[rockyb]

Guess time to file a long term ownership report of Whitefeather.

Completed over a year. 12,000 km odd in odo, Honeymoon period over with M&M - 3rd free service.

Overall I am but here are some .

1. M&M Authorised service - why can't they improve? I don't want to type down the ASC name or a long list but am unhappy with them because they never seem to complete my list of items. To top that they spoil a few things after service. To name a few - they sprayed water inside my horn during 2nd service during "free washing". They spilled acid all over my engine bay and some engine parts during 3rd service. Why? Why? Can't they be little bit more careful?

2. Quality of Body - specifically doors and few nooks & corners. They are already rusting. I feel the body quality of my older Bolero (GLX) was much better. The new one seems to be thinner. The rubber beadings in the windows are not fixed end to end so the corners(gaps) have starred rusting. All this on a almost Rs.8,00,000 car on road (in Blr).

3. Locking Brake: They tend to lock at low speed specially when you press the clutch and vehicle is on neutral. They claim the brakes are boosted for higher speeds but I think the device used is crude and they forgot about low speeds. I have personally adjusted the spring length and it seems to be behaving better of late. I think other Storm owners has reported the same problem

OK - here are the good things.

1. Cruising speed - It has incresed compared to my older GLX. Earlier the sweet spot was at 90kmph. Now its 115kmph @ 2500rpm 5th gear. Makes lotsa diference if I have to cover distance. Also the top speed has increased. Have pushed it to 145kmph though I personally feel safer at 110 / 120 range since Bolero is not built for speed. But no body rolling even at high speed highway turns.

2. Overtaking capability - This has definetly improved. Earlier I had lot of difficulty on highways since I like to play it safe. I use to get stuck behind trucks for a long time. Now I was overtake them safely & comfortably

3. Torque - On paper its more than older GLX. But till 2nd service it seem to be missing. In fact I faced trouble climbing the famous 36 hair pin bends to Ooty in 1st gear whic I used to comfortably do in 3rd gear in my GLX. I had to push the throttle and if I overdo it the wheels started spinning. Mebbe it was not tuned till then. Now I easily climb slopes in 1st, 2nd & reverse gear without my feet on the throttle.

Some facts

FE - returned 10.8 kmpl during recent trip to Masinagudi. 90% highway / 10% country roads and hill climbing. Traffic, animals, dumb ppl running across highway & speedbreakers permitting I kept the speed above 100kmph all the time. Minus speedbreakers and steady 90kmph I guess I shld get a few more kms

Will keep updating this thread.

[Ashley Nair]

One brutally direct question; Which one do you feel to be better overall( I am speaking of the engine department alone)? The GLX or VLX? Which one feel more JEEP like?

[MudMover]

Nice short review Rocky! Good to hear from the pioneer of 'Storm' on Tbhp. I'm slowly seeing more VLXes nowadays, my favourite of which is a brown (coffee) coloured VLX which I've seen plying on the Blore-Mysore road on the weekends. Once I also saw a White VLX in Mysore with alloy wheels and really envied the bugger! Do let me know if you know any of those folks. It would be nice to meet up and share experiences.

[rockyb]

answered b4. answering it again - brutally honestly - GLX is more Jeep like. But saying that must admit VLX has not lost all the traits.

Originally Posted by Ashley Nair

One brutally direct question; Which one do you feel to be better overall( I am speaking of the engine department alone)? The GLX or VLX? Which one feel more JEEP like?

[MileCruncher]

Hey Rocky, thats a short and sweet report on your Storm. Few things like the brakes are an universal problem with all the VLX's.

Oh on a slightly different note, I think you are not using your Storm properly. Only 12k Kms in 1 year. Please go out and explore more to truely join the "High Mileage Diesel Owners"

@Mudmover: There is something called the "Bangalore Bolero Club" as well. You may want to search them on Facebook/Orkut.

[rockyb]

Photo of Whitefeather from my last trip

[4x4addict]

Frankly folks, as a personal use vehicle, I think it's time to move on from Bolero to other choices in the market. It was definitely a capable and VFM vehicle but with the choices currently available, i think you can get a much better and more refined vehicle from Mahindra/Tata for a similar price range.

@rockyb & other Bolero owners, I don't mean to put down your choices and end of they day you have to buy what meets your needs but I somehow feel that the Xylo with ABS and the same engine makes for a far more practical vehicle than Bolero unless you need the 4WD version.

[rockyb]

Dear 4x4

Maybe you are right but don't most of us buy a car from our heart and not from our mind. I would have bought a Xylo (in fact it was launched the same time when I booked my 2nd Bolero) if it didn't look like a ... umm Potato / Innova / people carrier/ "taxi". No offense to anyone - Peace!

And for pratical purpose I would buy a Maruti 800 - the most practical vehicle in India according to me. Alas! its no more

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

@rockyb & other Bolero owners, I don't mean to put down your choices and end of they day you have to buy what meets your needs but I somehow feel that the Xylo with ABS and the same engine makes for a far more practical vehicle than Bolero unless you need the 4WD version.

[rockyb]

Thank you MileCruncher

12k Kms / year is less but of late there are some other priorities in life and I also use my Royal Enfield Thunderbird for travel

"High Mileage Diesel Owners" sounds nice

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Hey Rocky, thats a short and sweet report on your Storm. Few things like the brakes are an universal problem with all the VLX's.

Oh on a slightly different note, I think you are not using your Storm properly. Only 12k Kms in 1 year. Please go out and explore more to truely join the "High Mileage Diesel Owners"

@Mudmover: There is something called the "Bangalore Bolero Club" as well. You may want to search them on Facebook/Orkut.

[blackhawk100]

Hi Rocky,

I am in to enquire about the Idle RPM during the initial run-in period for VLX CRDe, please could you detail?

Thanks.

[rockyb]

There is no prescribed RPM during run-in period. I didn't cross 80kmph on 5th gearr so kept the rpm between 1800 to 2000 during that period on all gears

Hope that helps

And I hope you meant ideal and not idle.

Originally Posted by blackhawk100

Hi Rocky,

I am in to enquire about the Idle RPM during the initial run-in period for VLX CRDe, please could you detail?

Thanks.

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by rockyb

I have personally adjusted the spring length and it seems to be behaving better of late. I think other Storm owners has reported the same problem

You have personally adjusted the LSPV. Do you know what value it must be set at?

Spike

[rockyb]

Hi Spike

I have not used any value. I have just pulled the spring a little longer by using the logic that it will increase the distance between the body and the axle - thus makin is less powerful. Its no rocket science. I own a Mahindra and Royal Enfield. So I get my hands dirty.

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR

You have personally adjusted the LSPV. Do you know what value it must be set at?

Spike

[rockyb]

Just returned from a 1200km road trip. Combination of National Highways, State highways, country roads & no roads.

My woes with puncture continues funnily all within city limits. Started the journey with a puncture. A long welding rod. I suspect somewhere near "Namma Metro - work in progress". Drove for quite a few km. Tube required replacement. This is my 5th or 6th puncture due to foreign object. I wonder its sheer bad luck or my OEM Apollo Amazer tubetype tyres. If so gotta to change them. Mebbe will try tubless. Is it a good idea with steel rims because I don't like alloys

Brakes still lock early in the morning and behaves itself after driving for 5 / 10 km. But locks in slippery surfaces. So have to be careful in the rains.

While returning from the road trip somewhere half way the front left wheel started making screeching noise as if metal touching metal. Stopped - removed the wheel - let it cool down a bit. On inspection found that the thin plate like guard behind the hub is touching the hub. I loosened the camber adjustent bolt by 1 turn and the hub was free / noiseless again. Came back the went to wheel alignment and adjusted it properly

I wonder why / how it happened? 2 weeks before the journey I did wheel aligmment, rotation & balancing. Is that the reason? Or is it another sign of Mahindra quality going down day by day?

FE returned is approx 11.2kmpl with AC on all the time and cruising at 110kmph and occasional 130kmph on onward journey and 70 - 80kmph (due to road condition) on return journey.

Overall am quite happy Storming. Finally planning to put sun film because on road trips in straight boring highways - sun rays can be very hot even with the AC working efficiently. Arms & legs tend to burn

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by rockyb

Hi Spike

I have not used any value. I have just pulled the spring a little longer by using the logic that it will increase the distance between the body and the axle - thus makin is less powerful. Its no rocket science. I own a Mahindra and Royal Enfield. So I get my hands dirty.

Hi Rocky,

Good to see you are enjoying your STORM.

I agree it is not rocket science adjusting the LSPV, but the correct value is obtained after lots of tests/trials. It is best you do not deviate from this. Anything +- can result in aggressive/poor braking characteristics. It is preferred to keep it within specification limits. For Bolero, this value happens to be 92.5 mm

Spike