[Mountain_Deep]

Bhpians, I'm going to tell you an incredible story – the story of how I met my Duster.

I wanted to start this thread long back, just as I got my membership approved but I was never confident whether the report would be long enough to provide the insights that are generally present in ownership threads. The ownership experience has always been dicey where one day I am so frustrated that I want to put an advertisement on Olx and bid adieu and the next day, I am grinning with joy as I hit the highway with the car.


Owning a Duster is comparable to being in a relationship in your early twenties and I am in the right phase to compare both perfectly.
It all starts with dreamy eyes and exchanging glances, the secret crush you stalk, seeing others in such relationships and feeling lonely at times, wanting and hoping that someday you will be mine, and only mine, and we will conquer the world, reach all heights, travel together, spend quality time, be there for each other, make each other happy and most importantly, take the long road together.

Then comes the phase when you end up together, the proposal has been accepted and vows of seeing a future together have been exchanged. You start to enjoy the honeymoon phase where you feel loved, constantly around each other, pampering each other, making time for the late-night drives, and the small runaways making small yet significant memories. When you stop for a tea break on a rainy evening, sipping the hot tea and turning towards your love exchanging glances and you tell yourself how lucky you are.

You spend a couple of months together and your partner now enjoys your company a lot but then she sucks away the peace and the tantrums have started to pour in. Sometimes she will end up fogging the windshield, sometimes it will be an O-Ring leaking. Small issues will start cropping up and then there will be the major tantrums where she will be in such a mood that she will light up my dash like Christmas lights and BOOM, it is the dreaded 'injector'.

This is when you start questioning yourself, have you made the right choice, or did you make a hasty decision. Should you have waited a bit more and taken things slowly? Why hadn't you observed such relationships around, taken the red flags, and steered away from such a relationship? At this point you feel like leaving, calling for a break, and when it just gets too much to handle, maybe leave for good, break-up from this relationship which sucks away the peace and fills up with tantrums, negativity, and toxicity. You start to feel maybe this is where you are supposed to walk away, maybe spend some time alone to find oneself or maybe find someone stable and safe, a relationship which feels at peace even if it lacks the feeling of butterflies in your stomach.

But my dear friends, as I've already told you that the relationship is like that of the early twenties where you are high on idealism and low on realism. Even after everything, you just can't leave her. You can't walk out thinking of the memories and the promises. What if she is the 'One'? What if all it takes is a bit more patience to be happy together for a lifetime and beyond? You try to ignore the issues and look forward to the good times, the times when she makes you smile, makes you grin with joy, makes memories with you, the adrenaline rush she brings in the relationship. And thus, you stick around, like the relationships of your twenties hoping she is the one for you, forever. And before reality kicks in, I would like to be the romantic fool, deeply in love with the Duster, hoping that the tantrums are temporary and a lifetime of happiness is in store for us together.

And that's US, together!




Pic Courtesy : SVK Rider

[Mountain_Deep]

When the stars came Together

The Garage:
We are a 3 car family for a long, and at that point, our garage consisted of a Ford Ecosport Titanium Dragon bought new in 2018, my father’s daily driver, a Hyundai Eon Dlite+, primarily used by my mother, driven by our chauffeur and is the beater car. The third car was Toyota Innova V (2012) bought pre-worshipped in 2016.
The Innova joined our family when my father’s daily usage vehicle was the Renault Pulse, with him wanting a bigger car for the highways and the road trips. When the Ecosport joined our garage, the Innova was left a bit neglected as my father felt much more comfortable driving around in that and wanted to take it for the trips. The Innova was left at home as an extra vehicle used not so frequently providing me a golden chance to drive around with the Innova whenever I wanted to go out. Even though the Innova is a very comfortable vehicle for traveling and driving long distances without any form of fatigue, I somehow always felt like driving a nimble and agile vehicle. The Innova was very comfortable and could munch miles at its own pace and never got us tired, but long holidays come a maximum of twice or thrice a year and we didn’t require 7 seats always. Majority of the time the car was used to ferry one person or a maximum of two. I had already begun pitching some quick and nimble hatchbacks to my Dad, knowing full well that nothing concrete would happen.

How it happened?
On one fine lazy morning, after waking up, I was scrolling through TeamBhp when I came across this thread: 'Pre-worshipped car of the week : Used Renault Duster' (Pre-worshipped car of the week : Used Renault Duster). After going through the posts, I immediately opened Olx and searched for used Dusters. Found 2 AWDs listed there. One was listed by a dealer and was a second owner vehicle and the other one was too good to be true car - 2016 Renault Duster AWD, driven for 20,xxx km, First Owner, and posted by the owner's son. I started interacting with him and in the meantime called up my father to inform him about this car I came across. While I expected him to say, that it is okay and we do not require a new car, he shocked me by saying to look into the car and get the details. I also saw this car listed at Cars24 but with a higher price. Saw their report of the car, but continued communication directly.

These are the first photographs I received from the seller:

In the meantime, I called up Bhpian Samba as he is a Duster AWD owner for his views and tips. He told me to get the car checked from Renault A.S.S. and he would get me connected with the service manager. The owner wasn't too keen on sending the car to the A.S.S. and was asking me to get a mechanic to his place to which I denied and informed him that I would need to walk away if I can't get it checked at Renault. The owner reverted and said he wanted it at the other service center where he got his service done. I informed this progress to Bhpian Samba and he got me connected to Bhpian Delix who got me connected to the service manager of that A.S.S. I booked a checkup at the A.S.S for the following day and reached there on time. They checked the car and showed me the service history. Two injectors were replaced under warranty and the drivetrain was replaced as well. Informed everything to Bhpian Samba and Delix and they gave me a go-ahead saying if it has been replaced and if everything is okay right now, I do not need to worry. Informed everything to my father and showed him the car at his workplace.

That night my father informed me he is okay with going ahead with the purchase but I would have to make sure the Innova is sold and he would not want to be part of the headaches of the selling process and keeping 4 cars was not an option. I agreed to his terms as I was very excited about the Duster. Late that night the negotiations and confirmations were done overcall. Two days later, we were at the previous owner's place finishing the deal and taking delivery.

The first shot after delivery:

The following day there was Duster Owners Meet where I participated with the newly acquired machine.

Duster's first rolling shot on its 2nd day of ownership:

Picture Courtesy - Bhpian Samba

Off-Topic:
The Innova was sold a couple of months down the line at a good price. The new owner was a gentleman and I am sure they are keeping good care of the car. Sharing a couple of pictures of the vehicle as the car never got a chance to have its own thread in Teambhp.

My first visit to a Teambhp Meet as an enthusiast.
Picture Courtesy - Samba

[Mountain_Deep]

The Car:

I will not be going much in detail about the car as the Official Review Thread (Renault Duster AWD : Official Review), the Ownership Thread of Samba (Renault Duster AWD : An owner's point of view) and the Ownership Thread of TGO have covered every little detail there is about the car. They are like the Bible for Duster AWD owners. Instead, I will try to pen down my experiences with the vehicle and how it has faired during the ownership.

Pros:
Duster AWD is a perfect package for an enthusiastic driver. The engine response, steering feel, handling dynamics, and ride quality all complement each other perfectly. The handling may be a personal preference for some, but coming from the Innova, this felt nimble and agile and made me want to sprint ahead munching miles. The car feels composed at triple-digit speeds and can change lanes and maneuver without breaking a sweat. The best thing about the car comes to light while traveling longer distances as I feel the fatigue level has decreased a lot. I have done multiple 500+ km drives in the car and never have I felt tired after the drive. The best thing about this car will have to be its ride quality. The way the car handles rough roads without making a fuss is something to appreciate. I have seen Duster owners complaining that the shockers start leaking around 30-40k km of usage and need replacement. I will be blaming the ride quality for the shorter life and not the shockers. The stretches Duster glides over and makes them feel like small undulations, the same stretches in the Eon or the Ecosport, make me realize how wrong I've been doing it. I have since tried to be as careful as possible but the Duster begs me to go a bit faster.
I won't say it's feature-loaded but has got more than enough useful features to satisfy me. Cruise-control is one such feature that makes long-distance cruising effortless. Initially, I was having problems adjusting to it, and it felt like the car is leaping ahead, but with time, I got the hang of it and I enjoy using it thoroughly. Speed-limiter is also a boon in the city full of speed cams, and I enjoy setting up the limiter and enjoying my drive without worrying about overshooting. You can also disengage it by pressing the accelerator completely to make a quick overtake.
The car's size is perfect for me, as it's not too high giving it a planted feel and making me feel closer to the ground yet having a high ground clearance which takes away the worries of potholes and speed-breakers. The steering feedback is something I like a lot, as it gives me proper feedback and inspires confidence. The windows are large and make the cabin feel roomy and airy.
Coming to the biggest Pro, the AWD. Even though AWD is not needed for the daily drives, it's like insurance I would like to have with me. The car's AWD electronics work well and have come to my rescue a couple of times. Other than that, it's surely fun to take the car for off-roading events where I get to learn and also get to know my car.
The engine is a lot of fun to drive, and there is no turbo lag. I feel the 110 PS K9K is perfect for our roads with enough torque and can be thoroughly enjoyed if driven in the correct gear ratios. If driven properly, it is fuel efficient. Safety features such as ESP, ABS, EBD, Hill hold assist, and dual air bags are a huge help and have saved my life a few times. The car has been ergonomically designed.

Cons:
Coming to the Cons, the list will be large. For starters, the interior of this car feels outdated. It feels like the interiors of a car from two-decade ago and my father compares this with the erstwhile Indigo we had owned. The plastic quality is hard and pretty basic. The positing of the infotainment system is low and the driver needs to look down if something needs to be adjusted. The quality of parts used is also not up to the mark. Every trip, or every couple of months, something will come off or fall, from the screw covers to the loose screws to the claddings near the seats. From the windshield fogging in humid conditions making it impossible to drive, to the air intake pipe coming loose, and the basic rattles and loose screws all around. Quality Control is something that didn't exist for Renault while they manufactured the Duster it seems. The injector issue is rampant and the previous owner had 2 injectors replaced under warranty and 1 injector was replaced under warranty under my ownership. The O-ring leaking is also a recurrent issue and I have had it replaced thrice in the 13 months. The headlights are poor and it takes some time for my father to adjust while driving this car at night coming from his Ecosport. The stock fog lamps are essentially just for show because their throw is ineffective and cannot be seen from the cabin. I had to get out of my car to check whether the bulbs were working or not.
I guess you just need to accept the faults to enjoy the car otherwise you will lose your peace of mind. I will not be recommending this car to anyone who will be using this as his daily drive, requires his car ready 24x7, and does not have the time or patience to deal with the A.S.S. That's the reason my father prefers to drive his Ecosport Petrol over the Duster as his daily drive even though he loves this car's feel and driveability. You need to have patience, time, and energy and you need to spend considerable time with the car.

Sharing a few pictures of the car

[Mountain_Deep]

Ownership Transfer:

The transfer of ownership at Salt Lake RTO, Kolkata is pretty straightforward. Initially, the touts had given quotations ranging from Rs 9000 to Rs 23000. My father decided to leave his workplace in the afternoon one day and drop by at the RTO. The documents were submitted and the fee was paid in less than 30 minutes. The total cost incurred was approximately Rs 1500. The following week, the buyer and the seller had to visit the RTO for signature purposes and the new RC was given to us a month later.

Posing with Glory

The First Dealing with the infamous Renault A.S.S.:

The car had a 2+2 years warranty when I had bought it and during the inspection, I was informed that it's valid till October and I can purchase the extension of 5th year anytime before that. After acquiring the car, in two weeks, I called up the A.S.S where I had gone for inspection for the purchase of the extended warranty for the 5th year. I was given my first shock, and I was informed that there is a clause that the extended warranty had to be bought a fixed number of days before it expired and I had crossed that deadline by 2 days. I contacted the Service Manager but to my unfortunate luck, there was nothing that could be done. I even tried to escalate the issue with Renault directly but they redirected me to the service centre again and nothing came fruitful. The other Duster owners tried to contact some higher-ups for this and the contacts tried to help but unfortunately, nothing could be done. Bhpian Samba got me in contact with Renault BudgeBudge where most of the Dusters in our group gets serviced and the manager told me not to worry and he will help me out with any issue I face and also informed me about the Anytime Warranty that can be purchased after the completion of the present warranty period. This Anytime Warranty covered the major parts (Read: Injectors) but missed out on the smaller parts. This can be bought for a year till the 7th year of the car. This is comparatively costlier but assured peace of mind. I had nothing else to do than to accept it as it was impossible to buy the extended warranty otherwise.

September - October 2020: (21,500-22,000 km)

1st Visit to Service Center: (14/09/2020)

As the warranty was ending, I wanted to get the issue around windshield fogging sorted. I took the car to Renault A.S.S. at BudgeBudge to get the car checked. They asked me to keep the car at their place as there was a huge rush.
They also suggested I get my 4th Year/40,000kms servicing done as it was due in a month. I thought it would be a good idea to get the car some new consumables and have everything checked. I also procured their AMC package for 4 periodic services as I was told that the 4th year service was pretty costly with multiple parts needing replacement. I felt the deal made sense and went ahead with it.
They informed me in the following days that the fogging issue was due to the malfunctioning HVAC Unit and that they would replace it under warranty but due to the unavailability of parts, there will be a slight delay in the delivery of the car. After regular follow-ups and 10 days later, I was given the car back for usage with the servicing done. Replacement of the HVAC unit was pending as the part hadn't arrived yet. They informed me they will drop in a call when the part reaches them.
In the meantime, I had noticed a few cracks on the sidewalls of the stock MRF Wanderer Tyres. So, decided to get a set of 4 new tyres as the car would be doing highway runs mostly even though the old sets had run only 20k kms. I had contacted IndoWheels and was given a quotation of Rs 33,000 for a set of 4 Yokohama Geolander A/T Tyres. Went to their store and got a fresh set of tyres. Checked the manufacturing dates and they were all less than 3 months old. Got the alignment and wheel balancing done as well. The following week, the car was given back to the A.S.S and they took another 6 days to get the HVAC Unit replaced and deliver the car.

My Duster Getting New Shoes


The Old MRF Wanderer Tyres


The New Set of Yokohama Geolander A/T Tyres


The Fogging Issue for which the HVAC Unit was replaced

November 2020:

Trip to Neterhat:(23,230-24,574 km)

This was Duster's first major trip. It covered 1344 km during this trip and returned an average of 15.1 km/l. I realised how effortless it is to drive the Duster on this trip as I covered the distance as a solo driver with minimum fatigue.
The route taken was Kolkata-Kharagpur-Ghatshila-Jamshedpur-Ranchi-Bero-Lohardaga-Ghaghra-Neterhat. Covered a distance of 556 km in a little less than 10 hours with breaks in between. The next day, we went to local tourist attractions such as Neterhat Lake, Koel View Point, Upper Ghaghri Waterfalls, Lower Ghaghri Waterfalls, and then to Lodh Falls, Sugga Falls, and Sunset Point in the evening. We left for home the next day and covered the return journey effortlessly at a similar timing as the onward journey.
The car performed flawlessly and gave me no reason to complain. At high speeds, the car was rock stable. There's nothing else to say about it except that it's very comfortable and fun to drive.

Sharing a few pictures of the trip:

2nd Visit to Service Centre: (24,789km)

Visited the Service Centre to get the Anytime Warranty. This has a validity of 1 year and can be purchased anytime after the completion of the extended warranty and till the car reaches 7 years. A survey was done and I was confirmed in an hour after which I made the payment and left. It was completely hassle free and was a good experience. Damage to pocket was around Rs 16,000.

December 2020:

Trip to Shantiniketan: (25,110-25,470 km)

A small weekend gateway to Shantiniketan. It was a one-night trip, and the Duster felt at ease driving me there with a smile on my face. On this trip, I didn't take many photos.

Trip to Dhenkanal, Odisha: (25,779-26,741 km)

This time we decided to visit Gajlaxmi Palace in the Dhenkanal district of Odisha. It was Duster's second major trip, and it's*first to Odisha. It covered 962 km during this trip and returned an average of 13.6 km/l. The car was packed completely ferrying 5 adults and a boot full of luggage. My father and I drove in turns on this trip. My grandfather was also excited and took charge of the wheels for around 100 km.

My Grandfather behind the wheels of the Duster for the first time:

The route taken was Kolkata-Kharagpur-Balasore-Cuttack-Dhenkanal-Gajlaxmi Palace.

Gajlaxmi Palace is a palace of the royals of Dhenkanal and the royal family still stays there and run this place as a getaway spot. Mostly the tourists that come here are foreigners. The host was very hospitable and we had a very good time there feeling at home. We had a great time with great food, bonfires, and great conversations with the host and his family. This palace is located on a small hillock surrounded by forests all around. We did a bit of offroading in the trails as well as long walks in the woods. There is a lake behind the palace and it is really beautiful. A perfect relaxing trip of 2 nights in Odisha.

Sharing a few pictures of the trip:

[Mountain_Deep]

January 2021:

3rd Visit to Service Centre: (27,925km)

Did a small one night trip to Mandarmani at the beginning of the year but ended up with no pictures of the car. What did happen is I ended up spotting a leaked O-Ring. Also ended up losing the right side ORVM's indicator cover to a biker who hit it in traffic and zoomed past.
Damage to pocket: Rs 508 for the O-Ring and Rs 587 for the indicators.


First OTR:

This was the first OTR for my Duster and honestly, I was impressed by its performance. We went to the OTR after my Duster's first Teambhp Meet. I got to know more about my car and its capabilities. I got a very good idea of the basics of the car and how to handle it in tricky situations. Bhpian Samba's guidance was of immense help.

The Following pictures are taken by Bhpian Samba:

February - March 2021:

Trip to Purulia, WB: (28,971-29,791 km)

This time we decided to visit Purulia. It was an 881 km round trip and this time we had both the Duster and Ecosport for this trip. We had to take both cars because there was another family with us, and I can't tell you how happy my father and I were that we didn't have to share the driver's seat. While my father stuck with his Ecosport for the whole trip, I enjoyed thoroughly with the Duster. We covered the trip with ease and comfort and both of us were grinning always. Purulia is a beautiful destination from Kolkata and this time, we got good weather and see the Palash flowers which made the landscape look very beautiful. While the Ecosport handled the trip flawlessly, the Duster was hampered by a loose handbrake cable that my father noticed while driving behind the Duster. Even though it wasn't causing any problems, I was feeling uneasy, so I decided to go under and fix it back in place. It came loose for the first of several times.

Sharing a few pictures of the trip -
Nearing the Destination, Ayodhya Pahar:

At the Hotel Premises:

Upper Dam & Lower Dam:

My father clicked me while I clicked my Duster:

At Muruguma:

The rest of March was a bit dull for the Duster except for its second OTR. It mostly covered short drives in the city and a couple of highway runs.

A picture from one such Highway Run:

Posing with my uncle's Micra Active in his farmhouse:

Some pictures of the OTR clicked by Bhpian Samba:

[Mountain_Deep]

April 2021:

3rd Visit to Service Centre: (31,486km)

In April, Duster received its 5th Year/50,000km service. The odometer read 31,486 kilometres. The basic periodic maintenance was completed per the Annual Maintenance Contract. In addition, the front brake pads and wiper blades were replaced. The cost to the pocket was approximately Rs 5,500.
This job was carried out well even though there was a staff shortage due to Covid and the car was picked up and dropped off from home. They constantly communicated with me regarding the updates of the car and the progress of repairs. I sanitised the car myself before using it.

May-June 2021:

May and June saw very low running with the second wave at its peak and restrictions in place. It was mostly city runs ferrying my mother to the hospital at night.
In June, the Duster travelled to the Sunderbans with an NGO to ferry relief materials after the 'Yaas' cyclone. During this trip, the car crossed the 33,333 km landmark.

Some pictures from random drives:

At this point, with the onset of the monsoon, the issue of fogging on the windshield reappeared. Initially, I took it as a one-off case, but later it started reappearing more frequently.
This made me realise that the HVAC unit wasn't the problem and this issue wasn't faced all these months as it was the dry season.

July 2021:

Shantiniketan Trip and 4th Visit to Service Centre: (33,xxx-34,439 km)

A weekend trip to Shantiniketan was planned and executed. The car was filled with 5 adults and luggage. While the car performed admirably for the majority of the journey, we encountered rain and a humid atmosphere on the way back. At this point, the car's visibility deteriorated drastically due to the fogging. At one point in slow-moving traffic, I was unable to see the road ahead and the car fell in a pothole, a size of a crater and hit the underbody. Even with a 210mm ground clearance, the underbelly took a hit due to the poor condition. After constantly stopping and cleaning the windshield with the cloth, we could continue the journey till the point the weather became favourable and we could dash back home. Using the wiper in such a situation spread the fogging effect all over the windshield, and even keeping a cloth on the air outlet towards the windshield didn't help.
My father was furious with the car's undrivable condition and I called up the Service Manager the following day giving my father's regards. I sent him the photos and asked him to either rectify the issue or provide me with a statement stating that either the issue is irreparable or they do not have the competency to do so as the car already had a visit in the past and according to them the issue was resolved completely. I was irritated by the recurring problem, which rendered the car not only undrivable but also a hazard on the road. If the problem wasn't resolved right away, I considered selling the car.
This time, they finally resolved the issue and there was an issue with the air vents as they were constantly leaking the wind blow at the windshield. They opened the dashboard and fixed the issue.
I also informed them about the car juddering in first gear in slow-moving traffic after being used for an extended period. They stated that it had been corrected. I am unsure of what they did but the issue has reduced drastically. Total damage to the pocket was Rs 670.

Sharing a few pictures from the trip:

Sharing a few photos of the fogging issue faced during the trip:

[Mountain_Deep]

August 2021:

August started with the TeamBHP monsoon meet, and that weekend is very special to me. Bhpian pu5han was about to leave for Bristol soon for his higher studies and we decided to club the monsoon meet and we will go out and he will be staying at my place that weekend. We met and started towards the highway in our Duster and the Creta and then went on to explore the erstwhile French town of Chandannagar. That Sunday we went on to the TeamBHP meet followed by the Duster's 3rd OTR.

Sharing a few pictures with Bhpian pu5han's Creta:

Battery going Kaput:

I was using the car daily without any issues and then one day I returned home and parked the car, the next day the car is not able to crank and the instrument cluster is lit up after trying to crank. Even though the battery was just 2 years and 1 month old, I could not get a warranty as the previous owner bought the battery from the other Renault A.S.S. and they did not get the battery registered with Exide then. After calling both Exide and Renault and not finding any solution, I got the battery tested by Exide BatMobile who said the cells are damaged and charging the battery won't last long and it's advisable to get the battery replaced. I ordered the replacement battery from BatteryWale and they were quick with their service and sent a technician home with the new battery and they quickly installed it. The car cranked in one go with the new battery. Switched to Amaron time from Exide. The battery rating is 60Ah. Damage to the pocket is Rs 5,650 after the exchange of the old battery.



Satkosia Trip: (35,544-36,874km)

Bhpian Samba and my family were planning a short trip for quite some time and then Satkosia happened. Two Duster AWDs explored Satkosia and Konark. Both the cars performed flawlessly and it felt great seeing the two Dusters munching miles together and exploring the wild. My amazon green returned an economy of 14.3kmpl covering a distance of 1330 km. Bhpian Samba's travelogue (Forests & Beaches of Odisha | Satkosia, Konark & Puri in two Duster AWDs) has covered Satkosia so well that I have nothing else left to say about the trip.

Sharing a few pictures from the trip:

September 2021:

Joypur Forest and 5th Visit to Service Centre: (37,046 - 37,330km)

Planned a day trip to Joypur Forest and have lunch at Banalata Resort at Joypur. If time permitted, we would also visit Gangani - The Grand Canyon of West Bengal. I picked up 2 of my friends and started the journey but just 2 km from the destination, I hear a chime and then it's Christmas lights all over by the instrument cluster. Realised that the injector had given up and slowly reached the destination and halted there. The car was sounding rough like a tractor. Called up Bhpian Samba and he suggested I not to worry and slowly drive back home after lunch. He asked me not to delay as it would get difficult post sundown if further issues crop up. I even called up my Service Advisor and technician at Renault A.S.S and they suggested I keep the speeds at 60 kmph or below and reach home with halts from time to time. We decided not to explore the area any further and instead drove slowly back home. It was a bit difficult as the car felt very underpowered in stop-go traffic and I had to rev to move the car forward. But the car did take us home safely without any further hiccups.

Sharing a few pictures:

The Instrument Cluster all light up:

Renault A.S.S picked up the vehicle from my place and replaced the injector under warranty. It took around 10 days as there was a shortage of parts and unavailability at that time. I had asked them to also replace the battery of the remote, which they did. Total damage to the pocket was Rs 122 but mental damage was a lot.


Puri Trip: (37,472 - 38,527km)

After the injector failure, I was very sceptical about the car's reliability in longer runs and I was a bit apprehensive to take this car out for a long trip. But I had to take my mother and my grandmother to Puri and I had no other option but the Duster at that point. Took the leap of faith and ferried my mother and grandmother to Puri. The car performed flawlessly, and my faith in it was restored, albeit with a tinge of pessimism. I could do the 500 km forward journey with just one break, making me realise how comfortable this car is for the driver on long drives. I even took the opportunity and visited Konark the second evening while my mother and my grandmother went to offer puja at the temple in Puri.
The car did the 1,055km run effortlessly and returned an economy of 14.9 km/l.

Sharing a few pictures from the trip:

[Mountain_Deep]

October 2021:

Sikkim: (38,700-40,178 km)

On Dashami afternoon, just as the Durga Pujas were wrapping up, my father's desire to visit the hills popped up again. The idea was pitched at 2 p.m., and we were on the road by 4:45 p.m. We hit the road with no reservations and no firm plans, knowing only that we wanted to see the Himalayas. We called a few properties on the way and decided to stop in Ravangla, Sikkim, first.

We arrived at the hotel, Hilltop Rabong Resort at 7 a.m. after travelling more than 730 kilometres. We showered, rested, and spent the day simply relaxing. This resort is located a short distance from town, on the Pelling road and there is a 3km broken trail that must be traversed to reach the property.

We went to the new Ralong Monastry and the Buddha Park in the evening. We discovered that Hilltop Rabong Resort did not have any available rooms for the following night, so we began looking for other options. We decided to go to Yangsum and stay at the Heritage Farm based on Bhpian mi2n's recommendation.

Night View from the resort:

The following morning we left for Yangsum and met Bhpian DriveTrain and his family on the way as they were travelling to Gangtok from Pelling.

Bhpian DriveTrain with his wife and daughter along with me and my parents:

We reached Yangsum in a bit more than 2 hours. This is on a lower altitude but the property is really beautiful and the host is very welcoming and warm. We relaxed and spent the time here and were offered mouth-watering food throughout. My parents loved the place and explored the trails in the evening while I stayed back basking in the view and relaxing.

The next day we had to come back to Kolkata. So, we started after breakfast, visited the old Rinchenpong Monastry and after a good drive, we reached home at 2 am.

The car crossed the milestone of 40,000kms on the way back.

We covered 1478 km in this trip and the Duster returned an economy of 14.4 kmpl. This was Duster's first trip to the mountains and specifically the Himalayas and I loved how the car performed in the hills. I had driven the Innova extensively and the Ecosport once, but I fell in love with the way the Duster performed in the hills. It's a joy to drive and has a very sporty personality. The Duster felt at ease and begged me to return to the mountains.

Route to Siliguri taken was Dankuni-Kalna-Nabadwip-Krishnanagar-Berhampur-Malda-Dalkhola-Siliguri. This route was taken during the return journey as well. This was the best condition of the road ever encountered by me.

Duster got all dirty and waiting for a wash after reaching home.

6th Visit to Service Centre: (40,310km)

Duster got its 6th Year/60,000 km servicing done. The mileage on the odometer was 40,310 kilometres. The basic periodic maintenance was completed per the Annual Maintenance Contract. Furthermore, the rear shock absorbers, rear brake shoes, and wheel cylinders were all replaced along with another O-Ring. The cost to the pocket was Rs 29,984, giving a pinch in the pocket.

[Mountain_Deep]

November 2021:

Diwali Trip: (40,554-41,550km)

Just like last Diwali, my cousin and I decided to take advantage of the holiday and go somewhere. This time, we decided on three nights in Jharkhand and West Bengal. We stayed the first night at Asanboni, JH and from there we visited Dalma Hills and Palna Lake. The second day, we checked out, visited Dimna Lake, Burudi Lake and entered Bengal through trails and jungle roads. After Burudi, we got network coverage after nearly 2 hours when we reached the settlements at Knakrajhore. From there we visited Talberiya Dam and continued to Mukutmanipur for the night. We went to see the dam in the evening and watched the sunset. The next morning, we checked out and visited Sutan. From there, we went to Jhargram where we had our bookings. In the evening, we went to see the Chilkigarh Raj Palace and the Kanak Durga Temple. The next morning we checked out and went to Belpahari to visit Ghagra Waterfalls and Khandarani Lake. From there, we started our journey for home and reached Kolkata around evening.

The Duster covered 996 km and returned an economy of 14.8 kmpl without breaking a sweat.


Sharing some pictures from the trip:

At Dalma Hills:

At Palna Dam:

At Dimna Lake:

At Burudi Lake:

Crossing the jungles and entering Bengal:

At Talberiya Dam:

At Mukutmanipur Dam:

At Sutan:

At Chilkigarh Raj Palace:

At Ghagra Falls:

[Mountain_Deep]

December 2021:

Sikkim Trip: (42,661-44,244km)

My offline classes were reopening from January and I would have to travel to Hyderabad. But as classes were remaining for only 3 months, it wasn't a wise decision anymore to take the car and thus the plan was chucked.
So, before leaving, I wanted to visit the mountains one last time. And thus, the plan of Sikkim surfaced once more. My mother could not join due to her professional commitments and so my father, my uncle and I took this opportunity and decided to go to the Himalayas. It was a sudden plan and the journey commenced.
We covered 1,583 km during this trip and the Duster returned an economy of 13.9 kmpl. We started from our home at 7 pm and reached our destination, Rolep the next day at 11 am. Before reaching Rolep, we stopped at Rongli where we submitted our documents to a travel agency that would get our permits for Zuluk.
The next day, we reached Rongli to get our permits and head towards Zuluk. We found snow and were even lucky to witness snowfall. This was my first snow drive but the knowledge gained from OTRs and travelling with Bhpian Samba in April to North Sikkim helped me a lot. The Duster drove on the snow like it was a normal path, whereas the local Innova Crystas and Sumos were struggling and swaying from one side to the other. My father and I were very impressed with the car and we spent quite some time enjoying the snow, ambience and the view.
As the place started getting foggy and with visibility dropping, my father suggested we start our descent. We went back to Rolep in the evening and retired for the night.
The next morning we checked out and started travelling from East Sikkim to West Sikkim. Our destination was Kaluk. We had our booking at Green Hill Resort and we reached there in the evening. We were elated the next morning when we got the chance to wake up and witness sunrise with the rays falling on Mt. Kangchenjunga. It was a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
We checked out after breakfast and drove back to Kolkata from Kaluk.

Sharing a few pictures:

First photo in the hills:

At Rongli Market:

At Zuluk:

The Team:

With the Registered Owner:

With Me:

Returning from Zuluk to Rolep:

At Kaluk:

An Unfortunate Event & 7th Visit to Service Centre & Body Workshop:

We met Bhpian ArindamXeta, Bhpian SouraC and Rana Adhikary during the onward journey and return journey from Kolkata to Siliguri. Bhpian avrendu was there for the onward journey but he returned a day later.
Thus we had four cars on the way back: a Duster, a Swift, an Avventura, and a Hexa.
Around 1 am while nearing Krishnanagar, we had to encounter an unfortunate event. As we were approaching the toll before Krishnanagar, we saw from a distance the green lights and gauged them to take the left lanes. When we entered the left lane, we found a barricade and thus had to change lanes. There were trucks on the right lane with their engines switched off. The Avventura entered the lane and half of my car was already in the lane waiting for the cars in front to move ahead. The Hexa was a little behind, so he took another lane, and the Swift was reversing to get into another lane because the Swift couldn't enter this one.
While I was waiting, suddenly the truck switched on its engine. I started honking to make him notice my presence. The truck started moving forward slowly. I had no exit routes as 3/4th of my car had already entered the lane. I tried to look up and saw the helper looking at my car but not telling the driver to stop. The truck slowly came forward and hit my door and kept on going forward breaking the ORVM and hitting the fender. The truck stopped when my father jumped out of the Duster and ran in front of the truck. What we realised was the helper was driving and the driver was sitting on the left completely drunk. We stopped the truck and waited for the highway police to arrive. They were not very helpful but asked us to go and file a general diary at the nearest police station and they would keep the truck over there. We did but they were initially not helpful at all. They received a call and were deterring us from filing a complaint. We finally filed a complaint and started our return journey. Bhpian Sayata and Bhpian Samba were on call and guiding us as well. They said they will get the insurance sorted and not get in any trouble over there.
We returned home and the next day I dropped the car off at the service centre. Insurance was processed and a new door, fender and mirrors were provided by the insurance provider. The car was repaired and delivered to my father as I was in Hyderabad.

We got to know from two more people who have faced exactly similar accidents at that toll and nothing happens. The trucks that ply over there belong to the stone-chip businesses and they take full control of everything over there. Have to be careful from next time while plying on this route.

[Mountain_Deep]

January-February 2022:

January and February did not see much usage of the Duster. The car was returned from the workshop after 18 days and hasn't seen much use since I've been stationed in Hyderabad. I had to remind my father to use the car at least once in 2 weeks to keep the car running. He prefers his EcoSport any day and is not comfortable changing rides, so he needs to be reminded to give the Ecosport some rest and use the Duster as well.
I returned home for a wedding in the first week of February and drove the Duster a little. This time, the car passed the 44,444 km mark.

I noticed that the door has not been aligned properly and I've informed my service advisor about the same and will be taking the car to the service centre in March when I return to get it sorted.

Sharing some pictures from my February visit:

Statistics and Overview:

I started using the application Drivvo around the end of December after the Dhenkanal Trip. I've been keeping track of my refuellings to keep track of my expenses and get a sense of my driving habits.

Sharing a few statistics:

The Odometer Chart:

Fuel Efficiency Chart:

Fuel Prices Chart:

Fuel Averages:

Distance Covered:

Love and Other Feelings:

While writing this ownership thread, I realised how much I love the Duster and how many memories have we created together. I realised that there have been many good memories and experiences compared to the fear of breakdowns and letting downs. Even though I still feel apprehensive from time to time regarding another injector failing and the sudden expenses to be faced now as the warranty period is over, I can't let go of the fact that this car has been a very good companion to me all throughout. I still feel like letting it go when I start worrying about the expenses and breakdowns that might happen but I also feel that no other car which I will be able to afford can provide me with the way the Duster does. A manual, 4x4 which is comfortable, handles well and is reliable is something which I can't find.
I don't know how many years we will spend together and whether our journey together will be long or short, but I would like to utilise whatever time we get to make as many memories as possible together.

So, Bhpians, this is the incredible story – the story of how I met my Duster.

[Eddy]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing.

What a lovely report!

I don't know how many years we will spend together and whether our journey together will be long or short, but I would like to utilise whatever time we get to make as many memories as possible together.

Congratulations on the car, and wish you many many miles and smiles during your companionship .

[Samba]

This one is among one of the best ownership reviews I have come across! Rated a well deserved 5*.

You may get irritated by the niggling issues, but when it drives well & takes you to the places where the 2wds can't reach, or it takes the bad roads with utmost comfort or when it drives like a fun hatchback on the highways, it's those moments which make us fall in love with this car! Plus this car literally has got no replacement apart from the Compass AWD which now costs a whopping 30L+.
Wish you many more happy miles, and as you are moving to Jaipur in the next couple of months, hope to see some dune bashing pics of your Duster soon!

Keep rising like a star!

[PapaBravo]

Beautifully penned down Dyuti !! One of the best ownership reports I have read. Your attachment to Duster is evident from the trips you have managed to do together in such a short span of time.

But Beware ! This is a very difficult car to part ways with. I have not been able to do so in the last 7 years.

Many Happy miles to you !!


Cheers,
Pawan

[Saint_Kabir]

Wow!!!! What a lovely report, loved it from the bottom of my heart, which is a driver's heart.

I own a Duster AWD and have done 85K and I have more love than hate. Yes, I have had my troubles, but I have done umpteen long drives and I just love the way it handles all roads with aplomb, so the troubles are always in the rear view.

Happy miles to you and keep enjoying the drives.