[BolBolero]

Hi guys,

Am on the horns of a dilemma, big time!
I want to buy a 4WD vehicle - Mahindra Only
My choice in order of preference would be:-
1. Bolero Camper,
2. MM540/550,
3. Bolero Invader.

Usage will be 70% on road, 30% off road. When on road, it will be long drives. So I will be looking at comfort and ease of driving, good handling, good engine power across all bands, good braking, high ground clearance, preferably hard top so that the vehicle can be secured/ locked with luggage, etc. on drives, and capacity to hold max 5 pax and cargo.
I do not have a very high budget, but if a good vehicle comes along, things can be worked out.
Visited a Mahindra dealer yesterday to check out the 4WD Bolero camper, but no PS and only 4speed gearbox and 63bhp. Felt a little underpowered. Invaders are available, but soft top not to my liking and need. MM540/550 will do, especially the army version, but not easily available. So now what?

Gurus, brethren, guys, help me out.

Gautam.

[shankar.balan]

hunt for a Bolero GLX 4WD. Best for your needs. AC, Power Steering and good 4WD.

Will meet your needs admirably.

You can also check with the non metro dealers if they can get you a Mahindra Marshal Royale - this is a SOLID vehicle 4WD with several comforts plus lockable cabin. I dont think it comes with AC but you can stick an after market AC in it. It does have Power Steering though.

the MM540/550 will be uncomfy in your 70% on road long drive usage.

Camper/ Pik up - uncomfortable and no covered and secure luggage space.

Invader - same problem and as far as I know they never introduced an Invader 4WD - I havent seen one anywhere so far. (but I may be wrong in this statement).

[4x4addict]

I second Shankar's suggestion. Bolero GLX 4WD is your best bet.

Invader 4WD is available on order.

[MileCruncher]

BolBolero, are you planning to trade your existing Bolero or want this separately. If you are looking to trade then I suggest that you go for new Bolero SLX 4WD with a 73 BHP XD3P Engine with all the comforts.

In the preowned market 4wd will hard to come by and even those which come will be pretty well thrashed.

Or the other option is buy a Army Junk and do it up.

[trammway]

Me too agree with SB, however how good you to accept the MM550 or what the 70% distance that you are talking about ?

MM550 is undoubtly the best ever made Jeep for civilians. You can buy a Fiber top of MM540 and it becomes straight fit on to the MM550 so you can have a covered compartment. Also the BA10 -4WD gearbox is smooth and you will get one overdrive gear too.

If you target for Rs.2.5-2.8L, you can make your dream MM550 from the army disposal.

Alternatively checkout if you come across any Armada Grand 2.5L XD3P powered one, it is exact fit to your search PS, Disc Break,A/C, locable cabins etc. You can get one with in 1.5L budget. Armada Grand is the elder brother for all the boleros.

[BolBolero]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

hunt for a Bolero GLX 4WD. Best for your needs. AC, Power Steering and good 4WD.
Will meet your needs admirably.
You can also check with the non metro dealers if they can get you a Mahindra Marshal Royale - this is a SOLID vehicle 4WD with several comforts plus lockable cabin. I dont think it comes with AC but you can stick an after market AC in it. It does have Power Steering though.
the MM540/550 will be uncomfy in your 70% on road long drive usage.
Camper/ Pik up - uncomfortable and no covered and secure luggage space.
Invader - same problem and as far as I know they never introduced an Invader 4WD - I havent seen one anywhere so far. (but I may be wrong in this statement).

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

I second Shankar's suggestion. Bolero GLX 4WD is your best bet.
Invader 4WD is available on order.

@ shankar.balan & 4x4 addict,
Finding a pre-owned Bolero GLX 4WD is really tough, though it will definitely suit my needs. Probably can trade in my present ride and actually go in for the new SLX 4WD, albeit with 73bhp. Ground Clearance is low at 180mm. Maybe gurus can give some gyan on increasing GC!
Will also check the Marshal Royale. The problem is finding good 4wd vehicles in this part of the country.
There seems to be a profusion of 4wd in the north, south and east. Was thinking of the camper, because of the Bolero looks, plus a lockable cabin. Yes the cargo bay is open, but can be covered on drives and stuff can be put into the cabin and locked after the drive.( maybe too much work)

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

BolBolero, are you planning to trade your existing Bolero or want this separately. If you are looking to trade then I suggest that you go for new Bolero SLX 4WD with a 73 BHP XD3P Engine with all the comforts.
In the preowned market 4wd will hard to come by and even those which come will be pretty well thrashed.
Or the other option is buy a Army Junk and do it up.

Originally Posted by trammway

Me too agree with SB, however how good you to accept the MM550 or what the 70% distance that you are talking about ?
MM550 is undoubtly the best ever made Jeep for civilians. You can buy a Fiber top of MM540 and it becomes straight fit on to the MM550 so you can have a covered compartment. Also the BA10 -4WD gearbox is smooth and you will get one overdrive gear too.
If you target for Rs.2.5-2.8L, you can make your dream MM550 from the army disposal.
Alternatively checkout if you come across any Armada Grand 2.5L XD3P powered one, it is exact fit to your search PS, Disc Break,A/C, locable cabins etc. You can get one with in 1.5L budget. Armada Grand is the elder brother for all the boleros.

@ MileCruncher & trammway,
Very difficult to find a good 4wd Bolero. So the option of trading the present vehicle for a new 4wd remains open. Shankar.Balan also suggested the Marshal Royale. Will be looking into that too.
Coming to the MM540/550, Rs 2.5-2.8L seems workable, but for the whole hog. Finding the used army disposal version in this part of the country is difficult.(correct me if I am wrong). Maybe a trip to Mayapuri or Siliguri is in order! Is the fiber top available in the market? And what about PS? If it’s a 540/550, the current Bolero will be retained for now, to be upgraded to a Storm at a later stage hopefully(Will keep the missus happy!) So the 540/550 will be my offroad and long drive vehicle. The search begins!
@ tramway, the Armada Grand seems interesting at that price point. Any idea of the availability?
Guys thanks a lot for the information given so far. Hope for some more inputs.

@MileCruncher, when are you leaving for Leh?


Regards
Gautam.

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by BolBolero

@ MileCruncher & trammway,
Very difficult to find a good 4wd Bolero. So the option of trading the present vehicle for a new 4wd remains open. Shankar.Balan also suggested the Marshal Royale. Will be looking into that too.
Coming to the MM540/550, Rs 2.5-2.8L seems workable, but for the whole hog. Finding the used army disposal version in this part of the country is difficult.(correct me if I am wrong). Maybe a trip to Mayapuri or Siliguri is in order! Is the fiber top available in the market? And what about PS? If it’s a 540/550, the current Bolero will be retained for now, to be upgraded to a Storm at a later stage hopefully(Will keep the missus happy!) So the 540/550 will be my offroad and long drive vehicle. The search begins!
@ tramway, the Armada Grand seems interesting at that price point. Any idea of the availability?
Guys thanks a lot for the information given so far. Hope for some more inputs.

@MileCruncher, when are you leaving for Leh?


Regards
Gautam.

Gautam, If you are happy with your present Bolero, then hold it on for a few more months and upgrade/trade with the Storm 4X4 which is supposed to be launched very soon. That way you'll get the best of both world.

OT: I'm starting on 11th from Hyderabad

[BolBolero]

@ MileCruncher,
Knowing Mahindra and their launches, it will probably be ages before the storm 4x4 actually hits the road. And then there will be the other problem of the better half preventing the Storm from being taken for off-roading! = her reaction. So lets see what comes up. As of now am getting slightly inclined towards the army disposal 550, to be restored as per requirements.
Need to speak to few of the people who have already got it, regarding the registration and other hassles. I plan to register it in Bombay (MH-01) proper, so what are the implications, regarding emission norms, age of vehicle etc.? But way before that i need to find a MM550!

Guys where do I go look?

Gautam.

[kiren]

Registering inside mumbai may not be possible for an army disposal 550. You may have to register either in thane or panvel area. Only euro 3 get registered in Mumbai. Even Marshall & other vehicles are also euro 2 hence cannot be registered inside Mumbai.

[BolBolero]

Originally Posted by kiren

Registering inside mumbai may not be possible for an army disposal 550. You may have to register either in thane or panvel area. Only euro 3 get registered in Mumbai. Even Marshall & other vehicles are also euro 2 hence cannot be registered inside Mumbai.

Thought as much, so now there will be added problem of getting the registration done outside Mumbai.

[d1vine]

If I may revive this old thread again and put it into a 2011/2012 context !

I have set aside a budget of 2 lakh , and want to have a vehicle for touring purposes mainly . So It will have a lot of highway run and maybe some city use when I am not using my hatchback.

So what do you guys suggest I should go for from the M&M stable and more importantly what will I get for this budget. Will I be able to find a 2003-2004 bolero in this price range ? and Do you guys think that I need 4x4 ? I will be travelling a lot on the Himalayan roads and remote corners but I suppose no hardcore OTR for me. So please advise.

I will be spending 50k above 2 lakhs to make the vehicle as perfect as I can in terms of mechanicals and electricals and maybe new carpets, and new tyres ofcourse.

I also posted in another thread asking about the tata tl 4x4 but havent got any response yet . So do advise on the same if you guys have some info.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by d1vine

If I may revive this old thread again and put it into a 2011/2012 context !

I have set aside a budget of 2 lakh , and want to have a vehicle for touring purposes mainly . So It will have a lot of highway run and maybe some city use when I am not using my hatchback.

So what do you guys suggest I should go for from the M&M stable and more importantly what will I get for this budget. Will I be able to find a 2003-2004 bolero in this price range ? and Do you guys think that I need 4x4 ? I will be travelling a lot on the Himalayan roads and remote corners but I suppose no hardcore OTR for me. So please advise.

I will be spending 50k above 2 lakhs to make the vehicle as perfect as I can in terms of mechanicals and electricals and maybe new carpets, and new tyres ofcourse.

I also posted in another thread asking about the tata tl 4x4 but havent got any response yet . So do advise on the same if you guys have some info.

Traveling from Delhi means at least 300km till you reach the hills. Hence any vehicle you get should be capable of at least 100+ in comfort. That really discounts most of the older low power vehicles, unless you can set aside one day for the commute to the hills.

Unlike off-roading, traveling long distance needs comfort and reliability, which may be difficult to achieve in your budget. In fact if you limit your self to major roads, an Alto K10 is a better proposition - it is short wheel base and extremely light, which translates to quite a good rough roader; of course large craters and boulders are ruled out!)

Except the Scorpio and Thar family of vehicles, most of the M&M 4x4 are BS-III, so if you get a second hand vehicle you will need a Delhi registration. Similarly an ex-army vehicle will need to be registered out side metros, unless you want to buy a brand new CRDI BS-IV engine (and that may cost you more than the whole vehicle)

The most viable option is the Thar or the Scorpio LX 4x4, but these are in the 7L+ region.

[d1vine]

Originally Posted by Aroy

Except the Scorpio and Thar family of vehicles, most of the M&M 4x4 are BS-III, so if you get a second hand vehicle you will need a Delhi registration. Similarly an ex-army vehicle will need to be registered out side metros, unless you want to buy a brand new CRDI BS-IV engine (and that may cost you more than the whole vehicle)

The most viable option is the Thar or the Scorpio LX 4x4, but these are in the 7L+ region.

But as I said I already have a hatchback (Swift) and want a dedicated vehicle for touring specially something in which I can carry ice boxes , tents , and regular luggage as well. So something like an alto is ofcourse ruled out.

And since I am talking specifically about pre owned vehicles for such a job I think I cant really consider options like thar and the new scoorpio. Way out of my reach..

Can the suspension on a 2wd bolero be tweaked and fitting new better seats will be of any use. As I think coming across a 4x4 version of bolero will be difficult. As a matter of fact in the budget I have I am also thinking about building a jeep from ground up with good highway manners. Which I think will be possible if I let go of the 4x4 , plonk in an Isuzu or Nissan and have softer suspension's. Jeep gurus can definitely guide me here.

I did read a lot of threads on jeeps and people wanting to make expedition vehicles and highway jeeps . But all of them end up making a jeep for OTR ultimately .

So I really am a little lost here about my options for a touring vehicle in a 2.5 lakh budget.

Thanks a lot for your reply , any such help will be really appreciated

[shankar.balan]

You may want to scout around Punjab, Haryana and other places for a tough old M&M Armada or Marshal Royale 4WD.
that will do the job admirably for what you have in mind, given your budget and utility perspective.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by d1vine

But as I said I already have a hatchback (Swift) and want a dedicated vehicle for touring specially something in which I can carry ice boxes , tents , and regular luggage as well. So something like an alto is ofcourse ruled out.

And since I am talking specifically about pre owned vehicles for such a job I think I cant really consider options like thar and the new scoorpio. Way out of my reach..

Can the suspension on a 2wd bolero be tweaked and fitting new better seats will be of any use. As I think coming across a 4x4 version of bolero will be difficult. As a matter of fact in the budget I have I am also thinking about building a jeep from ground up with good highway manners. Which I think will be possible if I let go of the 4x4 , plonk in an Isuzu or Nissan and have softer suspension's. Jeep gurus can definitely guide me here.

I did read a lot of threads on jeeps and people wanting to make expedition vehicles and highway jeeps . But all of them end up making a jeep for OTR ultimately .

So I really am a little lost here about my options for a touring vehicle in a 2.5 lakh budget.

Thanks a lot for your reply , any such help will be really appreciated

As I had said, an off roader and a tourer are two distinct animals, related only superficially.

First of all a tourer has to be reliable, easy to maintain and pretty fuel efficient. A tourer will be doing long distances, hence comfort rather than muscle is required (OK muscles are welcome, but not at the expense of comfort).

In my opinion older Jeeps are not really that reliable or comfortable, hence their predominant use for off roading, rather than touring. I have moved around quite a lot in all sorts of Jeeps on pretty bad roads in MP, and I tell you it is no joke - bumpy ride, noise and relatively low speed saps you at the end of the day. The only reason I was in them as that was all that the Project could afford (hired Jeeps). Given a choice I would have loved to hire a Scorpio, but that was not to be.

My sincere advise to you is to abandon the idea of 2.5L budget and save up enough for a new vehicle. Your total cost of ownership over a 5-7 year period will be less (an old Jeep; no matter how well restored; will require constant attention - both money and time, leaving a hole in the pocket and less time for expeditions!)

Regarding Alto, it depends on how many will be traveling with you. If there are only two, you have plenty of space once the rear seats are folded. Another alternative is the Omni/Ecco van. I have traveled quite a lot on bad roads in an Omni. The beauty of this vehicle is narrow track. Where a Jeep would be driving in the rut created by trucks, an Omni will be driving in between the ruts. Even with its tiny petrol engine, this vehicle will climb like a mountain goat, and the turning circle is to be seen to be believed, as good as a bike!