons to get in the back. I got into the drivers seat and he got into the passenger seat. Did a short drive around for a bit. Was an experience to drive the Thar I had read of for so long. I loved the high and upright seating position, the responsive engine. The test drive finished we parked back at his house.

This was still the non-AC version so the windows were rolled down. There was some broken bits of plastic - left side passenger inner door pull lever was broken, the door opening pull tab was broken meaning that the left door could be opened only with a key or only from outside. The soft top looked dusty and worn. The paint also looked a bit dull in places. One of the front wheel covers was broken and the auto locking hub was visible. There was a chipped spot on the front left fender and the right rear fender had signs of a brush (cracks and paint) with an auto-rickshaw. First Service had been done as well. The chrome bull bars screwed up the front number plate mounting points and so the number plate was tied to the bull bar by some cord.

Heard what the seller was asking for and that he was looking to close soon. Promised to get back to him within a couple of days and headed back to my Swift. While switching on Bluetooth on my phone I notice that its beginning to rain - very heavily. I grab one photo of the Thar before leaving.
Here is the first ever photo I have of her:


Luckily I had planned on heading home after seeing the vehicle - so didn't need to go back to office - but still got stuck in the rain and flooding. Finally reached home only by around 9 PM a whole 3 hours after starting at 6.

The Start:
After reaching home spent the rest of the evening wondering whether/how to tell people at home (especially my wife) about the plans to get the vehicle. I had seen and mentioned multiple other Jeeps (the oldest being around 38 years old) with the intent of buying over the course of the past several years and always had been dissuaded from buying any of them. Already had two cars at home and didn't really need one more - by any stretch of the imagination. Had place for parking at home so that was not an issue. Parents usually are the safe and no risk type and so is the wife.

Here are some of the earlier Jeeps I saw/checked on but didn't go through with the purchase for a variety of reasons (mostly didn't get a good feeling)
1968 - Kaiser (4x4) Black with silver trim (2008)
1964 - CJ3B (4x4) Black
1985 - CJ3B(4x4) Green
1991 - 540 (4x2) Sand
1985 - CJ3B (4x4) Matt Gray with a bolero engine(2010)
19XX - 540 (4x4) Blue with white hard top (2011)
These are the ones I have photos and remember the details. The Thar was the 7th one I saw. Personally I was wanting a Rocky Beige or a Black or Silver if I was to buy it new ( but now in hindsight after owning the red- I cannot think of any other color.)

I was really confused between the SWB and the 540/550 body styles but a couple of tries of CJ3Bs made me realize I preferred the interior space and size of the 540s though the smaller body style of the CJ series was also very attractive.

Had kept a close watch on the multiple threads about the Thar from the time it was a wishlist all the way till the launch and was a bit disappointed by the price and the feature spec. Had decided I wouldn't buy it new and resigned myself back to looking at classifieds for used Jeeps.

One afternoon some months ago had to go to MEPZ for a meeting. While going up the ramp in the multilevel car park saw a red Thar on one of the floors. I walked down a couple of floors to gawk at the Thar - my first one at close quarters. A person came up and saw me staring at the vehicle - I realized it was the owner and decided I better introduce myself and indicate I had only a curious interest and no malice to his Thar. That’s how I met Tbhpian kshivaa. Of course I had already read his pre purchase threads. He was kind enough to let me see the interiors and sit in it. He also gave me a lot of ownership feedback and tips.

This Thar I saw was different - costlier than all of the others I had seen but probably the youngest of the lot and at around 3000 Km probably the least used of the lot as well. The price was fair(in my mind or actually heart - since it had taken over) and I had decided a while ago that even if WWIII was to happen at home - I would be getting myself a Jeep. Decided to do something nice for myself -since the past several years were spent being responsible and always doing stuff with work and family taking first priority. Fun had been always taking the backseat. Wife heard what I had to say about the Thar I saw. Only comment she gave was that a Jeep in red would look odd - I countered that it wasn't a bright red like the Swift but more like a deep "Cherry" Red /maroon. It was now time to go to sleep but she wasn't clearly giving a go ahead. Fine ! We went to bed. I hoped we could talk further on Friday. I couldn't sleep and was hoping this opportunity wouldn't be lost like the prior ones. I decided to attempt something sneaky . Leaned over to my sleeping wife (who usually cannot be woken up even with an earthquake) and whispered "Cherry Red" a couple of times at intervals :-). She startled me by waking up and giving me a punch and saying - "if you are so keen about it- go ahead". That’s all I wanted to hear. I didn't sleep the rest of the night and had a grin plastered on my face.

Called up the owner first thing the next morning and confirmed the deal and that I would go over to his place and pick up the Thar on Saturday around 9ish. The day at work moved very slowly. I got the RTO forms printed out and re-read a lot of Thar threads on TBHP.

The D(Delivery) Day:
June 30th (Saturday) morning I booked a call taxi to come pick us up at 8. Wife knew what we were up to but my parents didn't have a clue and neither did my 4 year old son. Got him ready to go out without clearly saying where. The cab didn't come till 9 and it was torture waiting for it. Made it to the place only by 9:45. It didn't take much for the formalities to be completed and to get the keys. My son was playing with the kids of the seller and they ended up gifting him a toy car as well. The kids would be the ones who missed the Thar the most - it was apparent from their faces.

We bid our farewell to the seller family and came to the Thar. My son was thrilled to know that the Thar was going to be ours. Odometer reading was 3143 at the time of delivery. Finally "Chérie" (the Thar) was ours ! We usually don’t have much by way of ceremony other than saying a prayer before starting off on a new vehicle - so we did that and then decided we will go to the Besant Nagar Velankanni Church. We spent a short while in the church and then went over to the adjacent shopping area and got a rosary with a cross for "Chérie". Drove home after that.



Life begins:
First photo after getting home - a bit dusty and faded looking but I was really happy.


My parents were shocked that I bought the Thar but it was too late and so they couldn't say anything. If they knew ahead of time they would have said something around the lines of - if you had cash to spare you should have invested it for the future or something like that. But one needs to do something special for oneself especially if you have searched for a long time and waited for it.

She looks better after a bit of cleaning up:


The flat plate behind the bull bars is a new favorite place to sit/stand/lie down for our son.







I love the way it looks at night - the round headlamps and lamps on the fenders. I feel the round headlamps have a timeless design and like jeeps from the 40s, will still look good years from now.


Chérie all covered up:


One of the rear:

[sjcherian]

Some more photos of Chérie:

















Life with Chérie :
Highs:

• Gives a feeling of really being connected to the raw machine which I haven't felt with any of my other vehicles or vehicles I have driven. A back to basics feel of driving that I love. The sound of the engine and the turbo noise and its kick is addictive as well.The response of the vehicle to throttle input was amazing - especially since I came from the Swift.
  
• The seating position is very high, higher than most vehicles on the road. See my "Seen from Up Thar" photos in a subsequent post. All the buzz about the offset seat and steering wheel - totally forgettable - I got used to the seating position in minutes and now it doesn't bother me at all. One other thing I started noticing - I can see over the walls of flyovers/bridges and get glimpses of places I usually couldn't see when in a regular car. The visibility that comes with being able to look over the roofs of sedans and hatchbacks allows a great deal of response time so unless I am distracted with something there is really no reason for a panic stop.
  
• There is is a great temptation to turn into a bully on the road - I have had enough of such bullies while driving the hatchbacks I own that I remind myself about it and drive respectfully of other road users. However the Thar gives a calm and confident feeling when there are other bullies honking and flashing lights. Am able to look them in the eye and tell them to fly a kite if they want to when I feel like it :-). One other good point is high beams don’t impact you as much in the Thar as the seating is higher than at eye level of the headlamps at high beam. Only buses/trucks with misaligned headlights irritate now.
  
• The brakes felt very unsure and on the first couple of drives I was very panicky. I usually do not tailgate and now have started leaving even more distance to ensure safe stops. When this is done the brakes are adequate. My driving style has changed from being carefully fast with the swift to being careful with the Thar. Only when I have clear visibility and empty space ahead for at least 100+ meters do I go over 60. Most of the time I now drive at around 40-50/with moving traffic and over 70 only when the road is empty. There is a "bad" linked to this which explains it as well.
  
• Speed breakers on the roads are taken without any worry of scraping. Have to slow down when there are cars in front that are slowing down. The few days of flooding that I have seen in Chennai were absolutely worry free with the Thar. Water was at its highest just touching the foot steps.
  
• The Thar in Toreador Red - with the chrome bull bars definitely catches attention. What is interesting is that it catches the attention of most children. Adults are so caught up with their life that most don’t even notice. However - almost every child does notice and the look of wonder on their face of seeing something unique - that gives a really good feeling - of driving something special. Just for fun I have logged a list of people inquiring about the Thar - when stopped at signals/in traffic - most seem to think its an antique. Keeping with that I strongly feel there shouldn't be any attempt to make the Thar look modern. Keep its looks as is. If I do anything I would make changes to make it closer to its CJ5 roots. I also absolutely refuse to change the badging from Thar/Mahindra to Jeep - because it is a Mahindra and I like its looks as it is.
  
• The bumpers at the rear look ugly but have withstood multiple dings from cars and bikes without any problem. So no plans to change them.
  
• Going to school in the morning has become a happy affair for my son who till the Thar would make a fuss to get ready to go to school. Going to office has also become a thrill (at least the ride) for me as well.

[sjcherian]

Lows:

• Brakes suck. Have had to change my driving style to adapt to this so that I don’t kill myself. I leave a larger gap with the vehicle in front and do not cross 60 unless I know the road well and have clear visibility for at least 500m ahead. No fast curves/unnecessary overtakes.
  
• The gear shifter was also not very precise and not good for fast shifts. Shifting from 5th to 4th initially seemed tricky. All others were fine. I now do the gear shifting much slower than I used to do in the Swift - the gears fall in smoothly now. Once in a while there is a resistance to fall into reverse but a quick press and release of clutch and move into neutral and back does the trick. Shifting to 5th and out of it initially used to be a bit tricky but 14 months later am used to it. I also have noticed that the 3rd gear was a bit noisy/boomy around 40 and one needed to shift up.
  
• Plastic quality is poor but once you get used to it things are fine. With the windows down (pre-AC days)- there was dust everywhere and I stopped wiping the dashboard and started doing that weekly. Now with AC on and windows up at intervals the dust inside has come down drastically.
  
• Spares availability seems to be questionable and even the service centers are few and spread out. I am managing because there is one near where I work - otherwise the closest one is around 13Km from home.
  
• The soft top is not removable without considerable effort. Also its not entirely noiseless. In a heavy downpour there is condensation on the inside roof. There is a lot of road noise /engine noise of other vehicles and honks coming in. Need to look at insulation inside the soft top to reduce the sound pollution.
  
• The front bull bar when mounted covers the original holes for the number plate. Also it manages to make all sorts of squeaking noise and is an invite to people to pull and lean on. Every visit to the service center I have asked for the bull bars to be tightened.
  
• The rear number plate surround in white is just plain ugly. The number plate would have been so much better mounted centrally above the foot step at the rear center.
  
• The carpet - should have been rubber mats with proper drain plugs. Worst part is the driver seat is bolted on top of the carpet.
  
• Coolant consumption. Been drinking coolant at the rate of around a whole container every 1000- 2000 Km. Didn't get the chance to get it checked till almost over a year of ownership. Did a basic check in a few months of purchase and radiator was OK. Got one hose changed in early September 2013. Hoping this has resolved the issue. Waiting with fingers crossed.
  
• The reflections of the driver and passenger door glass will drive you nuts for the first couple of days of driving. Cars on the left side of the Thar will appear to float in the front windshield or in some cases on the right drivers side glass. Very scary initially and even worse when its raining. With the windows down - it’s a non issue.
  
• Visibility from the drivers seat to the front is good but when you have to merge from a small road onto a larger road - the huge B pillar combined with the soft top and plastic rear window make it a bit scary. There is also a huge blind spot between the outer side view mirrors and the central internal rear view mirror (the portion covered by the soft top at the rear - that bikers love to hide in . Planning on getting some small convex mirrors to stick onto the existing mirrors.
  
• Rattling of all sorts from all around and a weird suspension squeaking noise on driving. Have gotten used to this since I had a lot of it with my Swift and since I was driving without AC and with the windows open - the noise usually was drowned out by the external traffic noise, wind noise and the soft top flapping. With the AC added and the windows up - the noises are back.
  
• Aftermarket AC chills the front cabin in a few minutes but people at the rear don’t get too much cooling. Also on rainy days the condensation from the vents gets a bit too much and is close to the point of dripping down. Not a deal breaker by any chance - but definitely worried to have a stereo head unit under the vents.

Does she drink a lot?

• Mileage before adding AC was ranging between 10.1 to 11.6 (Average: 10.9) . With AC running mileage is between 7.6(worst ever) - 11.7 all in the city. Overall Average over ownership is 10.7. Max range covered before I panic and fill diesel was 518Km needing 48L to fill the tank (with around 12L already remaining in the tank + lines). Best ever mileage has been 12.1Kmpl with a mix of 1:4 for Highway to City driving.
• I have been tracking my mileage from the time of purchase in a spreadsheet on my phone. Recently I uploaded the data to Fuelly. Curious ones can see all the data here http://www.fuelly.com/driver/sjcherian/thar.

Does she do daily chores?

• It is very comfortable to drive in city traffic on a daily basis. With AC and Power steering and music and a good engine I don't need anything else.
• The only factor of not being able to leave anything valuable in it with the soft top you get used to pretty quickly. One plus point is that the higher seating position minimizes the glare from high beam vehicles
• The stop top though it is water proof for most extent is not noise proof - so you will take some time to getting used to all the noise that is there on the road. The honking does get to you some times.

Does she like Long Drives ?

• I still have not done anything longer than a 250 Km drive in a day. That included mostly highway driving which the Thar managed pretty well. Only negative is that the noise from the soft top increases a lot over over 80. I have done multiple 100 Km in a day trips without any issue.

Is she a a high maintenance girl?

• I have had to follow just the regular maintenance schedule so far. The comedy that occurs at Mahindra service is to be covered in a post of its own.
• Have had noises from the suspension, bumper,roof,door panel and other noises which have now become part of its standard set of noise
• Issues with coolant consumption which have been addressed (I think).
• Issues with poor braking have not been resolved but there are known fixes - one needs to take the time and effort to get them done.
• Issues with plastics have been mostly reconciled.
• I check coolant levels once in two weeks/after any day with a long stretch in traffic
• I have a guy come and clean the exterior on a daily basis - the paint is decent quality so a daily cleaning and it looks good. Soft top needs to be dusted as well to get rid of dust that accumulates. Roof is too high to reach for the cleaning guy and dont bother.
• Overnight the cars at home are usually covered with car covers to keep it safe from cats getting up on the roof/our dog from scratching the sides. The Thar gets covered daily as well - with a Tata Sumo cover which is big enough to cover the bull bars and the rear spare tire.

[sjcherian]

Fixes/Mods Done:

• Chrome bull bar were installed by the first owner. Didnt want to remove them so left it as is. Now I have grown used to the front with the bull bars.
  
• As soon as I got the Thar home on the first day I noticed that the hand brake light was not coming on when the handbrake was applied and the key was in the ignition. Noticed that the connection plug had come loose. Fixed that and felt really pleased.
  
• Used 2 Maruti 800 door pull tabs (5 Rs each) and opened up the passenger door panel and got it fixed. Now the door can be locked and unlocked from inside.
  
• Attempted to fix the front number plate that was hanging by cord after the bull bar was installed by the previous owner but finally ended up having new plates made for the front that fit between the bull bar. Rs 500.
  
• The white holder at the rear was taken out and cut down in size and painted black as well. The installer was wary of putting the new fiber plate so the old metal plate was put back. Need to find a permanent solution for this.
  
  
• Added a cigarette lighter/DC output socket. (Rs 250)
  
• Music + Nav
  • Got a 1:3 splitter and a Belkin power inverter (Rs 2.2K )to convert DC to AC.
  • 2 old unused computer speakers were thrown in between the front seats and plugged in to the inverter based power source and have a 3.5mm audio input cable.
  • Car charger for 12V to phone charger (Rs 250). Now the phone can be used to play music , check traffic, follow routes using GPS etc without draining the battery. Paired with a windshield mount the mobile phone provides navigation, calls and music + FM with the speakers mentioned above. Only irritant being the need to connect everything up at the start of each drive and disconnect at the end. Managed 15 months without a music system . Plus point being that I could remove the whole setup with 5 minutes effort.
  • After almost 15 months of driving with the phone+ holder + DC to AC converter and computer speakers took the plunge and got a basic Sony CDX-GT525U head unit and 250 W 50 RMS Alpine 6" speakers and electronic antenna stuck inside the windshield. Total cost around 8K.
  
  
  
• Stuck a cheap thermometer , compass and clock combined display on right side of dashboard with double sided tape as the center spot is for the mobile. This is a stand in till I get an Inclinometer.
  
• Cut up some old unused mouse pads and pasted them on the inside of the B-pillar to minimize the thuds from the seat belt latch plate hitting the metal of the B pillar.
  
  
• AC. Checked with MPL Mahindra regarding adding AC but the quote they gave me of 75K was really too much. kshiva suggested a place which seemed close to where I stay. I tried finding it once in October of 2012 but couldn’t and then left it till February 2013 when I ventured out again determined to find it. Found the place and got the installation done within a days time for 25K ! AC is pretty chilling for the morning and evening drives. In the middle of the day it takes around 10 minutes to cool the cabin. The AC has a thermostat function which cuts off and switches on based on some temperature settings or can be left fully on. I alternate between the two depending on the time of day/night. In the evenings on some days the AC actually gets a bit too cold and I end up switching it off.
  
• Insect mesh for the front grille from Mahindra (Rs 1K)
  
• Wrapped up the car jack and tools with cloth and placed them on a thick towel to minimize the rattling in the tool box under the passenger seat. Reduced a lot of noise this way on speed breakers/bad roads. Need to check and ensure the wrapping is OK every once in a while.
  
• Right front driver side soft top clip seems to have been broken by the first owner. Its tied in place with a cable tie - done by Mahindra!
  
• The inner passenger door latch was broken and Mahindra kept saying the part was not available - waited for over a year finally when I had some time went and bought Omni door latches(Rs 20) and had Mahindra fix it on the door. Works beautifully now.
  
• In the last service I had mentioned poor braking and they did some cleaning and adjustment of brake pads and braking seemed a little better but progressively has begun to return to its initial state. Pending the brake upgrade/

[sjcherian]

If you are contemplating buying a Thar:

• Why did I get the Thar ? It definitely was all heart over mind. After driving it for over 15 months and 12K Km, I am able to say that if I retain one vehicle out of my current 3 for an emotional bond with it, it will be the Thar. The others have more features and are comfortable for the family and I may always need to have a "car" around for driving around the city but nothing brings a smile to my face than the drive in the Thar. The traffic may be bad and I may never cross 35 Kmph on some days but the feeling of driving a very basic machine does something for you that a regular car does not. There was another quote about venting anger about boss or wife by driving a Thar on on one of the other threads - when you are having fun with the drive you forget everything else .
• If you want a reason not to buy it then just about every ownership thread will be sufficient. My list of low points exceeds the ones I have listed as highs. But again this is something you cannot explain objectively.
• The Thar is my 3rd vehicle at home but the only one that I use during the week to office and back daily 40 Km commute. Do I go offroad all the time? No - but have been able to when the opportunities showed up and thoroughly enjoyed myself. So do I really need the 4x4 on a daily basis- absolutely not. Do I need a diesel vehicle - maybe since I was getting poor mileage with a petrol sitting in traffic.
• I still have two cars as backup in case I need - so far have not been let down by the Thar.(Fingers crossed)
• Though a very comfortable 2 seater in the front , with the height of the vehicle - it is not easy for older/ill people to get in. My parents find it difficult to get into the back - the front passenger seat was OK to get in once taught how to step on the side foot steps. My wife has managed climbing in while saree clad and wearing heels without trouble.So for outings with the entire family we go in one of the cars but for most other outings the Thar is used. Though a pregnant lady climbed in to the front passenger seat once (with some effort to get a trial ride) - it will be difficult for pregnant ladies - so delay all plans of Thar delivery till post baby delivery.
• My son refuses to travel in any of the other cars at home if he can help it and has to be forced to go in anything else. He loves climbing up the bumper and over the back tailgate to get in. He has also loved to fall asleep on the longer rear bench seat and has done that a couple of times when returning home. Just have to drive a bit more carefully to minimize the bumps and he doesn't wake up till we reach home.
• Obviously with a soft top you cannot leave anything in the vehicle but one gets used to it. Alternatively since it attracts so much attention when parked in a highly visible point its probably safer than a hatchback parked away in a dark corner.
• The interior plastics are crap and there are all sorts of issues one can find and squeaks and rattles that never go away.
• The only concessions towards comfort are an AC & power steering. If you wanted refinement and comfort and think the family will never approve - then you are best driving a hatchback/sedan/minivan.
• If you have to think so much about buying a Thar then better not to go for it. Just buy a regular car within your budget.

[sjcherian]

Here some photos of "Chérie" at an the event organized by CORE SUV Off Road Adventures on May 12th. (Event report and more photos here).Was really thrilled at driving on rocks and through open land in the middle of nowhere! Waiting to attend the next one in November.

[sjcherian]

"Chérie" and me attended a couple of Chennai TBHP meets over last year. Here are some photos from the meets.

[sjcherian]

"The View from Up Thar"
I took photos of other vehicles when viewed from within the Thar. Gives a very perspective of how high the seating position is. Most photos are taken from the windshield mount for my phone or by a passenger. Don`t ask about the others.

The Ecosport & Duster were caught before launch. There was a huge difference in the way the people driving them reacted. Ford folks were more than happy to allow photos while the Duster driver was downright rude and driving very rashly on mount road. I took the photo after he cut off several people multiple times. Then he started shouting at me :-).

[sjcherian]

The Black Book (Log):
I maintain a log of events in my life with "Chérie" and sights of other Thars on the road. You are warned that it is long and may be boring. Feel free to skip.

2012:

July 1st: Went for lunch on our wedding anniversary (the day after getting the Thar) with wife and son. On the way back coming down the flyover near Chola Sheraton two guys on a bike cut in from a side street without looking. Two honks and the guy sitting at the back actually turned said "sorry sir". This was an experience never felt on the road till now.

July 2nd: First day of driving it to office was a bit stressed and being extremely careful.

July 3rd:Second day I was pretty comfortable and relaxed. Was asked by two guys on a bike how much it cost after they were arguing for sometime about it being an antique or new vehicle.

July 4th: Third day of driving to office - was asked about whether it was an old one freshly painted by two guys on a VW Polo. As soon as I parked in office, a guy in an I10 next to me asked how much it cost.

On the way home in the evening was being tailed by an Innova from office parking and when it pulled up to my left at a signal the person driving it asked if I was Kshivaa (who was the first one in our company to own a Thar and that too a red one).

Near NIFT a bullet classic came too close and nicked the front right wheel cap.

While waiting at the Acendas junction a guy called Santosh in a black Ikon pulls up and asks how the Thar is. He had booked one and was waiting for its delivery.

July 9th: Near Music Academy signal was asked by two young guys in a Skoda Laura about its mileage and how it was.

July 12th: Rain in the morning and standing water near Tidel and on OMR. Drove through without any worry . In the office parking lot I see some chap pulling at the door handles and I go there and ask him if he wanted to sit inside ? He freaked out and scooted away.

Took the bumpy crater like road behind Ascendas in the evening and loved it.

July 14th: On way to a function all dressed up in Jubba and Veshti driving the Thar was asked by a guy in an Innova who has booked one about how it was. On the way back ferried 6 passengers.

July 16th: Was told that some female employee was getting her photo taken standing posing next to Chérie. My friends suggested that I charge to get photos done with it.

July 18th: On way to drop my son at school was stuck in traffic at Sterling road junction near Good Shepherd school. Old man with a "Press" sticker pulls up and admires it and says - "Beautiful, Superb" and drives off.

July 28th: Saw around 4 Thars all through the day, all in rocky Beige.

July 31st: Morning do a nice empty stretch from Madhyakailash to Tidel. I let free the horses !
In the evening I see Santosh with his new Black Thar with Alloys. I flash lights and wave to him. Thar was rock steady going straight down OMR at decent speeds. Thinking of starting a photo series "The View from Up Thar"

Aug 1st: Saw a silver Thar in the morning on TTK road driven by a middle aged gent. (Am sure I look close to that age group already)

Aug 6th: Really old man in maroon Innova front passenger seat holding prayer beads kept starting at the Jeep while passing by alongside. Driver was smiling.

Mini lorry chap near NIFT asked how much it costs.

In the evening I drove up next to a red Thar on way home on Boag Road and waved. The couple in it get so worried they zoom away .

Aug 13th: Saw a Black Thar passing by in opposite direction on Poonamalle High road near Pachaiyyappas. Driver and son looked and a bit shocked when I waved. It had alloys and a modified front bumper.

Oct 2nd: Saw similar red Thar with chrome bull bar in EA mall parking - Plate had #1000.

Oct 6th Went to Pallikaranai Marsh for a Bird Watching event organized from office with my son. Started at 6:40 AM and reached by 7:10 AM. Returned via GST road while he ate his breakfast of sandwiches on the way back.

Afternoon on way to Tambaram saw silver Thar near Airport driven by man with full grey hair and beard.

Oct 12th: Saw a Rocky Beige Thar with Snorkel near Viveks junction

Oct 16th: On way home near NIFT Chap on bike smiles and wants to talk about the Thar.

Oct 18th: Noticed a bit of water in the front left passenger foot well. Cover was put on the Thar but heavy rainfall the previous night. Drove to office in some stretches (before GN Chetty road and road near old Mercedes showroom ) of close to or over a foot of water peacefully. Front windshield fogging a bit. Had to keep driver side window open a crack.

Oct 19th: Was great fun to drive in heavy rain around the Perungudi lake attempting to find an alternate route to a traffic clogged up road - but had to retrace way back and sit in traffic . Spent 3 hours in the evening in heavy rain with front and side windshield/glass fogging up badly. Lots of water in footwell overnight with carpet soaked.

Oct 22nd: Drove to office starting at 11:20 in the morning in heavy rain for a bit. No problems.

Oct 23rd: Very little traffic on road due to Pooja holidays. Did a good speed on OMR from Madhyakailash to Tidel.

Oct 25th: Weird grinding screeching noise from left side after going through a bit of water near Loyola college. The noise cleared up after T.Nagar bus stand. Saw the effect of splashing through water on OMR - front windshield totally covered and water came in through side glass as well. Got yelled at for splashing water on a small truck as well. Honestly didn't see it.

Oct 31st: Cyclone "Nilam" predicted to hit near Chennai so had an early office closure and left for home at 2:30 PM in heavy wind. Soft top flapping like hell but ride was composed in spite of really strong winds. Met a relative along the way and stopped for a chat.

Nov 3rd: Saw a black Thar with alloys in T.Nagar off GN Chetty road

Nov 5th: Ertiga dude trying to overtake me(when I am already turning left) on a left turn towards Loyola subway(ended up scraping his left rear door on my right rear bumper. Had a really nice time telling him he deserved it. No damage to the Thar.
Saw a silver Thar driven by a gray haired aged man on Kotturpuram bridge .

Nov 9th: Went to MPL OMR Mahindra to top up coolant level.

Sitting in traffic in the evening before SRP tools junction going towards Tidel - guy in a Ritz kept looking at the Thar and rammed a green Indicab in front of him! Luckily no serious damage for either.

Nov 15th: Saw a Red Thar with Alloys, Dark metallic silver paint on fenders and whole load of people. Interior painted beige /cream. Plate had #7777. One band of camo paint between bonnet and windshield.

Nov 18th: Saw a Red Thar near T.Nagar bus stand with insect mesh guard and AC.

Nov 19th: Evening Near T.Nagar bus stand - asked by driver of a Magic cab about the cost and if it has AC and if it is a "4 ex 4". Finally screws my happiness by saying it would have looked better if the roof wasn't black.

Messaged by a colleague from work that he that he saw me in the Thar near Good Shepherd hall in the morning.

Asked by a older chap on a bike whether it is an AC version or non AC at Ascendas jun.

Driving towards Madhyakailash in the evening I see a pair of round headlamps fast approaching. Move to middle lane to see a Thar pull up alongside. It was Santosh. He asked about mileage and said he is getting around 8.

Nov 21st: BMW 320D was alongside or behind from GN Chetty road to Madhyakailash where he zoomed off. He was having a bit of a bother with an Indicab that was out to rub him. Peacefully drove in. Hot weather still no AC!

Nov 24th: Returning from Tambaram office in the afternoon see another Red Thar near Pallavaram going towards MEPZ.

Nov 26th: Filled diesel. Saw best ever mileage of 11.6 ! On way back from MEPZ White Fortuner with some politico party flag tried to squeeze in at the last minute when self and whole lot of others were waiting patiently to merge. Didn’t give in and neither did the people following me. It felt really good.

Nov 27th: Got the phone holder on 26th night been using it since then. Misty and cold at 10 PM in the night and had to roll up both windows.

Nov 30th: Bad traffic 2 hrs to get home. Asked by 2 chaps in an Amby about cost and if it had AC.

Dec 4th: In Pune airport saw the army Thar with weird 2 level hard top and camo paint.

Dec 6th: Accident with bike near Loyola wall . Was doing around 30 and needing to go towards the Tennis Stadium from Tank Bund road and was looking to the right as there were some bikers trying to cut in. Suddenly I see a bike come from the street to the left and land right in front of me. I had no time to stop and ended up hitting the bike and stood on the brakes to stop the Thar. The rider seemed too young and of the local variety. I initially didn't want to pay any damn thing but the situation was getting ugly as it always does when a car hits a bike and no one is willing to listen to reason. In the end I ended up going to the Hero service center and paying for fixing the bike :1700 worth of damage. Thar - not a scratch.

Dec 7th: Took back roads near IIT wall to get to Lady Andal School for a play in the evening. Drivers there in the ground were peeping into the Thar.

Dec 8th: Went to a friends place for dinner and returned back home around 10 PM. Rear wheel ran over and killed a bandicoot while entering the house gate.

Dec 11th: Son saw a red Thar on his way back from school with my father in the Getz and thought it was me.
Road behind Ascendas was pretty bad with sewage overflowing the road. Took that route behind IIT boundary wall route to get home.

Dec 12.12.12
After dropping son to school, on way to office a school boy in a maximo exclaims "haai red color jeep" loudly. A silver Invader with alloys, daytime LEDs was all the while behind me. No looks for it.

Dec 13th: Chap on bike to my left at Kandanchavadi signal taps on the door and says nice as the signal changes.

Evening just past Madhyakailash, in very slow traffic, an Alto gets scared by someone to his right and bashed into my front right side. I honk and the guy backs up and keeps going. Kept honking and flashing lights till he stopped. Luckily no damage to the Thar. His front bumper had come loose.

When my son heard about the accident he takes the torch and looks at the bumper and finds a small scratch. He told me later - "I don’t like your vehicle getting damaged. Destroy that car that hit you! Exterminate that car!"

Dec 14th: Near Loyola college get asked by oldish guy on bike as to where the Thar is available and how much it costs.

Dec 15th: Went all the way to Porur to find Mahindra Thar service. They had no parts and didn't do anything. Killed the whole morning with this.

Dec 17th: On way to office am asked by people in a "Spastic Society" Winger about the cost of the Thar near Tidel junction.
Evening on the way home near NIFT an oldish guy in an indigo wants to know if it is a Willys.

Dec 18th: Got the cigarette lighter charger installed.

Dec 21st: Guy on bullet classic 350 wants to know if I restored the Jeep, whether its made in India and the price. He was amazed to know that the new model comes with AC.

Wasted time at HiTech Mahalingapuram trying to get new number plates done. Finally got the new one stuck to front bumper with double sided tape and old one mounted back at the rear.

Got computer speakers in Chérie and been listening to MP3/radio from my phone. Been using iOnRoad app as well.

Dec 24th: 2nd service done at 7937 Km at MPL OMR. Missed the date by a month so forced to do a paid service!
Complaints mentioned:
• Left door latch
• Glove box
• Soft top
• Brake sssk ssk noise
• Rattling
• Bumper tilted
Chap doing inspection had no idea where the tool box is. At the end of the day - only the basic service was done and the brake noise stopped.
Cost: 1480.

While filling diesel opp MPL OMR service center - guy on bike asks about price and mileage etc.

2013:

Jan 7th: Chap leaning on the Thar in the office parking asks a lot of questions.

Jan 8th: Reached 8143 Km today. 5000 Km so far in over 6 months.

Jan 10th: Saw a Rocky Beige near Loyola with middle aged driver talking on the phone. I waved but he didn't see me.

Jan 11th: Silver Thar with AC near SRP turned towards American school

Jan 22nd: Saw a rocky beige Thar with black bull bar on Sardar Patel road in opp direction.

Jan 31st: Saw a red Thar with soft top and alloys driven by a saree clad grey haired woman near Kotturpuram park.

Feb 1st: Started listening to e-books using FB Reader using Text To Speech.

Feb 3rd: Saw a black Thar with alloys near the Just Buy Cycles shop while getting some add ons done to my cycle.

Feb 9th: Son showed me a red Thar flying by our house.

Feb 14th: Working from home - on way back after picking up son from school - he saw a Thar on the opp side of the road.

Feb 15th: Evening on way back saw a red Thar near Madhyakailash.

Feb 21st: Saw black stock Thar near Hotel Sangeetha in Nungambakkam.

Feb 22nd: Morning near AMM School Koturpuram a guy in I10 waves and shows thumbs up sign.

Feb 23rd: Reached 9100 Km on ODO. Got AC installed today. In the evening saw a topless black Thar near 99F gym in Mahalingapuram.

Feb 25th: Saw the same topless black Thar on Tank Bund road. Also saw a silver one with AC near NIFT going in opp direction. Freezing with the AC the way home. Driven over 70 Km with AC in 2 days.

Feb 26th: On way home near NIFT get asked by guys in mini lorry about price, engine cc and AC. Idiot on bike acting smart past Tidel comes and tells me I cut suddenly to the right. Wasted some time "discussing" with the idiot near Madhyakailash. Saw Santosh's Black Thar near Mahalingapuram going the other way.

March 2nd - March 18th: Didn't drive Chérie due to a work trip to the US.

March 18th: Added compass, thermometer and clock pod and the 1:3 DC splitter.

March 23rd: Take son and go to the post office and while waiting see a boy getting his photo taken next to the Thar. Got Nitrogen filled and took it to the AC guy for checkup. All is well.

March 24th: Saw a White CRDE on Poonamallee High road near church. Was driving the swift. Chérie currently at around 9480 Km.

March 25th: Evening on way home see a black Thar near Lifeline hospital.

April 2nd: Phone holder suction cup broken. Lasted 4 months. Still can use without it stuck on windshield.

April 3rd: White Thar with shiny alloys and wide tires near Lifeline hospital doing U turn and going towards SRP. Also saw a camo'd hatchback Near NIFT. (In hindsight may have been the I10 Grand).

April 5th: Evening saw an Amaze one week before launch. Forced my passenger to take pictures & video.

April 6th: Spent one hour plus trying to fix door latch and failed.

April 8th: Saw 2 Ecosports on way to Siruseri. Stopped and took photos of them with the Thar. Sent the photos to IAB and was told later that I had snapped the world first photos of beige interiors. OF course posted to TBHP as well. The Ecosport looks small and cute next to the Thar.

April 9th: Filled Coolant at 9881 Km in the morning. Last fill was during second service in Feb 11. Mahindra didn't charge for the coolant top up or for an extra bottle.

April 14th: At 9900 Km. Drove to Tambaram with wife and son. Lots of looks from people on the way and back. At the restaurant parking saw a waiter take a photo with his cell phone. Waved to a Red Thar on the Kodambakkam bridge - the guy waved back and also saw a black one with alloys just a bit further from the bridge around 2 PM.

April 15th: Saw a red Thar with plate 8422 near Madhyakailash around 12:30 pm.

April 17th: 8:45 AM Crossed 9999 at Madhyakailash and reached 10000 between MK and Tidel. 10001 at Tidel.

April 18th: Chap on open door less older sand colored jeep without doors (CJ ?) smiles and waves near Tidel Junction.

On way home got stuck in the middle of traffic when a biker cut from left to the right and the traffic at little mount started off without waiting for me to pass through.

April 20th: Dropped son to a summer camp and oops - I knocked over a parked Hero Honda while backing up. No damage done to either. Got some compliments about the Thar from people who witnessed the entire incident.

April 23rd: Drove the Getz to office today. While parking on OMR paints saw rocky beige Thar with hardtop drive by.

May 4th: Went to Dakshina Chitra and Crocodile bank with wife and son with a stop on the way to have lunch. On way back on ECR saw a Black Thar and waved. Later saw a rocky beige full of young guys and talked to them at a signal. They had just got the Thar a day prior and were coming back from their first offroad.

May 8th: Bought the insect mesh grille for Rs:1180 from Zulaikha.

May 11th: Filled diesel to 46.969 liters today. Filled coolant from low before the drive.
Offroad session with C.O.R.E done today. Drove a total of 250 Km to Madurantakam and back in a day. 80+ Kmph on the highway without any scary incident with one brief burst to 100. AC on thermostat mode all the while but switched off during off road portion. Mileage shows as 12.1 Kmpl.

Amazing experience of letting a Jeep crawl over rocky obstacles on its own power just guiding the steering.
All sorts of new noise started coming while driving on the highway. Did a small stretch of touching 100 Kmph on the highway but slowed down after that.

June 30th: Completed one year of ownership at 11940 Km.

July 5th: Asked by two guys in Swift about mileage in the evening on Anna Salai.

July 6th: Coolant nearing low, topped up the bottle. Km around 12110. Nitrogen topped up also.

July 28th: Saw a black Thar/540/550 on KNK road while looking for a place to have Sunday lunch.

July 30th: Fun driving by the side of a BMW 530d on OMR early morning.

July 31st: On Chamier/Cenotaph road junction almost run into a female on an Activa who was coming on the wrong side of the road and wanting to go straight when I was turning right.

TNXXXX8642 Black Thar on OMR near HCL behind me, comes to my left waves and passes. Made my day.

Aug 1st: A group of guys near Ascendas signal turn and look open mouthed while I overtook some slower vehicles from the right.
Colleague from office saw me around SRP curve on way to work and messaged that the Thar looks good.

Aug 7th & 8th: President in town so traffic chaos in the evening. Took close to 2 hours to get home.

Aug 15th: Saw a red Thar on Nelson Manickam road.

Aug 18th: Saw black Thar with hard top, snorkel and Mahindra customs tail lights near Nungambakkam.

Aug 20th: On way in to office saw Black Thar turn towards Beach in Mandaveli. Didn’t see the driver.

Sept 1st: Took wife,kid, in laws, SIL, her husband and their kid to the Marina beach(6 adults and 2 kids). Was great fun. On was back saw a red Thar with Snorkel and alloys near Loyola corner church.

Sept 2nd: Coolant almost fully gone. Given for service (@13412 Km) to check following issues:
Sound while moving
Water leak in canopy/left door
Broken Latch
Sound from brakes. Next service at 15000 Km around October.

Fixed:
Door latch fixed. Brakes noise fixed.
Squeaking sound still
Coolant hose to be fixed once its received.
Cost 1165.

Saw a rocky beige near IIT flyover on opposite side .

Met tbhpian misguidedmisile near Tidel in his amaze

Sept 4th: Called by MPL Mahindra that the radiator hose is in stock.

Sept 5th: Given for service again at 13511 for replacing coolant hose. Bumper noise still there. Bull bar tightened again.
Saw Santhosh in his black Thar at Lifeline junction in the morning while getting dropped to office by Mahindra driver.

Thar was ready by around 11 but I didn't go to pick up till 1:15. Had to wait to pay as the cashier was at lunch. Finally get in and the service guy starts begging for an email feedback. I start off and without going 10 feet see the temp gauge at full and the check engine light is on. Go back and ask guys to check. Coolant at half mark and some temperature sensor was not connected properly. That fix done went for one more round at around 90+ and temp gauge was normal.

Sept 8th: Went to church and on way back saw a black Thar with chrome bull bars. Later saw it again stopped near my house.

Sept 10th: Went to Mahindra on way in to office and got coolant topped up from half an inch below full. Level now bit above high mark. Km 13584.

Sept 11th: Rainy day very cloudy and gloomy. Schools were closed so I started by 8. Had to fill diesel and also got to drive down a flooded Bazullah road, road connecting GN Chetty to Mt Road and also a good stretch on OMR. Bad traffic on Kotturpuram for no reason. Amazing drive :-). Had to drive slowly to avoid splashing everyone else. Lady in Skoda Octavia from Kotturpuram onward causing major water splashing.
Km: 13607. Also saw that the last fill had the best mileage so far of 11.7 !!!!!

Sept 20th: Rushing home at 4:20 to get to T.Nagar by 8 and get on bus to Kerala by 9. At GN Chetty signal a bike took too long to start on green and the signal changed to red. I stopped. Policeman however saw the Thar and waved me on as there was no cross traffic.

Sept 24th: On way to MEPZ for customer visit prep meetings. Had nice drive along the Pallikaranai stretch up and down to MEPZ. Saw a red Thar going in opp direction near Chrompet. Almost got hit by a white Audi A6 near MEPZ gate who wasn't looking while turning. Managed to honk and stop - the Audi stopped inches away as well.

In the evening on way back middle aged man in back of Xylo cab gesticulating to a co-passenger about the Thar and looking wide eyed.

Sept 25th: Morning had to leave for a customer visit by 7:30 AM . Kept up with a black A4 on Usman road since the road was bad and he had to slow down!

On way home near Andrew Yule saw a man in a red Bolero point to the Thar and talk to his passenger. Saw a Red Thar parked on road behind Valluvar Kottam.

Sept 27th: Filled diesel and went to office . Left for a team outing to Mahabalipuram at 10:50 and reached by 11:45. Reached back home by 8:30 PM. Enjoyed the drive there and back more than the damn outing. An R8 we saw there was reported as having crashed on on Sunday.

Sept 28th: Coolant still just a bit lower than full. Odo at 14168 Coolant filled at 13511 (so far 660 Km approx).

Sept 29th: Took Church Youth team (4 guys) along with huge stacks of newspapers (for a newspaper collection drive) from our home and one other place to one of the church members house and then dropped it to the collection point. On the way saw a Thar and waved but no response. Kept up with a Mercedes C class from GN Chetty to Mt Road but finally let him go :-).

Oct 2nd: Take wife and son to Vandalur Zoo using the Chennai Bypass. Enjoyed the ride. However my phone conked on us and speakers were not audible at highway speeds. Plan hatched to get a music system

Oct 3rd: On way to office good looking African American woman checks out the Thar with a smile on Cenotaph road. On reaching office the security guard comes up and mentions that lots of people are looking at your vehicle all the time front and back. One security guard now salutes and stands up. Other guards smile as well. They ask me why I didn't bring the Thar on the rare days when I have to take other cars to work.

Oct 5th: Called up Car Audio Zone in Royapettah and fixed up for stereo install for 4:30. Reached there on time but no proper parking and wait for speaker boxes took around 2 hours. Met a guy who was raving about the Thar on and on and who finally he realized I was standing nearby. Finally got stereo and speakers installed by 7:30 PM and started home.

Oct 12th: Filled diesel and saw mileage of 11.24. On way to Navalur a whole mass of guys near Navalur bust stop stand and stare open mouthed at the Thar. Saw many Ecosports on way but no Thars. Drove around 53 Km that day.

Oct 15th: Flooding on OMR at the usual spot beyond tennis court. Drove in the left lane without splashing anyone. Luckily driving slow as brakes were fully gone because of water getting in. Stopped at Lifeline signal saw a red Thar with roll bars driven by a middle aged male foreigner. Also saw a blue and silver mini cooper at the Lifeline side.
Evening on road near Palmgrove Hotel stuck in traffic see a Rocky Beige Thar(alloys type steel wheels and hi lift jack at the back) go by in opposite direction. Driver didn't see but the female passenger (oriental looking) saw and pointed the Thar to the driver.

Oct 16th: Uneventful drive with less traffic due school holidays for Bakrid. Reached office in 30 mins and find a colleague standing at the top of the ramp to the first floor parking. He comes over and sits in the Thar and admires it. Says he saw it days ago and wondered who owns it.

Got annoyed by an Innova with flashing red beacon (only a driver in it) near SRP till Tidel junction cutting people off and trying to overtake in crawling traffic. Managed to squeeze though traffic and sped a bit on way to Madhyakailash. At IIT signal to turn to Kotturpuram saw the middle aged lady with gray hair who previously was seen in a red Thar driving a Black one with similar alloys. She was following for a bit but I squeezed past a company bus on the bridge and didn't see that Thar afterwards. Saw another black Thar on Periyar road parked opp Thulasi park.

Oct 18th: Narendra Modi is in town. Took 1.5 hrs to reach home.

Oct 21st: Rain all through previous night. School holidays. Started by 8:15 and reached by 9. Massive flooding on OMR. Got splashed by a stupid Indigo cabbie on OMR before Tidel totally covering windshield blinding me for a few seconds.

Oct 27th: Checked coolant level (Odo at 14893 Km)and hasn't dropped much in 1382 Km. Hope the issue is fixed.

Oct 28th: Saw TBHPian hillram in his Uno on Anna Salai in the morning.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to 4x4. Thanks for sharing!

[Maverick79]

Ahh!
Finally, the long awaited review is out now.
Congrats once again Cherian.
After seeing your ride in flesh and blood, I finished two more TD's in Zulikha motors and MPL motors.

Just fighting the last stage of 'Mind Vs Heart' war.

Regards,
Maverick79.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear sjcherian - wow, now that's what I call a lovely description of "Cherie". I thoroughly enjoyed your date-by-date log. Although I don't own a Thar (yet!), I always quietly smile when I see one next to me on the roads of Pune or passing the other way! Also, I am very happy (and not at all surprised) to know that you prefer to use your Thar over normal cars. Enjoy, and in case you want any help, please do not hesitate to PM me.

Dear all - desired result achieved - all Thar threads on the forum clearly indicate one successful result - "4*4 LIFESTYLE VEHICLE SEGMENT IS NO LONGER NICHE IN INDIA, IT IS NOW MAINSTREAM".

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[sjcherian]

@Maverick79 - Thanks and get a Thar soon. Do not think so much.

@DHABHAR.BEHRAM - Sir - thanks for your comment and Thanks to you for getting the Thar out into the market.

[vroom666]

Good thread mate. Amazed to see the way you have kept a date-wise log

[samwagon]

Great going Mate. Another delicious Thar thread. The date log reminds me of several similar experiences I have while driving the Thar. The mouse pads on the B-pillar is an excellent idea. Will be follwoing your thread closely.