[ashis89]

Mileage Run

Coyote has been averaging 15.95 kmpl over the last 80k kms. I have wondered at times how easy it would be to clock 20+ kmpl but could come close only a handful of times. Until now.

Apart from two airport runs over the last weekend, I also did an unplanned visit to Kurnool to catch up with with a friend. I ended up starting earlier than expected(had crossed Devanahalli by 8AM) and hence, decided to go slow until Kurnool. Since I was going slow, I decided to drive conservatively and see what kind of mileage I can achieve on a pure highway stretch. I had read that Shell has reduced its prices so I tanked up (auto-cut) at Shell Devanahalli before my miserly run.

Maintained speeds of 70-80 kmph mostly throughout the next 320 odd kms. Despite that, I wasn't driving the slowest car on the road and must have overtaken a bunch who were lot a more patient than me. Anticipated the tolls, speedbreakers, slow moving trucks and I slowed down in advance and accelerated gently while moving away. No compromise on comfort, AC was on full time as temperature outside was hovering around 32-33.

Despite all this miserly behavior, the average speed was 65 kmph when I reached Kurnool. That's the beauty of the Hyderabad highway if one is lucky to get an early start. The MID indicated a 24.6kmpl for the boring drive.


For the return leg, I was torn between letting go of the boring drive and remaining true to the miserly goal. So I took the middle path, mostly sticking to 80-90 kmph and being liberal with the acceleration at times. Reached Shell Devanahalli (the new one on this side of the road) and tanked up again.

Distance: 655 kms
Fuel: 29.2 litres
FE: 22.44 kmpl


Pros:
+ Good fuel efficiency (less wear and tear?)
+ Less engine and wind noise
+ More reaction time
+ Able to locate unmarked speedbreakers, obstructions, etc.
+ Lesser chances of getting an speeding ticket!

Cons:
- Boring drive. Can test your patience if the traffic density is high
- Increased travel time; can make a significant difference on long trips
- All other noise like road/tyre/AC blower noise are more evident
- Risk from other faster moving vehicles who were impatient to overtake me

It also shows how non-linear the fuel gauge and DTE meters are on my car. When I went in to refuel after the return leg, the gauge was showing little more than half tank fuel still left. Yet the 50L tank took in 29 litres of fuel, until autocut. Either the autocut doesn't stop at 50L mark or the needle was actually less than half or the dispenser is faulty or all the above.

A couple of kms before refueling


After covering 655 kms on the previous tankful, the DTE range was showing 473 kms. After refuel, it jumped to 998 kms(only).


Later in the night, when I went to the airport again, I noticed the trip FE on the MID was higher than I usually see on airport runs under similar conditions. Not sure if this miserly run had made the car to rethink its drinking habits.



Don't have many trip photos as I barely stopped anywhere on either of the legs of the trips

Originally Posted by srvm

Ashis, quoting your old post.
Finally, I took my Zest to Ozone Car Spa for the first time on Saturday (9th Nov 2024).

I was visiting the area recently and saw that they have expanded their setup, having more space now to clean multiple cars in one go (first they could 1 at a time and then 2 and then 4). I would like to use their services more often but it is 4-5 kms from my place and waiting time has been 1-2 hours on occasions. To save some me time and being lazy, I am preferring one of car wash which is at a walking distance from my place.

Ashis - since you are regular on the Bangalore-Hyderabad route, I need your inputs/feedback on my first experience on this route which I posted here. Would be happy to hear your suggestions.

On my drive to Kurnool (and back), I remembered your queries and looked out for the speed breakers. There is a warning board in most of the places, informing of speed breakers 200 mts ahead. Most of the speedbreakers were marked earlier but have lost their markings now, making it difficult to spot at night.

Two spots I find to be tricky, one near Peapully junction while going towards Hyderabad and one (probably) before Bagepalli on the return leg, where the speedbreakers are after a curve on the road. One gets very little time to slow down after going around the curve and finding the breaker. No wonder you can spot several tyre skid marks around those two spots.

Regarding speeds, I was doing 70-80 on the onward journey and yet, I noticed I was overtaking cars which were going slower. I guess 80-90kmph is not slow enough for that highway.

[ViRaSh]

Hello Ashish,

My 2021 HTX diesel also used to return 23-24 average on its daily 50 kms drive. My observation, the best efficiency on the highway is received when driving constantly between 80-100 without any quick bursts of acceleration. Raise the speeds to 100-120 and I observed it to drop to 18-19.

Once my parents at taken the car to Indore and during the return leg my father saw the FE on the MID to be 26.4.

The best FE I ever saw on this car was 29.2 during a midnight drive when I was returning from the night shift. The roads were completely deserted. Just cruising the city roads at 60 Kmph with soothing music in the background. This figure was the best finish to a very good day.

This proved FE was the main reason we choose Seltos again instead of XUV700 which is great car otherwise.

The 2024 HTX is currently averaging 19-20 on it's daily duties. I expect the figures to increase once 10K kms are crossed as this was the case with the older Seltos.

[gopa99]

On such long and sedate highway drives I am wondering if you ever got a DPF regen warning?

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by gopa99

On such long and sedate highway drives I am wondering if you ever got a DPF regen warning?

Touchwood, I am yet to see one although the thought did cross my mind once or twice.

[ashis89]

Short errands, month long cold storage, a couple of airport runs, a joy ride to a nearby dam and a cracked tail light - that's the summary of last 3 months

It took me 84 days to use a tankful of diesel. Still returned 16 kmpl over the 775kms covered



Had gone to a family event near HSR. As I was reversing out of the parking, I hear a thud. I couldn't understand - I had my eyes on the ONE-way road via the reverse camera and either of the ORVMs as I was reversing back onto the road, a couple of inches at a time. What I didn't see is an all too eager man on an Activa zooming from the wrong side almost next to the footpath and banged into my car. Only damage was the tail light cracked after contact with his brake lever. His scooter had a big dent (on the metal engine cover) but I can't find anything on my car. He knew his mistake and he went away quietly. Getting a new light goes onto my to do list



After a couple of failed plans and wasted bookings due to a long bout of viral fever, we finally decided to step out with a baby step. On a late Saturday afternoon, took the STRR and then joined the Hyderabad highway. After that deliberated between Sabanahalli Lake and Dandiganahalli dam, with the later winning eventually.

Mayura bakery and its egg puffs have always been a weakness for both of us. When I saw a new bakery just after leaving the highway, we had to stop. Cuppa chai and with a parcel of puffs and some cake, we proceeded to the dam.

It had been more than 4 years since my last visit to the dam and the roads are mostly good throughout. The dam has been surrounded by a metal fence which does spoil some of the experience but one can still go near the water. A couple of families with a bunch of kids were wrapping up their lunch picnic. Another group arrived prepared to camp for the night near the water. Another was already in the water. And some just spent time near the water. We enjoyed a nice sunset, shared our puff and cake with a 4 legged friend before driving back.














A family had got a set of foldable table and chairs to settle near the water. I have been thinking of getting a set myself


Meanwhile we were comfortable in the boot watching the water


Seriously lacking care since last few months. Last water wash was probably 4-5 months ago. Josapu has been saving the day since then





After a dinner halt at Nahusa, took the STRR again (road towards KIA was still crowded) and reached home by 10.

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Only damage was the tail light cracked after contact with his brake lever. His scooter had a big dent (on the metal engine cover) but I can't find anything on my car. He knew his mistake and he went away quietly. Getting a new light goes onto my to do list

Very unfortunate. Till you get the new lights, cover that portion with a tape. Modern cars are safe, but you never know what might happen if there's water inside.

[ashis89]

There were frequent reports of sightings at Bandipur so decided to try our luck as well. Booked two back to back bus safari for yesterday.

Started around 8:30AM. Family demanded a thatte idli treat so we entered Bidadi for it. Traffic was less than normal so we reached Bandipur by 1PM. After a quick lunch at Khan resort nearby.

We didn’t spot any cats in either of the safari. But the blooming Flame of the Forest against the dry backdrop made up for it. Spotted a herd of elephants, a few painted storks, woodpeckers, bee eaters and sambar deers. One lone elephant(not a full grown adult) had been loitering near the highway. While we were returning from our second safari, this elephant was throwing tantrums and stopping cars for food. It was 6:30 already and some vehicles managed to pass through, some turned back. Our bus shielded the elephant while few vehicles managed to pass through. Looking back after we had crossed the spot, saw the elephant literally chasing vehicles as they scurried around.







































.


Dinner break at Pujari Fish Land and I was home by 12AM after dropping my brother and family.
Overall the traffic was less than all my recent experiences. Since I had enough buffer time I went easy with the pedal almost throughout.

Only one click of the car


Crossed 89k






Returned home and wife asks only 1 question- how do you feel today after driving so many (~500) kms? I smiled and so did she.

[ashis89]

Two trips to Hyderabad, back to back and on different rides.

Last week, my buddy asked me to accompany him as he drove back from Bhubaneswar to Hyderabad. He drives a Thar D MT. So we started on a Saturday early afternoon, drove through the night to reach Hyderabad early on Sunday morning. Then I took a flight back to Bangalore in the evening.



Thar is super fun to drive. Once one is used to the slightly higher body roll, one can settle comfortably into those high sofa like seats, enjoy the commanding view of the road, the smooth powerful diesel engine with a not so heavy clutch. We stuck to 80-110 through the trip and got some good FE too.



Everyone gives way to a Thar on the road without having to honk or flash like a maniac


I don't need to climb on the wheel/footboard of my car to look ahead for the reason of a jam. I can see that from the driver seat itself. That bugger ahead had a roller loaded on the back of the flat bed and driven under the railway overbridge without thinking out the height of the machinery behind. Now the roller had a broken roof, a bent exhaust pipe. All that had created a long pileup near the Vijayawada city bus stand at 2AM in the night. Luckily the trailer could realign to one side of the road and I drive out from there after 20 mins



This Saturday I got some work in Hyderabad and return date was not final. So I drove down alone. Starting at 7AM from Bellandur and reaching Tellapur by 3:40PM, I took just one break - Kritunga @Kurnool at 12PM for some yummy biryani. Also spotted this Bull (Supercars & Imports : Bangalore) while refueling.



I never expected this in early March but my hands and cheek were baked by the direct sunlight coming into the cabin for a better part of the drive. So when I had some free time in Hyderabad, I got Coyote washed and also got sunfilms (Front windscreen sunfilm?) installed on it.









Got to see some beautiful sunsets from my balcony


The sunfilm installer had asked me to bake the car for 6-8 hrs in the sun and I did whenever I got a chance. The soap water marks were gone in half a day and the rest of bubbles were gone by the next day. All thanks to the film, the return drive was much cooler.

The place I was staying had a lot of shade. So I had to search for places where I could park the car in the sun


Drove back yesterday, starting around 8AM and reached home by 5:30PM. Took me an extra hour on the return leg all thanks to evening traffic in Bangalore.

Crossed 90k on the way back. Refueled at the BP COCO bunk near Kurnool


And that was the end of the 1300 km round trip

[ashis89]

A dinner at Moorthy Cafe

After returning from Hyderabad on Wednesday, I did a quick 800 km weekend trip to Pondicherry-Chidambaram and back.

My co-brother has spent a lot of his childhood in Chidambaram. The foodies that we family are, he has always told us stories about Moorthy Cafe, a small restaurant in the town which is a heaven for the taste buds. So much so that when me and my wife had been to Tranquebar in 2023, we took a detour to Chidambaram to have lunch there. Alas, the place was closed on the day we went and we were left disappointed. Then brother had suggested that we go over a weekend to check out Moorthy Cafe. That plan had been brewing over months and regularly stirred up by him. It was brought up again last week and we all took the plunge. Booked a night's stay in Pondy (family wanted a visit to the French town as well) on Friday and we were set to start on Saturday.

Picked up my brother and family by 7AM and we left. Per Google suggestion, we took the Sarjapur-Attibelle road and then Krisnagiri-Tiruvannamalai-Gingee-Tindivanam-Pondicherry. One breakfast break at Murugan Idli and then we reached White Town by 1PM. After a rather heavy breakfast, we chose to skip lunch and retired for a quick afternoon nap.

Street parking in White Town. Feels good to be able to see your car from your room


The hotel was setup at an old French building and had some interesting furniture








Most buildings around have similar minimalistic and yet beautiful look


Then started again at 4:30PM for Chidambaram. We took the new road which bypasses Cuddalore and it was a smooth drive. First we went to the Thillai Nataraja temple. We were right on time and got to witness the evening arati. Then we spent some more time there before stepping out.







Then at 7:30PM we went to Moorthy Cafe. The place is near the West gate of the temple and a 5 minute drive. Having arrived early, I was expecting it to be empty but boy was I wrong! Most of the tables were occupied and by 8PM, the place was packed.

Finally!


The local boy placed all the orders and the rest of us just waited in anticipation. Kadhai Chicken, full fried chicken pakoda, Fish 65, parotta and some brownie later, we are converts now. That driving down for meal at Moorthy Cafe is one of the best ways to spend the weekend!

The Kadhai chicken and the parotta combo were too good!






Just too full, drove back to Pondy and reached by 10:20PM. While everyone crawled into the beds, I walked over to the beached nearby and spent half an hour strolling along it.

End of day 1




Street smart!


Next morning, woke up leisurely and got ready. After checking out and loading our bags in the car, we walked down to the Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar temple. After returning, we had some of the famous hibiscus tea, the lemon paneer soda and then drove away.







For lunch, we couldn't figure out a good option on the way and ended up entering into Tiruvannamalai to dine at Darling Namma Veedu restaurant. It was late, my nephew was hungry and impatient. And yet when we reached the place, there was a huge queue of people waiting for table. 20 mins later, we got a table, 35 mins later we got our meals, biryani, sodas and ice cream. An hour and half later, we were back on the road. Rear passengers were busy sleeping, brother was tracking Ind-NZ match which I punched through the busy highway.

Last break was near Hosur, for some karupatti coffee, gulkand butter bun and rose milk. Retraced the Attibele-Sarjapur road again and reached home by 7PM after dropping my brother's family.

One tankful of diesel had lasted from Shadnagar to Bangalore to Pondicherry, returning 18.32 kmpl over 835 kms. Next one is half used up after to&fro to Chidambaram and returning to Bangalore.


Sun was shining bright almost through the trip. Yet everyone sat and slept peacefully without any discomfort. Even walking into the car when it was parked under the sun for long, my wife could feel Coyote wasn't as hot/warm as she had expected. The verdict was unanimous, the film was an expensive investment but was doing an impressive job. I realized I could drive on a bright afternoon without desperately looking for my sunglasses. But I also felt my headlight to be weaker than earlier and a slight glare from oncoming traffic on single undivided roads. I am hoping to get used to it.

[ashis89]

Flexed some, sprained some, finally got to see a different view



It had been more than a year since I had cleaned and waxed my Coyote. Had been cutting corners while cleaning the car - wiping with microfiber or dusting with the old Jopasu or simply driving under all the dust. A very very occasional Proklear waterless wash fell into the mix. The interiors remain as the windows are closed and AC is on at all times. Hence it didn't bother me too much.

The other day, I spotted my collection of Turtle bottles lying undisturbed. Also found a couple of brand new microfibers which I had bought 4 yrs ago but yet to find a use for it. So this weekend was going to be a little TLC session for Coyote. The plan was to apply a fresh coat of wax on the car and smarten up Mrs. A's matt black scooter.



Got one bucket of water and did a quick wash with Turtle shampoo, both the car and the scooter. After wiping it dry, I applied a coat of Turtle hard shell liquid wax and hand-buffed it. Last was a coat of Turtle hybrid ceramic spray all over the metal body and glass areas before buffing it again. Two hours later, I was satisfied (and Mrs. A was angry as it was late for lunch).


















After all these years, the car can still be buffed to a near mirror shine. Probably because I have never employed any cleaner for this car - either I find time to clean it or I get it washed outside once every 3-5 months.

The car went undercover as I don't see a likely use for the next 2 weeks.


I also took this chance to clean all the logos from the sunfilm using some petrol from the scooter.

Black is tough to maintain (although matt black is still masks dust better due to lack of shine). I hope Mrs. A notices all my efforts. The Avenis has been like a forgotten child for us - fill it shut it forget it for 40-50 days. It has done just 33xx kms in over 2 yrs.



Not wanting to leave this behind, I also cleaned and buffed my 10 yr old refrigerator

[ashis89]

Birthdays are meant to be special, as per Mrs.A. I (have to) agree. So we made some plans and went up to the hills in the south as usual. This time it was Thekkady and Kodaikanal(again!), a 1400 km trip. Idea was to spend some quality time on the road, see some new places, enjoy the food and relax for the rest of the time. And to beat the long weekend traffic and for a peaceful drive, we started on a Sunday and returned the following Saturday.

So on Sunday, we hit the road by 6AM, taking the Sarjapur - Attibele bypass road. By 8:30AM we were at our usual breakfast spot - A2B Thoppur. From then on, it was a non-stop drive to Elephant Court, Thekkady which we reached before 2PM.

Roads till Dindigul are fine as always and one can maintain good speeds throughout. The truck and regular traffic thin out after crossing Salem. Dindigul - Thekkady stretch is smooth but busy. One has to be careful while overtaking, careful on the straightline because some of the oncoming traffic trying an aggressive overtake might push you off the road, careful about the barricades along junctions and careful about bollards fitted along turns.





It was 37 degrees on the plains but we were insulated


Spotted a few Racket tailed Drongos and Malabar Whistling Thrush during our stay at the resort. For Day 2, the plan was to go Idukki dam to see the arch dam structure, spend some time and come back. The dam is ~45 kms/1.5 hrs from Thekkady. For the next day, we were to visit Vagamon, a small hill station about 50 kms from Thekkady(but in a different direction than the dam). And one of the days, we return and go for boating in the Periyar Lake which was nearby.





Per plan, we started after breakfast and reached Idukki dam where we had pre-booked a buggy tour of the dam. Now the Google Map takes us to one of the power control rooms. One can see the arch from a distance but the actual spot of tour is 10 kms away. Several other cars also had made the same mistake. The govt. offers a tour of the dam in electric golf carts. One can also book to go for boating in the dam. One is not allowed to carry any camera or phone on this tour and so there are no pictures of this hour long tour.

We were done by 12:30PM and could have returned our hotel in an hour. Or we could drive on to Vagamon today itself, which was 65 kms away from the dam. We chose this and off we went. With this impromptu change in plan, we had lunch at a small hotel on the way - some butter chicken and kerala parottas!

Vagamon, like Meghamalai, is a small hill station with tea plantations around and some view points of the valley. Looked up two such view points on the map and reached the spots. One of them was a 'jeep' route which I realized later after I covered 10-15% of the off-road to reach the view point. By 3:45PM, we had covered the spots and drove back to Thekkady which was another 55 kms away. By the end of the day, I had driven ~180 kms in 5.5 hrs, all of it in the hills and winding roads. A little tired but both of us had a happy day. Spent some time in the pool to relax my arms and legs from all that drive.













Next day was blank except for boating and so we went for it. The starting point for the boating was half a km from our resort and Mrs.A had already enquired about the timings of boating. But no one told her the full story - we can buy tickets for the bus from the starting point. Buses go every 15-20 kms to drop us within the Periyar National Park and it was 15 min drive. Once at the boating point, I would have to wait in queue to buy tickets for the next boat which would after 1-2 hours at least. Anyhow, we went through the drill and finally got on the boat. But was all that wait worth it?

Yes it was. In an hour long ride, we got to see 2 herds of wild elephants grazing and 1 bathing in the lake, a few herds of sambar deers, 2 herds of bisons and lots of birds. We were fortunate to get side seats on the boat and the view was great. Since our Dandeli trip a year ago, I managed to spot and click the River Terns this time. Photos here are from the phone since I haven't transferred the pics from my mirrorless.





To top it off, the security guard at our resort was very considerate to wash my car to a nice shining state. Mrs.A said this was probably a better birthday gift!



Checked out leisurely the next day and by 11:30AM, we were on our way to Kodaikanal. Took me 4 hours for the 150 kms, including a couple of very small breaks.

This was our third trip to Kodaikanal and the idea was to try something different this time. A different place of stay, different places to visit and different kind of vacation. BUT it turned out to be more than different than what we had even anticipated. Our stay was further north of Kodai, about 150 mts above the Kodai lake level. The road was a narrow and almost 2.5 kms of super steep climb. Then our homestay (The Xanadu) was further atop a steep hill with a tight approach road which required 3 point turns. During my 3-day stay, I got to refresh my hill driving skills. And on top of it, it rained copiously on two of the days.

It was a steep climb up to our stay and some of it can be seen here




Mrs.A had a set agenda for the two days - one day each for Mannavanur lake and Berijam lake. We started with Mannavanur on the first day. After a 50 km drive, we arrived at the lake and were informed it was closed for maintenance. Talk about luck! There was a goat and rabbit farm nearby and after all this drive, we thought might as well see that instead. Once in, we realized this farm overlooked the lake and had an excellent view. Almost every visitor had come to view the lake. But after spending some time there enjoying the view, it started raining cats and dogs. Again luck! On the way back, I saw the detour for Kookal waterfall so took that one. After driving for 20 kms, we arrived at the spot. There was hardly any water in the fall but got an excellent view of the terrace farming done in the area. Drove through some jungle just for the sake of it, spotted some Wagtails, Shrikes, Eagle and then turned back. There were intermittent spells of light rain and fog throughout this day.



















Next day was dark, gloomy and wet. So we dropped the Berijam plan, looked for birds around us, Netflixed and went for a lunch date(which proved costly). By early evening, both of us had some symptoms of food poisoning after lunch at Tamara. Mrs.A was a little worse off than me but I caught up by night with some fever. Took medicines and went off to bed late that night. Next morning, we started off by 11AM. Me with fever and her feeling weak and uneasy. Unlike the onward trip, I went a little easy on with the A pedal on the return leg.

Silver Cascade waterfall was a trickle on the day we climbed to Kodaikanal. 3 days later when we returned, the flow had increased considerably all thanks to the rain


FE had reached 35 kmpl at one point when we were descending the hills


I had had a lot of hope to enjoy biryani at The Residency, Karur. But that was not to be. Given our current health, we could afford to share a single plate of curd rice between us both. But I couldn't miss my falooda under any circumstance. After a hearty meal of curd rice, caramel custard, falooda and a parcel of biryanis(for my brother). We resumed our journey. Another coffee break at A2B Thoppur and finally we reached home by 7PM.



A stop at A2B is given when we are on this route


Two tankfuls of diesel consumed for the 1400 km trip.

[ashis89]

Need to hunt for a new set of tyres. The current set has run for 53k kms and while it has a lot of thread left, I feel the ABS kicking in very frequently. I am confused between the current profile 215/65 R16 (better ride, better ground clearance but higher body roll) and 215/60 R16 (better handling). I have 2-3 months before I change the set.

For now, the shortlisted options are: Continental UC6, Continental AX6, Bridgestone Turanza and Yokohama AE51





Got Coyote washed and put it under cover today. It might not see the road for the next 3-4 weeks.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Need to hunt for a new set of tyres....
Yokohama AE51

AE51s are not available and are soft tires that wear quickly. My set has 40K on them and have worn out quiet quickly.
You can consider the Yoko Earth1 max if needed but your best bet might be the UC6. Just pray that you get a good set that doesn't have micro leakage issue or prone to punctures

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by procrj

AE51s are not available and are soft tires that wear quickly. My set has 40K on them and have worn out quiet quickly.
You can consider the Yoko Earth1 max if needed but your best bet might be the UC6. Just pray that you get a good set that doesn't have micro leakage issue or prone to punctures

Prone to punctures?! That's a major deal breaker!The current set of CC LX2 didn't suffer a single leak/puncture in all of 53k kms.

How's Yoko BlueEarth RV02? I used a set of Earth 1s on my ex-WagonR and they were loud after 25k kms and consistently gave a stiff ride. Maybe a balance between a soft ride and puncture resistance is not to be found.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Prone to punctures?! That's a major deal breaker!The current set of CC LX2 didn't suffer a single leak/puncture in all of 53k kms.

How's Yoko BlueEarth RV02? I used a set of Earth 1s on my ex-WagonR and they were loud after 25k kms and consistently gave a stiff ride. Maybe a balance between a soft ride and puncture resistance is not to be found.

Not really, I know many in my circles who have UC6 in their cars more than 40k kms each and all of them just have good things to say about the tyre and few punctures.

My experience with UC6 is very good. But having used them for just 10k, cannot give a long-term view. One observation is that these are sensitive to tyre pressure. A couple of PSI's more than the car manufacturer recommended, and the ride becomes harsh.