[ph03n!x]

42,000 KM in 2 years. That is about 15,000 KM from when I started planning for mega updates to this thread, procrastinated, changed jobs, procrastinated, started shuttling between cities, and procrastinated some more.

So guess now is as good a time as any - though I won't be doing mega updates (procrastinate more!). Will make a few mini-updates, covering my life with the Thar for 41,960 KM in exactly two years.

Let me start with the financials - fuel, cost of ownership, stuff that I hope my wife never reads...

Mileage

• The lifetime average is 11.99 KMPL
• My usage is 67.2% Highways, 27.1% City and 5.7% Off-roads (that is a measly ~2,500 KM off the paved roads on a vehicle meant for exactly that
• Worst mileage is 9.84 KMPL when most of that tank went into 4x4, best mileage is 14.09 KMPL
• Cost per Liter of fuel has been ₹91.54 per liter weighted - I have been feeding the jeep with ₹3,15,584 worth of Diesel so far, at the rate of ₹7.63 per KM!
• Reliance (28% of refills), IOC (26.5%), Shell (23%) and HP (15%) are where I have been tanking up. But with the recent disparity in fuel prices, Reliance and Shell have dropped out, and BP has added 7.5% to its account
• I am not reporting mileage-by-brand, as this will be extremely skewed. Thar's mileage will vary if I am driving on this side of 90 KMPH or not, and it does not do justice to the brands. That said, my observation is all of them are on par under similar driving conditions
• The MID is, on an average, 1.52 KMPL optimistic! If your Thar's MID says you are getting 12.5 KMPL, you are getting somewhere around 11 KMPL
• The MID will not go below 7 KMPL. So if you are on a poor-mileage-spiel <cough, cough, mStallions> and your MID is saying 7 KMPL, do not bet your tank range or DTE based on that!
• The best tank range I have gotten is 740 KM

If you have been following my mileage reports from earlier (here, here and here), my mileage has been increasing from 11.55 KMPL to 11.61 KMPL to 11.93 KMPL, and 11.99 KMPL being the current. While I have not bothered much about the mileage, what makes the beast more efficient can be summarized in 2 words.

C r u i s e
C o n t r o l

The best mileages I have clocked have invariably been using/ over-using/ abusing cruise control

This is from a recent travel between Hyderabad and Madras, where I set a GPS speed of 99 KMPH in the ORR, and 90 KMPH rest of the highways. The average speed for this trip was 76 KMPH, and I ended up with my best mileage of 14.09 KMPL after crawling through peak Madras traffic - MID was 15.4 at the end of the ordeal.

Overall Spends

Right, with that done, let me look at the other expenditures -

Insurance

• Own-damage insurance for 2nd year came to ₹ 31,007 (ICICI) for an IDV of ₹ 12,31,912 - coverage includes Consumables, Engine Protect Plus, Return to Invoice, Key Protect, RSA, Zero Depreciation, Tyre Protect
• For the 3rd Year (current), I paid ₹ 22,255 (Tata AIG) for an IDV of ₹ 12,00,000, covering Consumables, Engine & Gear box protection, Key Replacement, Loss of Personal Belongings, RSA, Zero Depreciation, Tyre Protect

Mods/ Accessories

• The big tickets under this heading are Arka/ Avo suspension, 3M full body PPF (except rear door), Under-boy protection, and the TJ-style 7-slat grill
• While I have covered all the accessories elsewhere in this thread, I will post some updates esp. on the Avo suspension later

Maintenance and Running Costs

• If I had followed the recommended schedule, I would have spent about ₹ 0.85 per KM on maintenance
• I carry out additional stuff - changing engine oil at the 1,000 KM service, changing the differential oils every service, etc. This has increased my cost per KM on maintenance to ₹ 0.95 per KM
• I am planning to switch to 5,000 KM intervals for engine oil changes now on, with the M&M Maximile oil itself, so this cost will increase a bit more

An interesting trend on the cost of consumables -

If you are an entrepreneur, think about opening up a DEF manufacturing unit - the prices have increased by 70% per liter in 1.5 years!!!


Among the other maintenance consumables, Engine oil prices have gone up by 26% per liter, while that of differential oils are up by 20% per liter. Prices of the filters have remained unchanged though!

DEF, DPF, SCR

As always, I have had ZERO DPF related issues with my Thar through the 40,000+ KM of ownership. The closest I have come to having an issue was this -

This came up right after the 30,000 KM service, and went off after about 3 driving cycles/ 50 KM of driving

What was interesting, my Thar had just about gotten a service action for replacement of Engine Wiring Harness, and I was awaiting parts to arrive. As soon as this came up, I raised my panic flag because I was about to do a road-trip for work (~2000 KM), and didn't want to be stuck. Thanks to Mr. Sihabuddeen and Mr. Ronald (M&M), Mr. Dilip & team (CAI Mahindra), getting the part was expedited so that I can travel without this worry in my mind.

The others were only DEF related warning, when I am running low on DEF, with a headroom of 2,400 KM before I am stranded.

I have been using the Thar in city traffic exclusively and continuously for about 2,000 KM in Coimbatore, and 1,000 KM in Hyderabad. Never faced a manual regen situation. Heck, my daily usage for the last 3 weeks were 10 KM to and fro office in peak traffic, which takes me about 30 minutes.

I strongly believe that at least M&M does not have DPF malaise, and anyone who faced one in their Thar invariably changed their Engine Wiring Harness - which leads me to believe it was a wiring issue rather than a DPF/ SCR system related issue.

What would be nice though - having a DEF level indicator in the MID, along with a DPF filter %/ indicator. M&M, please give us a software update with these!

DEF Consumption

I have not decoded why I got a great DEF mileage during the first 10,000 and the last 10,000 KM of usage - nothing stands out when I look at my pattern

Service Action

I had one - the Engine Wiring Harness replacement -

1. Thermal Bypass Valve Replacement (this is for the AT transmission - the valve had a leak) (20-Mar-2021 - Inspected) (28-Sep-2021 - Replaced)
2. Wiper Motor Breather Cap Addition (20-Mar-2021)
3. AT Shifter Screw Retighten (20-Mar-2021)
4. Seat Shoulder Bezel Shaft Replacement (20-Mar-2021)
5. Remove 4WD Shift Cable from Mounting Clip (20-Mar-2021)
6. Camshaft Replacement (20-Mar-2021)
7. Hood Catcher Replacement (20-Mar-2021)
8. Radiator inlet Hose Clamp Addition (28-Sep-2021)
9. Instrument Cluster Software Update (28-Sep-2021)
10. AT Pigtail Replacement (28-Sep-2021)
11. Hood Latch Assembly Replacement (27-Nov-2021)
12. E-Disconnect Connector Cap Addition (25-Sep-2021)
13. Radiator Assembly (29-Jan-2022)
14. Fuse for Radiator's fan (22-02-2022)
15. Engine Wiring Harness (24-06-2022)

The original part that came with my Thar - part # 1801AW500400N Rev F


This guy flew in for me - thank you M&M and CAI teams!


The revised part # is 1801AW500950N


All installed, in place - ready to be tested!

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

There are service alerts issued for all-new Thars:-

1) Turbocharger actuator link replacement for diesels.
2) Auto-tensioner and belt replacements for all Thars - petrol and diesel.

Do get your all-new Thars checked for these at your nearest Mahindra service center.

These recalls have not started reflecting for me, this has been posted in Sep '22 - makes me think either these are not official or do not apply to my Thar.

Driver Footwell getting warm/ hot

Originally Posted by Slipstream11

Last evening I realized that the driver side floor was heating up - I was wearing a fair of floaters and I could really feel the heat. Its was a normal drive - 35 minutes in bearable traffic with sedate driving.

This is not the first time I am experiencing this though. This happened a few times in the initial few months. I did raise it at the 1K km service but since I couldn't reproduce the instance at that point in time, the issue went unattended. I would also like to point out that this heating issue didn't surface in the last 4/5 months.

I have read about owners complaining about this issue in other forums but not sure anyone could pin-point the exact reason behind it or get to a work-around.

Any views?

Originally Posted by phkr19

It’s been less than a week since the delivery of our Thar, haven’t had much chances of taking the vehicle out for a spin besides the usual grocery runs.

Took the vehicle out for a quick run around the city (30kms), once back and parked observed that the floor of the driver side foot well was hot. Vehicle is a LX Diesel AT HT.
I still haven’t gotten the floor mats installed, is this heat expected?

Originally Posted by darkpython9

Has anyone had the Thar floor heating up too much?
Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I've never experienced so much heat from any other vehicle. My feet felt so warm.

Originally Posted by Vibhav-Van

I usually drive with bare feet, and did the same with the Thar. I was shocked to find the floor blazing hot. Asked the sales advisor about it and he casually brushed it off saying 'gaadi running mein hai na'. I've never experienced such heat even after continuously running a car for 15 hours, but such heat from the Thar was really abnormal. It was the same case with both Diesel MT and Petrol AT. Was it a one-off case or has anyone else also experienced it?

Originally Posted by batish

Experienced floor heating up on driver's side. It was more than warm and this was with flip-flops. This is the first time I'm experiencing this in 5300 kms. Any update guys? If yes, what exactly was the problem pointed out and what is the solution?

Originally Posted by Slipstream11

I was told that the cat-con is placed somewhere under the driver's side footboard. And there is no heat insulation. Moreover, this occurrence is very random in my experience and not at all consistent.

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

This occurs when you increase the temperature in the AC (turn the dial clockwise, towards red) - do you remember if this was the case when you experienced the warmth in the tunnel?

I have not gotten a solution though

Originally Posted by Slipstream11

No Phoenix. I rarely have the aircon on - I have my window rolled half way down. I don't think its linked to the AC, not at least in my case.

Originally Posted by batish

Yesterday was the first time I experienced this. Nice to know Thar has heated floor too.

Yes, the knob was almost at the centre. I don't think by heater they mean floor heater.

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

This is interesting, you and me experience the heated floor feature when the temperature knob is dialled towards the middle - but @slipstream11 has this feature without even using the AC!

All - have you encountered this heated floor (heated transmission tunnel, rather) feature? Was it with the AC dialled towards heating, or not related to AC at all?

Originally Posted by fjcruiser08

I cannot really answer your question since I have never gotten behind the wheel without shoes (boots rather), so no way to tell even if the dang thing was heating up.

However, given the nature of the Thar's AC, I won't be surprised if most of us almost always, if not permanently, have the AC dial set close to the centre albeit on the blue (cooling) side. So, am guessing this may just be a coincidence and not causation or even related to what yall are experiencing? IDK... just saying.

Originally Posted by MithunSathianat

There is heat build up during long drives irrespective of AC settings.
I was assuming this could be because of full underbody protection.
Underbody armor certainly restricts the ventilation towards the underbody.
I have the initial version of ARKA's radiator guard. Later, I saw the design was changed (air vents similar to stock guard) due to heating of driver footwell.

Originally Posted by batish

This is exactly what I'm facing. I don't even have any mats installed so heat effect is quite prominent. It's so hot that it's impossible to keep hand near the transmission tunnel/driver side floor for few seconds.

Nope nope. Nothing to do with underbody protection. Mine has none, still facing this issue.

Btw for reference, mine is 2022 MY.

Originally Posted by techfreak

Yes the heating issue is something else.
I have a Diesel MT HT (2021 January) with Bimbra radiator guard and I do 300-400km drives regularly but have never faced any heating issue ever, even in B2B traffic with or without the AC on and Knob in blue or red zone.

Needs to be checked further.

I finally have the official answer to this "feature / mystery" -

This is a part of the exhaust assembly, and is downstream of the DPF/ Catcon - and gets as hot as 400° C apparently.

So my hypothesis that the heating has to do with the AC Temperature knob being set to mid/ warm/ heating is out of the window - there is no lines related to the air conditioning anywhere near the driver footwell! And @Slipstream11 got it right - it is related to the DPF/ Catcon - their downflow, to be precise.

During my recent trip from Hyderabad to Madras, I was driving with the temperature dial midway for a few 100 KMs and there was no heating. And then I noticed it -

The MID flash something about DPF being clogged (the fraction second warning that does not stay). And then it started - the footwell started to get warm and eventually hot. It lasted for about 30 min before things started going back to normal. And during this time, the mileage dropped 2 KMPL even though I was doing constant speeds, mostly on cruise control.

So I guess if your Diesel Thar's footwell is getting warm, it means your DPF/ SCR is working fine - that is one worry less, ain't it?!!

Workaround? Get something like ULS 7D Economy Mats from Autofurnish - you will still feel the warmth, but it never becomes uncomfortable.

That's it today! I will post an update on AVO Suspension soon - as well as a few other itsy bitsy updates!

[swunkjyn]

@ph03n!x

Great review, I just crossed 16000 kms in the past 9 months of ownership (Thar Petrol Manual HT). Now in Feb, the 1st year of warranty will expire and planning to upgrade the 2ns year from 3rd Party to Comprehensive. How much extra did you have to pay for it. Because NCB will be calculated as well.

I am also keen on upgrading to AVO but waiting on the IronMan Suspension review. Have not found anything yet on the Internet about it, especially for Thar.

[jkrishnakj]

Your ownership review of the THAR is pure Gold Phoenix. Your car has been wonderful to you too and it’s so nice to see how M&M has been super active in addressing issues, if any.

Absolutely loved reading every bit of it and will continue to look for your updates.

[ph03n!x]

Originally Posted by swunkjyn

@ph03n!x

Great review, I just crossed 16000 kms in the past 9 months of ownership (Thar Petrol Manual HT). Now in Feb, the 1st year of warranty will expire and planning to upgrade the 2ns year from 3rd Party to Comprehensive. How much extra did you have to pay for it. Because NCB will be calculated as well.

I am also keen on upgrading to AVO but waiting on the IronMan Suspension review. Have not found anything yet on the Internet about it, especially for Thar.

Thanks @swunkjyn!

Were you implying insurance instead of warranty? If so, here's what I paid for the second and the third year -

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

...
Insurance

• Own-damage insurance for 2nd year came to ₹ 31,007 (ICICI) for an IDV of ₹ 12,31,912 - coverage includes Consumables, Engine Protect Plus, Return to Invoice, Key Protect, RSA, Zero Depreciation, Tyre Protect
• For the 3rd Year (current), I paid ₹ 22,255 (Tata AIG) for an IDV of ₹ 12,00,000, covering Consumables, Engine & Gear box protection, Key Replacement, Loss of Personal Belongings, RSA, Zero Depreciation, Tyre Protect

...

My dealership's insurance wing gets me multiple quotes, and I pick from them. I missed checking/ including return to invoice in the 3rd year insurance, though I get personal belongings cover.

I'll post an update on my AVO experience shortly (?!), but do not have much of info on Ironman. From my usage of AVO from 18k KM till now (~24,000 KM of use), and the responsiveness of the team at Arka Motorsports, I'll definitely vouch for the AVO though.

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Your ownership review of the THAR is pure Gold Phoenix. Your car has been wonderful to you too and it’s so nice to see how M&M has been super active in addressing issues, if any.

Absolutely loved reading every bit of it and will continue to look for your updates.

Thanks mate

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by swunkjyn

@ph03n!x

Great review, I just crossed 16000 kms in the past 9 months of ownership (Thar Petrol Manual HT). Thar.

Wow thats a lot of driving you’ve done in a relatively short time frame..
I have completed 21-22 months of ownership of my Thar - since 2021 Feb. But I have just about done 17900 kms in it. Must Drive More…

[swunkjyn]

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

Thanks @swunkjyn!

Were you implying insurance instead of warranty? If so, here's what I paid for the second and the third year -

My dealership's insurance wing gets me multiple quotes, and I pick from them. I missed checking/ including return to invoice in the 3rd year insurance, though I get personal belongings cover.

I'll post an update on my AVO experience shortly (?!), but do not have much of info on Ironman. From my usage of AVO from 18k KM till now (~24,000 KM of use), and the responsiveness of the team at Arka Motorsports, I'll definitely vouch for the AVO though.

Thanks mate

Thank you for your reply and my dealership has been contacted; they are waiting for me to return and have guaranteed me of the lowest price. The wait for 5 Door Thar is the sole justification for not upgrading the suspension. I want to see the finished product because that will help decide whether or not I want to upgrade.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Wow thats a lot of driving you’ve done in a relatively short time frame..
I have completed 21-22 months of ownership of my Thar - since 2021 Feb. But I have just about done 17900 kms in it. Must Drive More…

Yes, Dada, dropping off and picking up our daughter from school is the everyday drive. With a daily distance of 25 to 30 km, five days a week equals about 150 kilometres. Additionally, we seize the opportunity to travel within or outside of Bangalore nearly every week. By March, I will undoubtedly have travelled 25000 km. I find Thar to be very addictive to drive .

[skyocean]

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

42,000 KM in 2 years. That is about 15,000 KM from when I started planning for mega updates to this thread, procrastinated, changed jobs, procrastinated, started shuttling between cities, and procrastinated some more.

So guess now is as good a time as any - though I won't be doing mega updates (procrastinate more!). Will make a few mini-updates, covering my life with the Thar for 41,960 KM in exactly two years.

Now this is what should be promoted to an Official review. The information that actually matters, pure facts/numbers, no drama and absolutely no hidden agenda to bash or love a brand.

Beautifully gathered and presented I must say. The crux was that not once did you cry about anything that went wrong, the list of niggles is not anything new irrespective of the brand for a newly launched vehicle, but taking a bullet to ones chest and saying "yes that should fix it" is what a true motorhead endures to the max.

Thanks a ton for this and looking forward for many more.

The anxiety I had over the FE on Thar was diffused with your data. Its a decent average and something we can live with. Now the big question I want to ask you is I am looking for a tourer and Thar looks like a great choice, Can I buy a new Thar today and expect it to be fit and refined ? This will be my secondary car purely for travelling the length and breadth of the country, road or without it.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by skyocean

The anxiety I had over the FE on Thar was diffused with your data. Its a decent average and something we can live with. Now the big question I want to ask you is I am looking for a tourer and Thar looks like a great choice, Can I buy a new Thar today and expect it to be fit and refined ? This will be my secondary car purely for travelling the length and breadth of the country, road or without it.

The short answer is Yes, the Thar is ideal for India. Daily driver. Tourer etc. Small family. Travel light/ Travel Smart. Certain functional upgrades. And you’re good to go.
There is plenty of information across multiple threads about the Thar as a Grand Tourer. Do have a look around the Forum.

[MotoDrive]

Its hight time that Mahindra should work on Electric Thar with a range of around 450kms on the same platform! It will be good to save on fuel costs while enjoying the drive. I hope they started working on it.