[terra85]

My question is what is stopping Mahindra from equipping the Thar with a factory built hard top. they had been offering it before for the MM540's. Is it that expensive to develop. If they equip the Thar with ABS and Airbags. It could even be an alternative to the current crop of compact SUV's.

[himadrimondal]

Originally Posted by terra85

My question is what is stopping Mahindra from equipping the Thar with a factory built hard top. they had been offering it before for the MM540's. Is it that expensive to develop. If they equip the Thar with ABS and Airbags. It could even be an alternative to the current crop of compact SUV's.

I guess a hard top would loose its appeal. The soft top gives a tremendous visual appeal to the get up of the car. As for equipping Thar with ABS and air bags, wonder what would happen to the sales of the Boleros and Scorpios. The marketing and strategic team considers the entire line-up of cars when a policy or decision is made.

[amolpol]

For all prospective buyers, pls understand that the Thar is no match to an SUV or an alternative to a new breed of compact SUVs. There are elements that can make them seem alike, but it is not so.

ABS is mainly for cornering safely which isn't something you'd want to do in a Thar at high speeds because of the tall design, high GC and suspension geometry etc. Off the road where the jeep belongs, there's no real world use for ABS. All you need in a jeep is brakes, the jeepers wouldn't even dream of abs.

Air bags can be a pain in the rear in off road conditions. Who needs them in a Jeep anyway when most folks drive their jeeps without rollcages. And what about the rear passenger safety? Shouldn't they have some safety standards for all 7 passengers, crumple zones, side impact beams, reinforced body etc?

And what about driving dynamics and comfort, shouldn't that also match the sedans or compact SUV because of the price you pay. This ain't a high speed vehicle and even though a lot of people have pushed it to 140kph speeds, I'm hoping they knew exactly what the risks were and were heavily insured as well. Its a recreational vehicle and can also serve daily needs to a certain extent but its not a do-it-all vehicle.

End of the day you will always feel good when people admire your jeep and all that good stuff, but nobody really knows the hardships you gotta put in to live with it. You have to learn to smile even when you're going through a bone jarring ride through broken roads where an SUV would have taken you without spilling even the coffee. The only real smile comes when you take it off road and you know that the SUVs would have either struggled and/or given because of risk of damage in places where the jeep can get you through easily.

Please be very clear on why you need a Jeep or at least try to be.

- (Girls think) It's macho and cool - true but your girlfriend or wife will consider it as enemy
- Guys in Mercs, Audis and Bimmers turn around once in a while to look at your jeep - remember that they could have bought 10 or more jeeps for the price they paid. They just didn't want their hands dirty!
- Jeeps are conversation starters - absolutely! Most of the talks are about quirks and how to fix those damn things and the number of times you visited the garage.
- Its big so it can double up as a family cruiser - wrong coz very very few will appreciate the bone jarring ride quality and tiredness over longer distances.
- Its cheaper than the small SUVs - this one is deception at its best. In reality, its an endless pit and will cost you more than a full size SUV eventually. Unless of course you choose to keep it stock and use it to buy groceries.
- You lose your weekends and some of your friends move away - this is actually not too bad coz you'll make some new jeep friends at the mechs.

I know it's clichéd, but that's why they say "it's a jeep thing" - not everyone can understand.

I don't want to discourage anyone buying a Thar, its a good jeep and probably the only choice you've got. I've had my share of problems but I still love it as much as I love my bike. But if you were originally looking at an SUV then this shouldn't be on your list. Because, soon it'll be seen in the classifieds!

Happy Sunday.

[terra85]

I know it's not easy to live with, a jeep it has it's impracticalities, but let's look at the american Jeep which is slated to come to India soon. that still manages to be hardcore after offering creature comforts, i know asking for creature comforts is a little too much but a hard top is the bare minimum.

[cpbopanna]

Amol...well said! One cannot capture it better! I can only add that a Jeep is an object that causes a lump in the throat when ever you see one, it's more about emotions than practicality!

[Avigo71]

Originally Posted by amolpol

For all prospective buyers, pls understand that the Thar is no match to an SUV or an alternative to a new breed of compact SUVs. There are elements that can make them seem alike,

Please be very clear on why you need a Jeep or at least try to be.

- (Girls think) It's macho and cool - true but your girlfriend or wife will consider it as enemy
- Guys in Mercs, Audis and Bimmers turn around once in a while to look at your jeep - remember that they could have bought 10 or more jeeps for the price they paid. They just didn't want their hands dirty!
- Jeeps are conversation starters - absolutely! Most of the talks are about quirks and how to fix those damn things and the number of times you visited the garage.
- Its big so it can double up as a family cruiser - wrong coz very very few will appreciate the bone jarring ride quality and tiredness over longer distances.
- Its cheaper than the small SUVs - this one is deception at its best. In reality, its an endless pit and will cost you more than a full size SUV eventually. Unless of course you choose to keep it stock and use it to buy groceries.
- You lose your weekends and some of your friends move away - this is actually not too bad coz you'll make some new jeep friends at the mechs.

I know it's clichéd, but that's why they say "it's a jeep thing" - not everyone can understand.

I don't want to discourage anyone buying a Thar, its a good jeep and probably the only choice you've got. I've had my share of problems but I still love it as much as I love my bike. But if you were originally looking at an SUV then this shouldn't be on your list. Because, soon it'll be seen in the classifieds!

Happy Sunday.

Well said! Your observations were very interesting & witty. I appreciate your post more so because I own a BMW 525d, a Rexton as well as a Thar. At the same time time I feel you have been a little too forgiving, & sometimes a little to harsh to the jeep! Forgiving because you are allowing the manufactures to get away a little to easy on the 'crudeness' they deliver & little harsh because with the right modifications ( a hard top, Carbon leafs & Scorpio seats) it really can be a daily semi comfort vehicle (much more than many small hatchbacks I would say).
And yes, you are right.... It's a "jeep thing"!!

[terra85]

Originally Posted by Avigo71

Well said! Your observations were very interesting & witty. I appreciate your post more so because I own a BMW 525d, a Rexton as well as a Thar. At the same time time I feel you have been a little too forgiving, & sometimes a little to harsh to the jeep! Forgiving because you are allowing the manufactures to get away a little to easy on the 'crudeness' they deliver & little harsh because with the right modifications ( a hard top, Carbon leafs & Scorpio seats) it really can be a daily semi comfort vehicle (much more than many small hatchbacks I would say).
And yes, you are right.... It's a "jeep thing"!!

Ah finally someone got i was trying to say. As a a scorpio owner am perfectly willing to put up with idiosyncrasies, it's just to make it more practical then many people who are at the fringes may jump in. another thing the Thar is essentially aimed at the same kind of person who's looking for a Jeep. a lifestyle vehicle, hence comparison with Bolero and Scorpio as competition may not hold water.

By the way how do you manage if you take an off roader on gravel equipped with ABS and try to stop. some top end cars do have a feature to turn it off but should'nt it come standard for all 4Wd? Anyone

[audioholic]

Could someone tell me if the Thar DI is available in BS4 variant? My neighbour got a Thar DI registered recently in KA 04 RTO which is supposed to register only BS4 variants since its inside the city. Is this even possible?

[sjcherian]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Could someone tell me if the Thar DI is available in BS4 variant? My neighbour got a Thar DI registered recently in KA 04 RTO which is supposed to register only BS4 variants since its inside the city. Is this even possible?

DI is not BS4. Only option to check is if it is a transfer and re-registration from another state - which also is a bit pointless. Most probably cash has changed hands for the registration to happen.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by sjcherian

DI is not BS4. Only option to check is if it is a transfer and re-registration from another state - which also is a bit pointless. Most probably cash has changed hands for the registration to happen.

The jeep is brand new with just a few km done. Also the owner is not at all someone who will try to bend the rules out slip under it. That's what surprised me. Since he is not a socialising person I haven't and won't be able to ask him about this.

[TuxDiesel]

Now, I found a new issue with the jeep. Whenever I go over a small puddle, the jeep looses control for a moment. The steering wobbles a bit. I just did a wheel alignment two weeks back. Any idea of what might be wrong? Or is this how every Thar behaves?

[vipinmishra]

Hi.
I needed advise on replacing the standard 235/70R16 Tyres that come factory fitted on a Thar CRdi.
Would the 265/70R16 Yokohoma Geolander AT sit on the 6.5J/16" Factory Rim?
I've been told that the Maxxis Bighorn 762 MT, would be a direct fit but has anyone used them as yet and any suggestions or advise on the same?
These are the two options that I'm looking at as of now, any suggestions on another tyre that I might have overlooked?
Thanks in advance for any help on this issue, and sorry if someone has already answered these questions, but simply re quoting those answers would be great.
Cheers.

[4x4addict]

@vipin: Unless you are going to go off-road regularly, do not put Bighorn or any MT Tyre. They are noise, hard & unsafe on roads. Keep a set only for off-road use.

265 is too big and will stress the already weak front axle/steering components. Your best bet is to go for stock size or if you want bigger go for 245/70/16 (Ford Endeavour Size) or 245/75/16 (JK Elanzo). Beyond this is too big for your original rims.

[obaidhakim]

@vipin: I was in the exact same position about a year back as you are today. Coincidently I was considering the exact same tyres that you are considering and chose to go for the maxxis bighorn. And man am I glad!

The bighorns are really good tyres, fairly good performance on road and fantastic off-road performance. In fact I was quite pleasantly surprised how well they performed on road, even in the monsoon. Yes they are a bit noisy than what you would prefer, they are also a little stiff as compared to the stock tyres adding to the already harsh ride, but then jeeps were never supposed to be practical.
But let me tell you they will never let you down ever. They are a dream off-road, self cleaning and excellent sidewall protection. Even on the road they they manage to get everyone's attention in a jiffy. Hugely complement the look of the Jeep.

What's more they fit right on to the stock wheels, thereby saving the moolah to be spent somewhere else on the Jeep.
I have done about 14K kms on these tyres by now, 80% road had only one puncture and a fantastic drive everyday.
One of the best investments that I have done on my Jeep.

[Avigo71]

Originally Posted by vipinmishra

Hi.

I needed advise on replacing the standard 235/70R16 Tyres that come factory fitted on a Thar CRdi.

Would the 265/70R16 Yokohoma Geolander AT sit on the 6.5J/16" Factory Rim?

I've been told that the Maxxis Bighorn 762 MT, would be a direct fit but has anyone used them as yet and any suggestions or advise on the same?

These are the two options that I'm looking at as of now, any suggestions on another tyre that I might have overlooked?

Thanks in advance for any help on this issue, and sorry if someone has already answered these questions, but simply re quoting those answers would be great.

Cheers.

Factory fitted Bridgestone are good enough for daily use & basic off roading. If you want A/T tires then go for the Geolander ATs in the same size as stock. If you fit a broader tyre than 235, then make sure it's not 70 R16. It should be less than 70 otherwise the clearance of the 'wheel arch' reduces and the tyre hits the wheel arch when the car goes in a dip or a speed breaker at a moderately high speed. I think 255/65/R16 is good.
The Bighorns are very good but you should put them only if you are 60-70% on off road terrain. Else you should put them if looks matter more to you than highway performance or money! Because they are a bit noisy, they give a bit lesser performance on highways in terms of grip & braking & also they wear out real fast on normal tar roads.

PS: I am no expert but have done a bit of research on this issue, and this is the feedback I received from experts & a few test drives I did with different tyres before settling on the 235/70R16 Yokohama Geolander AT s