[shreyashuilgol]

Hi BHPians,

I am a 24 year old who has started his career just about two years ago.
Luckily, I do not have many responsibilities at home and am planning to buy a 2nd hand car. This will be my first big buy, so all the inputs from your experience and knowledge are highly appreciated.

I have driven a sedan (Hyundai Accent 1.5) and a hatchback (Maruti Suzuki Zen) for the past 6 years. So, I am planning to go for an SUV now. I am looking for a car that can take a beating. It should preferably have 4x4. The budget is around 5-8 lakhs.

I have come across some Thars around 8 lakhs which have done about 45-55000 kms and registered around 5 years ago (around 2017-2018) on OLX.
I have also come across a dealer in Hyderabad who deals in ex-military vehicles. He is offering a gypsy with validity until 2037. The vehicle has done 70000kms and the engine is completely refurbished (no re bore done). The cost of the gypsy with a bigger radiator, power steering, steel rims, AC and a hard top is 6 lakhs.

Although I am actively wanting to get into exploring some tougher to reach locations, my usage is more on the highway. So, I am leaning towards the Thars.

The car will be used by me and my friends mainly. We are not looking for a fast car right now (Maybe a 1.8 TSI or 2.0 TDI later). Cabin sound and vibrations are not an issue for us. We want a car that can be repaired and maintained easily and can take a beating.

Please let me know your advice. Other than Thar and Gypsy if you have any other recommendation, please let me know those as well. Open to all suggestions.
Thank you for your response in advance.

Regards,
Shreyas

[GTO]

Good choice in your young days, I must say . I was also driving a Jeep in my early twenties and it became a drug for life.

First off, read this thread (Unreasonable dilemma! Thar Vs Gypsy! Mostly resolved Page 9.) entirely.

Between the two, go for the used Thar. Reasons: It's easier to live with, has better ride quality (Gypsy is too bumpy), has a bigger cabin, diesel FE, factory-fitted AC and is more adept at highway cruising. Not that the 1st-gen Thar excels in any of these areas, but it is superior to the Gypsy. The Gypsy is a 40-year old model that is too basic to live with. Don't be lured by old 4x4s with rebuilt engines and aftermarket power steering / AC. They require way too much time & money to run.

The best 2 days of ownership with such old rebuilt 4x4s = the day you buy it, and the day you sell it.

[condor]

Either way, these are best for 2 people. In the Thar if you put in two more front facing seats at the back, then absolutely no space at the rear for bags.

Gypsy is a bit better in this way. Why I say this is: the length in the Gyspy behind the front seats upto the rear door is better than the Thar.

These are some small reasons, but like GTO said, the Thar will be better in terms of ride and being a newer vehicle. Gypsy has it's uses, though.

Another option for you can be a Scorpio 4x4 which will be much bigger and good enough for 4-5 people plus space for you bags when you travel.

[Samba]

Go for a 2015 onward manufactured BS4 Thar.

Reasons-

The CRDe is a gem of an engine and it's much more modern compared to the old 1.3L MPFI in the Gypsy.

From 2015 Thar came with MLD, Gypsy won't have a MLD or differential locks. MLD can be pretty useful in tricky situations.

Getting spares for a Thar will be easier. Plus Mahindra service centers are pretty well versed on servicing a Thar than what Maruti is on servicing a Gypsy. You will get the spares more easily for a Thar. For the Gypsy, you have to be more dependent on a good FNG who can source original MGP parts for your car.

On the highways you can maintain a much better cruising speed on a Thar than a Gypsy.

The ride quality of the Thar is less bumpy, compared to the Gypsy.

On the reliability part, both are reliable.

On the off-roading part both has it's own pros and cons. The Thar being a more powerful diesel, you can crawl better than a Gypsy on steep rocky inclines, while the Gypsy being light, can tackle some terrains better than the Thar. In sub zero temperatures, Gypsy being a petrol will be much easier to live with, than a diesel Thar. But on driving on deep snow Thar will have an advantage due to it's weight.
This will be a long comparison. In nutshell both are excellent off-road vehicles.

Thar comes with a factory fitted AC and power steering, while the Gypsy doesn't. There will be a difference in reliability when an aftermarket fitment will be compared to factory fitment.

As this will be your first 4x4 and you are going to gain experience with this car, the Thar will be more suitable for you. It will be more easier to live with.
For an experienced person who knows both the vehicles like the palm of their hands, can pick anyone.

My above mentioned points are after driving both the vehicles on & off the road and by taking inputs from their respective owners & by keeping an eye on both these cars for a long time! Hope this helps!

Now keep drooling till you bring any of these beauties home!

[shresan23]

Originally Posted by shreyashuilgol

I have come across some Thars around 8 lakhs which have done about 45-55000 kms and registered around 5 years ago (around 2017-2018) on OLX.
I have also come across a dealer in Hyderabad who deals in ex-military vehicles. He is offering a gypsy with validity until 2037. The vehicle has done 70000kms and the engine is completely refurbished (no re bore done). The cost of the gypsy with a bigger radiator, power steering, steel rims, AC and a hard top is 6 lakhs.

Not that this bears any importance to the matter at hand. I am Shreyas too!

Personally, i would look for cars from more reliable sources like Spinny or so. I am of the general opinion that OLX sellers are often frauds. Wouldnt want you to spend a lumpsum on a shady car. I have heard cases where people just clean abandoned vehicles and sell them for a hefty sum, making sweet profit out of nothing.

As far as the "jeep" is concerned, the Thar is a better option. Availability of spare parts will be a huge boon. I know a friend who owns a very old thar and sources his spare parts from a contact in Mahindra itself!

Of course, Gypsy has its benefits but Thar seems like a more viable option

[raj4466]

Originally Posted by shreyashuilgol

Hi BHPians,

I have also come across a dealer in Hyderabad who deals in ex-military vehicles. He is offering a gypsy with validity until 2037. The vehicle has done 70000kms and the engine is completely refurbished (no re bore done). The cost of the gypsy with a bigger radiator, power steering, steel rims, AC and a hard top is 6 lakhs.

Although I am actively wanting to get into exploring some tougher to reach locations, my usage is more on the highway.

Do not buy a refurbished Gypsy now. There is an air of uncertainty regarding the validity of the registrations of army auctioned vehicles. So better stay away.
And since you have mentioned your primary use will be highway, Thar will make more sense and will be more comfortable for you(better AC) & your rear passengers(ride comfort) as well.

But if the Gypsy has a special place in your heart, nothing can replace it.

From,
A proud owner of the last batch 2019 Gypsy.

[Kosfactor]

A young chap arriving in a well dressed Thar CRDe - imagine that.

Apart from the usual things that Jeeps do, Thar CRDe can easily handle city traffic and expressway speeds, it will stay ahead of most things too because there is an amazing engine underneath that long hood.

[shankar.balan]

As the owner of my 5th Gypsy in 26 years, I will not agree that the Gypsy is bumpy. It is like any other normal Jeepy thing. No more and no less.
My stock Gypsy on its OEM Nylon tyres, with the correct Air pressure, is surprisingly comfortable over all sorts of surfaces.
I mostly drive it alone and I do drive it all over the place and very regularly too.
I ensure that the rear bay is loaded with my luggage bags as well as a bag full of spares and tools and tyre tubes etc, all of which I deem to be essential.

To me, there is nothing quite like a Gypsy.

When it comes to your question, considering also your location, it would be better for you to go and get a late model Thar probably of 2018 or later vintage. Maybe a Thar 700 limited edition. But these are increasingly rare these days.

[Voodooblaster]

To muddy the waters further , consider a 4WD Bolero

Read the following ownership review (BlackPearl goes white - Bolero LX 4x4)

And this Travelogue (Offroad Drive to the Land of Eternal Winds | Balpakram National Park, Meghalaya)

Difficulty is that owners will be loath to part with it. You can try to get government discarded vehicles through auctions, but those specimens are normally abused to hell and back


You can also stretch your budget or try an older Safari 4WD or the Scorpio 4WD

However good specimens of the above mentioned vehicles will be hard to come by.

Then again the thrill is in the chase

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by shreyashuilgol

.
Although I am actively wanting to get into exploring some tougher to reach locations, my usage is more on the highway. So, I am leaning towards the Thars.

This part of your post alone tilt the scales in favour of Thar. I too own Gypsies and a new Thar. While Gypsy is abuse friendly and has it's many advantages, as listed beautifully by Samba in his post, it lets you down if you need to take it to farther places for off road events or recreational off roading. You'll need more time, effort and fuel to reach your destination at half the comfort of Thar CRDe. And this is the exact reason why I ended up buying the new Thar while the Gypsy stays with me. It would still be used for off roading in the vicinity of100-150 kms and not more. Besides, a Thar is much safer on the highways than a Gypsy with no airbags, ABS etc.

But then, you're pretty young and the exuberance that comes with it may well overcome it . I know of young boys who drive their Gypsies to Ladakh, Spiti etc from Kerala.

Hence, Gypsy won't be a great choice unless you intend to drive and explore places within a vicinity of 200-300 kms.

Good luck on your hunt.

cheers,
bibendum

[anjan_c2007]

Like GTO has said about himself, I too was baptised in my mid 20's as a 4X4 Willys /Jeep/Mahindra driver and have had nothing better than these on four wheels. Though each one of these had its own whims and eccentricities, every one of these gave me much more as compared to the efforts I had put in. They are simply rugged and brute.

My choice will be a used Thar. But remember to go for the conventional and not so conventional checks before you seal the deal. Because after all its a Mahindra. There could be rust spots on the floor and signs of abuse that are very much detectable if you check the suspensions, bushes, chassis and even the wheel rims (for distortions). The engine and gearbox must be trouble free.

For me too the Gypsy is avoidable and more so the refurbished military disposal ones. The Gypsy does not feel planted on the road due to its low kerb weight. While offroading, it does some Rock'n Roll and dandiya. Though the Gypsy is very capable for offroading, my preference will forever be a 4X4 Mahindra.

The backseat passengers on a Gyspy get tossed and tumbled. It's front seat passengers though travel in comfort.

[Vinod_nair]

If you don't need a proper 4×4 TD Thar 4×2, and buy new, I'm sure you can manage EMI's now than when you have a family to look after.

Happy shopping.

[Asish_VK]

Originally Posted by Samba

Go for a 2015 onward manufactured BS4 Thar.



Now keep drooling till you bring any of these beauties home!

Oh man, you have given all reasons why he should buy a Thar and posted that gypsy pic .
If i was in his place I would've ran to the dealer and bought a gypsy only because of your post

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Vinod_nair

If you don't need a proper 4×4 TD Thar 4×2, and buy new, I'm sure you can manage EMI's now than when you have a family to look after.

Happy shopping.

Actially the Thar 4x2 is pretty capable. (Going by the 4x2 Mahindra Jeeps). It will be able to go most anywhere and do most anything the 4x4 can.
Except for the real hard core stuff.

So the brand new 1.5 Diesel Thar 4x2 may make superb sense for you to buy.

[Neil Roy]

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

This part of your post alone tilt the scales in favour of Thar. I too own Gypsies and a new Thar..........

bibendum

Herein lies my dilemma. This is off topic but strangely relevant. Lot's of people have been comparing the upcoming Jimny with the Gypsy with lots of similarities. I have a Thar 700 and it is ideal for my 4x4 excursions. However the comfort leaves a lot to be desired. The Gypsy struggles on the the trails that I use. With the advent of Jimny, I feel optimistic about it's off roading credentials. In your experience and opinion, do you think that the Jimny will fare equally or better than the Thar in off road conditions and highways? Sorry if my question sounds lame and a huge sorry to the OP for hijacking his thread.