[bhogalrajnish]

Hi,

I am planning to plunge into the world of 4x4. The primary motive it travel to Himachal(my home state) from Gurgaon and one or two yearly trips to the Himalayas(trans himachal and ladakh with my better half) have been doing so for the last seven years on two wheels. Now after getting all the gyan from the forum I did get to mayapuri looking for a x-army vehicle and found some MM500s starting from 80K and some mpfi Gypsys from 140K to 160K. Looking at my budget the MM550 fits my bill as I will be able to do the complete vehicle for 1.5 L around and for the gypsy I will need to empty my pockets. Have spent all my childhood with MM petrol jeeps as Dad had a couple on his govt job so really love the Jeep. Again the point is reliability and also cost of running may use the vehicle as my daily drive and meet all you jeepers once in a while.

About the Gypsy:
>Reliable
>Have driven gypsys earlier.
>Can be used for rally in the future(not sure if a X-army vehicle will be reliable enough to compete in the Raid-De-Himalaya though I am better off on two wheels.)
>Costly to run/own/refurbish

For the MM550
>Have never owned/driven a disel before. Have no knowledge about disels apart from what I have picked up on the forum.
>Being a rally aspirant I am a rough driver when it comes to the hills, not sure if the MM550 likes that.
>Have always loved the jeep so even if I get a gypsy i would like to own a jeep.


I need to rob a bank-

[sreerajunnithan]

Originally Posted by bhogalrajnish

Hi,

I am planning to plunge into the world of 4x4. The primary motive it travel to Himachal(my home state) from Gurgaon and one or two yearly trips to the Himalayas(trans himachal and ladakh with my better half) have been doing so for the last seven years on two wheels. Now after getting all the gyan from the forum I did get to mayapuri looking for a x-army vehicle and found some MM500s starting from 80K and some mpfi Gypsys from 140K to 160K. Looking at my budget the MM550 fits my bill as I will be able to do the complete vehicle for 1.5 L around and for the gypsy I will need to empty my pockets. Have spent all my childhood with MM petrol jeeps as Dad had a couple on his govt job so really love the Jeep. Again the point is reliability and also cost of running may use the vehicle as my daily drive and meet all you jeepers once in a while.

About the Gypsy:
>Reliable
>Have driven gypsys earlier.
>Can be used for rally in the future(not sure if a X-army vehicle will be reliable enough to compete in the Raid-De-Himalaya though I am better off on two wheels.)
>Costly to run/own/refurbish

For the MM550
>Have never owned/driven a disel before. Have no knowledge about disels apart from what I have picked up on the forum.
>Being a rally aspirant I am a rough driver when it comes to the hills, not sure if the MM550 likes that.
>Have always loved the jeep so even if I get a gypsy i would like to own a jeep.


I need to rob a bank-

lol!!! its evident from your post that you are more inclined towards Jeep. But believe me my friend, if you are planning to have long drives like Himalaya, i will suggest you to go for a Gypsy-This comes from a Hard Core Jeep fan and an Owner. Gypsy is any day more practical than Jeep for such kind of application. Forget about doing a Rally style driving in a Jeep. Now comes the maintanance part. A Gypsy is more cheaper to maintain compared to Jeep. And you dont have to consider fuel price, since you are not planning to do long drives like this once in a Month. 140K for MPFI Gypsy is a good price. And MPFI has more advantage in High Altitudes like easy starting etc..

You dont have to rod a Bank for any of this vehicles.

All the Best

--Sree--

[Ashley Nair]

Go for MM540. A well maintained 540 can take any amount of rough driving . If the maintenance of Jeep is on the higher side, then you are paying much less than a gypsy also! You won't get the 'Jeep feel' on a gypsy either.But rally style driving in a Jeep through Himalayas........afraid you will wake up in happy hunting grounds

[Samurai]

If you want to take it to Himalayas, you better stick with Gypsy. With Jeep, you have to be adept mechanic yourself or drive in a convoy. This is one more Jeep owner speaking.

[ladak.imran]

Hi,
Great to know that you're taking the plunge - I am too!
I'm looking for an MPFi gypsy myself... Are you sure about the price being between 1,40,000 - 1,60,000 ?
In Bombay, i checked out a 2005 MPFi Gypsy in excellent condition, for 3,85,000 !!! I'm confused now!

Can someone be sure that these are MPFi Gypsies for sure, and that the condition isn't too bad, knowing its from Mayapuri ?!

(Good thing I came across your thread!)

[WanderNomad]

Originally Posted by ladak.imran

Hi,
Great to know that you're taking the plunge - I am too!
I'm looking for an MPFi gypsy myself... Are you sure about the price being between 1,40,000 - 1,60,000 ?
In Bombay, i checked out a 2005 MPFi Gypsy in excellent condition, for 3,85,000 !!! I'm confused now!

Can someone be sure that these are MPFi Gypsies for sure, and that the condition isn't too bad, knowing its from Mayapuri ?!

(Good thing I came across your thread!)

3.85L for a 4 year old Gypsy? Thats gross!

[fazalaliadil]

Advantages and disadvantages depend on the kind of applications.

For Himalayan runs a Gypsy outweighs a MM550.
Gypsy is more comfortable when it comes to long drives until you reach the base camp, also its off road prowess is not behind 550, the size is ideal when it comes to off road maneuverability, The initial cost is higher but low on maintainance,
MM550 (XD3P)Diesel, technology is obsolete and sluggish compared to Gypsy (MPFI)Petrol .

The Jeep feel is kind of diluted in a Gypsy

Even though, I personally prefer a 550 to a Gypsy but had I been in your place with specific application in mind like your Himalayan raid...Gypsy would be my first choice.
Regards,

[shankar.balan]

I'd say the Gypsy is certainly the vehicle of choice for HImalayan Raids etc. Its light weight, compact proportions, superb 4WD ability and highly agile nature can literally take you anywhere. Plus in those really cold places its petrol engine will assist you in "cold start" which is typically why the Armed forces generally prefer Petrol driven Jeeps.

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

Advantages and disadvantages depend on the kind of application you are planing.

For Himalayan runs a Gypsy outweighs a 550. Gypsy is more comfortable when it comes to long drives until you reach the base camp, also its off road prowess is not behind 550, the size is ideal when it comes to off road maneuverability, The initial cost is higher but low on maintainance, though the Jeep feel is kind of diluted in a Gypsy.
I personally prefer a 550 to a Gypsy, had I been in your place with specific application in mind like your Himalayan raids...Gypsy would be my first choice.
Regards,

[gypsy1989]

Hi,

Having owned a Gypsy and also having driven a 550,I would prefer a Gypsy if I were to take a long trip like you are doing with also an eye for a rally in the future .Not only is Gypsy easy to drive and comfortable,you also do not miss out much on the 4X4 prowess which any 550 or jeep would possess.I also somehow feel that a gypsy would score on the reliability factor...

[bhogalrajnish]

Thanks for all your advise, I will be going in for the Gypsy.

Imran the Gypsy's at Mayapuri are X-army vehicles and yes they are mpfi I did pop up the bonets and checked.140 to 160 was the price quoted which can be further negociated if you show them the money. It will cost 13K extra for registration (done in Punjab) and then will need a complete re do.

Experts can comment how much will it cost to redo the Gypsy(mechinicals, suspention, paint ets.) . I am sure majority of the parts can be bought again at mayapuri at a good discount.

Currently I am looking for a good workshop to redo the vehicle in Gurgaon, and will only start work once the vehicle is transfered to my name .Not sure how reliable the agents are at mayapuri about registration.

For me I would prefer a half cabin as may put in a AC in the future and it would be lockable. Dont care fore a PS though.

Originally Posted by ladak.imran

Hi,
Great to know that you're taking the plunge - I am too!
I'm looking for an MPFi gypsy myself... Are you sure about the price being between 1,40,000 - 1,60,000 ?
In Bombay, i checked out a 2005 MPFi Gypsy in excellent condition, for 3,85,000 !!! I'm confused now!

Can someone be sure that these are MPFi Gypsies for sure, and that the condition isn't too bad, knowing its from Mayapuri ?!

(Good thing I came across your thread!)

[diesel_maniac]

Hi Rajnish,

Going by the set of requirements that you have enumerated I would highly recommend you to pick up a Gypsy. Whether you go in for a MPFI or a Carb option will further depend upon the budget you have at your disposal.I will not ellaborate on the benefits or disadvantages as fellow Bhpians have already guided you on that part. I may not be great with numbers but the price(budget) that you have mentioned in your post seems to be very tight by any standard both for a Gypsy or a Jeep. A decent 550 or a carb Gypsy from the Mayapuri would cost you anywhere between 90-100k for the vehicle and its registration. If you add in the mechanical repairs, body work and paint job, interior, electricals, tyres etc you are well past 200K. So please be very clear about the quantum of cost involved at the various stages of the rebuild.

So welcome to the world of 4x4s, I wish you all the luck on your quest to find the right vehicle for you. In case you need any assistance or help on the matter I shall be more than happy to help you out.
regards
Jasvinder

[DKG]

Since you specifically mention long distance travel why not a good used Safari 4x4? I think that would be the most comfortable choice, not to mention it will do a decent bit of offroad driving too especially forest trails.

[bhogalrajnish]

Originally Posted by DKG

Since you specifically mention long distance travel why not a good used Safari 4x4? I think that would be the most comfortable choice, not to mention it will do a decent bit of offroad driving too especially forest trails.

I am strictly sticking to a budget of 2L to 2.3L i will never find one in that budget even if I do it will cost me much more to maintain it. safari dosent really match my taste of driving mas well.

[ladak.imran]

I guess budget would be a bit of a constraint..

Originally Posted by DKG

Since you specifically mention long distance travel why not a good used Safari 4x4?

[diesel_maniac]

Originally Posted by bhogalrajnish

I am strictly sticking to a budget of 2L to 2.3L i will never find one in that budget even if I do it will cost me much more to maintain it. safari dosent really match my taste of driving mas well.

I will agree with you Rajnish, Safari will be a real pain, first of all the TCIC powered Safari is a real put off you have to work through the gears all the time, add to that immense body roll on the curvy hill roads take the fun out of the drive. The 3.0 L Dicor motor pack a little punch but the overall cost of routine consumables like fuel filter, suspension and steering components etc is too high (Believe me I have lived with the beast for good 7+ Years). It is prone to silly electrical faults and brake downs. Although the in cabin seating comfort and ride is unmatched but the pain and money involved may not be worth it. Overall finding a 4x4 Safari might be a problem too, since most of them are 2wd version only.