[blackwasp]

The '20 Thar has reignited interest in the 4x4 / lifestyle vehicles category and there are many buyers who started with the Thar, but are now considering the V-Cross too. Trojan's awesome Gurkha review is sure to set some phones ringing at Force showrooms.

Question is, can you daily-drive one? Anyone can keep a Thar as the 2nd or 3rd car of the house, but using it daily? That entails compromises. No matter which offroader you pick, you'll have to contend with some or most of the following = 2 doors, sad rear seats, bumpy ride quality, poor high speed manners, basic / inexistent feature lists, heavy steerings, questionable safety and more. These cars are NOT as easy to live with as your usual Honda City or Hyundai Creta.


There might not be many pickups on sale in India, yet there are some enthusiasts who daily drive the Isuzu V-Cross. The truck is MASSIVE in size, which gives it incredible street presence. The size could also make it cumbersome to drive & park. One must remember that carrying luggage in this truck is a problem as it has an open loading bay and not a boot. Do invest in a lockable lid for the loading bay. And you'll have to contend with neighbours thinking you've entered the construction / delivery business:


But then, some cars are a matter of heart-over-head. GTO daily-drove his Classic 4x4 for many years. And there are some who also daily drive their vintage cars! You will easily spot a couple of classics driven by their owners in South Bombay on weekdays.

Here is a pic of Bulldogji's beautiful Mercedes-Benz 190 SL:


There are a few determined owners who use their supercars as daily drivers too. Here's a 2005 Porsche 911 Cabriolet that crossed the 100,000 km mark back in 2018 itself. A very respectable 8,000 km / year! In the video, the 911's owner even mentions doing 2,000 km in some months:

Source

[GTO]

Voted for YES! I have daily-driven my Classic 4x4 from 1997 - 2001, and then from 2004 - 2010 (alternate days on a 28 km daily commute). I love cars with character and care more about how a car makes me feel, than how fast it'll do 0 - 100.

Modern offroaders like the Thar are making it easier with their creature comforts. It even has Apple CarPlay! But I'll be the first to say it's not for everyone. There are indeed many compromises to be made.

If you ask me, these bad boy 4x4s are easier than a sedan / crossover in the city. Reason = everyone makes way for you, no one cuts you, you have a high seating position + a good view of the road ahead and bad roads will never bother you. Nicks & dents? You'll scoff at them.

[discoverwild]

Drove the Gypsy King from 1997-2006 as a regular drive, the latter years with wife and toddler in tow. No AC, no power steering. Drove around 3 states of KA, TN and KL.

Finally, gave it to a friend who was desperately searching for one to continue his field work. Had done about 97000 kms on it.

[Abhi5868]

Voted YES!!

Simply because I've personally seen a cousin drive the V-Cross for a year now, each and every day. And he says that the looks he gets around the traffic junctions are like cherry on top.

Till a few years ago, Mahindra Classic used to be the go-to vehicle for government tehsildars and some other rural development officers.

[2000rpm]

Originally Posted by GTO

I love cars with character and care more about how a car makes me feel, than how fast it'll do 0 - 100.

Very well said. My choice of cars (the ones I have retained and ones I have sold) have been basis this, though I never articulated it that way.

I know people who have had 80's Bullets with kickstart as daily ride bikes! I can very easily live with the new Mahindra, but that cant be my primary car (because of the seating)

[turbo]

Voted yes.

I have no issues with driving anything, be it a lowered Polo in red, or a lifted Isuzu V-cross.

If there's one thing I would like to avoid, though, is supercars, not because I'm afraid to scratch them (every car gets scratches, that's a part of life), but because I'm afraid a moron will come and forget that he's on a public road, and start taking pics, and, inadvertently run into the person in front of him.

[The Rationalist]

Why not! Call it middle age crisis or what, but nothing entices like the new Thar. Will definitely be in the list of my next purchase as my daily driver! Have to buy a safe car for family first before getting into such plans though. Thinking of getting a used Jetta and new Thar when I go ahead.

[justwheels]

Voted YES!

And why not, these are cars with character and not just point A to B means. A car for me is a connection, it's about how it makes me feel. I can live with quirks and lesser creature comforts but not with a car which doesn't connect.

Also, these cars have a presence that stands out from the crowd. They are not known for their gadgetry comfort but for qualities they stand for.

[jkrishnakj]

Voted Yes ! and why not from me too ?

It ain't too bad. I so wish I had a soft top convertible Thar, but the safety is what drives me to look for a hard top. I have a colleague who has a dressed up VCross that he uses as a daily drive.

[KarthikK]

Thar owner here (as a third car in the garage)
Voted for No.

While the new Thar offers a few more car-like comforts and practical features which take it closer to being usable as a daily driver, it is still mostly a 2 seater and not necessarily car-like in many aspects. While all of my observations are with regard to the 2018 outgoing Thar, most may still apply to the new one:

- Bone jarring ride quality for city roads, although ground clearance and water wading abilities are a boon.
- Low FE compared to a city hatchback which can do the commuting job at lesser fuel expenses.
- Overkill for intended purpose - why use a 4x4 with a 2.5L (or equivalent) engine in city on tar roads when a Swift diesel for eg. can be more fun on tarmac at half the price?
- Intrusion of outside noise into the cabin or soft top fluttering will soon become annoying (applicable to soft top variants now)
- Lack of security due to unsecured rear compartment mean you cannot leave the car unattended in less familiar places for fear of theft of valuables / ICE inside (applicable to soft top)
- Lack of some basic creature comforts such as central locking, power windows, etc (applicable to old Thar)
- Height with snorkel sometimes causes issues with height barriers (meant for luggage vehicles) and basement parking lots with low ceilings (have faced this in a few hotels)
- Attracts too much attention on the roads, which can get a bit tiring after the initial few days of enjoying it. The hooligan / bully image may not be a great thing to have on a daily basis all the time. Other motorists stay away from the sharp and crude metal bits though (for their own safety), which can be a good thing in some ways No one will mess with you on the road.
- Inability to ferry more than 1 person apart from driver means it can only be suited for a single driver or a couple (new version fixes this to some extent with forward facing seats but ingress / egress will still remain an issue)
- Parking issues due to size (for cars such as the vcross)

In our case, my better half loved it and was the driving factor for the purchase and subsequent use for occasional off-roading and travelling to remote places without worrying about the roads. We love the flexibility it has brought in to travel and exploring off-roading in general, but urban commutes aren't part of its strengths and on those days that either of us commutes within the city, the Brio trumps the Thar for city use in our garage.

I'd recommend it as a single car option only for folks (singles or couples) who are willing to compromise on many things that a conventional 5 door car might offer.

[asit.kulkarni93]

Voted Yes!

My office commute is 70% highway and 30% city roads although I have to travel a lot apart from the office commute, I wouldn’t mind driving a thar or vcross to office. I love these vehicles which connect with me and not my phone.

[ashis89]

As a second vehicle, Yes! And I will drive it daily too.

As the only primary vehicle, No. Unless I can afford to sleep in the car daily.

I borrow my friend's Thar as and when possible and have driven it for 2-3 days at a stretch. And I loved the experience and the stares which people give. I have driven my wife and mother in the Thar, on two separate occasions. While they were overwhelmed with the experience but they sure didn't like it.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Voted yes

I came very close to buying the new Thar for daily use. My wife and my dad were more than on board. Didn’t bite the bullet because of long waiting periods and the fact that basics like rear wash and wipe, armrests and reversing camera were missing. I’ll be more than willing to get it after two years, by when all niggles will be sorted out and I guess these missing bits will also be added.

[DicKy]

Use it as daily?
Ofcourse YES.

As long as it transports and has a metal roof over the head.

Problems arise when the user isn't a bachelor and it is a single car household.
Even a small family can adjust. But adding child safety and factoring in elderly in the household, then less practical.

With passion, I don't think any vehicle on sale now, is difficult to daily drive.

Daily driving classics and sportscars in India?
Now that needs huge pockets and a multi-car garage plus passion.

Daily driving an unconventional car?
Ofcourse Yes,

Unconventional vehicle as the single car in the household?
Erm...Unless am a bachelor and living in a different city..No

[heydj]

If ride quality is on par with hatchback/sedan then Yes open to it as can't have a back ache while commuting from office. That is the only important criteria for me, rest all like turning radius, AC cooling, 2 seater only etc. are something I can compromise with. One of the reasons to compromise is because in return I am getting to use something unique.