[jyobeb]

I am in a bit of a dilemna here. I had almost decided to buy a 1998 Carburetted Gypsy king. This is owned by a friend and has done a genuine 66K KMs only. It is absolutely stock.
I have now been offered a 2000 ex-army MM550XDB in good mechanical shape and the body is in excellent shape (The engine has been worked on after running without water). The 550 is pretty much stock too.
This will be my 3rd car, which I plan to use for off-Roading as well as extensively use it for school drops, factory visits too! I will not do more than 600 KM per month.
Keeping in mind that I will want to do mods such as an SPOA on the vehicle I buy + will be fitting larger AT tyres and also will be fitting a winch and air conditioning, which vehicle should I buy?
The 550 will cost me 1.1lakhs and the Gypsy, 1.3 lakhs.
I have to decide between either in another 1 week.
Suggestions please.

[khan_sultan]

You know what. I for sure don't ant to be in your position right now. I can only imagine the confusion that would be going through your head.

Best of luck with which ever one you finally choose to buy.

maybe this could help -- if at all:

Yahoo! Groups

Posting a very nice response from an expert off-roader (Prithviraj):

Reliability:
I rate a gypsy more reliable than any jeep on the whole, there will be better maintained jeeps that are relaible and badly maintained gypies that give reccuring problems.

Talking about off roading
Gypsy and MM550 i'd pick the 550
Gypsy and MM340 hurricane petrol i'd pick the 340
Gypsy King and MM550 i'd pick the King
Gypsy king and MM340 hurricane petrol i'd get confused. the 340 would be better in a rocky terrain because of it SWB, the King will gain points in easy of driving i expect both to perform the same on slush and sand.
If your climbing rocks the jeeps have a good advantage with its higher torque.
If its slush and sand the Gypsy has a good advantage with its lighter weight.

On the whole i'd say both the vehicles are incomplete. The gypsy is cool looking, very easy to drive (engine / gear shift / clutch / breaks) like the cars, very bumpy ride, high on economy (9 pl of petrol).
The Jeep needs a little more muscle to drive them regularly, build quality is a compromise, the ride quality is always better than the gypies and if you got a desiel, the economy is alteast 25% cheaper than the gypies.

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Cheers,

[Blue Thunder]

school drops and factory visits...I would say MM550, since the suspension/ride quality is better than the Gypsy, I think.

[esteem_lover]

The Gypsy is a better bet. Moreover you know the car well too.

[jango]

You just made me thinking !!

[jyobeb]

C'mon guys! I have only a few days to go to decide!

[khan_sultan]

Go for the MM550. If it were the MPFI King, I would have said that go for the Gypsy.

If the MM550 is mechanically/body wise and engine wise good, then go for it.

You have everything going for it.

[Dieselone]

Hey Jyobeb if you go for the Gypsy, leave the 550 for me

[chandan]

I was in a similar situation exactly a year ago.I went for the Gypsy for it's ease of driving & reliability.I did not realize at that point that I'd be doing a cool 1500km in month.I could'nt afford the gas & the ride quality was pathetic.However,it was an excellent offroader.I sold it a couple of weeks ago & bought a MM540,which is under restoration.

[Salikt]

Go for MM 550.

tks/sali

[harjeev]

Originally Posted by chandan

I was in a similar situation exactly a year ago.I went for the Gypsy for it's ease of driving & reliability.I did not realize at that point that I'd be doing a cool 1500km in month.I could'nt afford the gas & the ride quality was pathetic.However,it was an excellent offroader.I sold it a couple of weeks ago & bought a MM540,which is under restoration.

How do you find or compare the capability of the Gypasy to the Mm540 inrespect to easy od owndership, ride quality, off-roading,etc?

I am confused as I am not able to make up my mind as to what to go in for?

[DirtyDan]

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

Go for the MM550. If it were the MPFI King, I would have said that go for the Gypsy.

If the MM550 is mechanically/body wise and engine wise good, then go for it.

You have everything going for it.

I agree with Khan. Also, if you ever want to tour remote places like the Himalayas, you will have to take extra fuel with you because there are few fuel stops. You will be happier taking lots of extra diesel fuel than driving around in a Gypsy with lots of extra petrol on board. You are much safer in a diesel with diesel fuel than in a petrol burner. If you pour some diesel on the ground and throw a match in it, nothing happens, the flame goes out. Do not do this with petrol, it is a good way to lose your eyebrows.

[digitalrider]

Originally Posted by DirtyDan

I agree with Khan. Also, if you ever want to tour remote places like the Himalayas, you will have to take extra fuel with you because there are few fuel stops. You will be happier taking lots of extra diesel fuel than driving around in a Gypsy with lots of extra petrol on board. You are much safer in a diesel with diesel fuel than in a petrol burner. If you pour some diesel on the ground and throw a match in it, nothing happens, the flame goes out. Do not do this with petrol, it is a good way to lose your eyebrows.

wow so you help him decide, by giving him a situation which only a few people ever try!
I would say the gypsy, easier to maintain, any maruti service station would service it. Parts arent too expensive either. You know the car, as E_L said. There are ways to get around the bad suspension ( sand bags, reducing leaves ). The 550 isnt leagues ahead anyway. You will also find it easier to drive and handle on the whole.

[chandan]

If Shahnawaz can recommend the MM550 ,go for it.He has one of the most capable Gypsies in the country, but mind you it's an MPFI.Going by my experience,

Gypsy: + points:great offroader,easy to drive (almost like a car),reliable,refined,easy to maintain.
- points: pathetic ride quality,poor fuel efficiency.
MM540/550: + points: great offroader,good low end torque,much better ride.
- points:hard clutch & steering,not refined,bad build quality.

[DirtyDan]

Originally Posted by digitalrider

wow so you help him decide, by giving him a situation which only a few people ever try!

A large number of Team-BHPers have tried it and will try it as recorded on many, many threads and posts on this site. I have no idea what jyobeb's plans are, where he intends to go. Do you? You only need to regard it as a hypothetical; if you are going places where you will need to carry extra fuel then diesel is safer to carry than petrol, in general.