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-   -   My journey from Bangalore to Kolkata in a Tata Nano, that too Alone (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/132988-my-journey-bangalore-kolkata-tata-nano-too-alone-2.html)

Thank you! Ha ha you bet first the air fare then no one to hold me back..

Thank you! I am truly overjoyed with all the appreciation....

Absolutely ture. My experiences was same, not only in AP but also in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, MP. Almost 50-60% of the cars ( white board) in the opposite direction were TATA cars.

Congratulations. I have done this stretch between Bangalore-Vizag 5 times. two of them in the last 8 months
I always cherish these moments.

Can only raise my hat to you.

There is no doubt that one can definately make not just this but even longer journeys in the Nano, yet to travel alone for such long trips is another thing and for that itself this is a great trip.

People underestimate the modern car, unlike the premier fiats and ambys of earlier days the vehicle today can climb any and all slopes and keep running for 24 hrs non stop. It is man who requires bigger breaks than the vehicles.

Yep certain vehicle make a journey more comfortable or more enjoyable, but the Nano is a capable enough vehicle which atleast does not suffer from space issues on the inside though a bit more power would have been good together with better shoes.

Thank you ACM, my Dad is my inspiration, we as a family have done Srinagar, Jammu from kolkata and that too in a zen with 5 people onboard it was also a life time memory, he has even been to Ladakh in zen... So i always look forward to long journey.

Kudos to your spirit and achievement. You have managed something that not many would think of. From your posts, its amply clear that road trips, especially when you reflect back, hold fond memories. I recently did a Hyd-Chennai-Hyd round trip in my i20 due to similar emergency circumstances. I completed it in around 28 hrs with only a break of around 4 hrs at Chennai for rest. Thought it was difficult, when I look back, it brings back fond memories. Ofcourse we also need to thank the beautiful expressways that enable us to achieve thiese kinds of feats.

A special note to the car. Most times we underestimate them. Even though Nano has only a 670cc engine, it proves that this should not be a deterrent for owners to take long trips. Modern cars are truly marvels of engineering. If Mr. Ratan Tata took at look at this thread, he would be proud of his little baby project that was close to his heart.

Thank you for sharing your travel. It indeed proves that more than the machine it's the spirit that matters. And second, that Nano's mettle is truly under-appreciated. My regard for Ratan Tata's vision is now higher by few notches.

*tips hat to madtiger*

As someone who's been doing Mysore-Hyderabad-Mysore alone every 6 months for the last few years, I admire your trip. 3 times as long, and in a nano? I am beginning to find Mysore-Hyderabad-Mysore almost too short and your posts has gotten my wanderlust raging.

There's something to be said about driving long distances with just you, the car and the road. If you enjoy the drive for the sake of the dive itself, you know you are a gearhead.

The four lane roads do make life a LOT easier - perhaps a little boring but it's better than driving on narrow roads for a very long time. The element of lower risk itself makes it worth it, since your chances of being in an accident go up proportionally with time spent on the road - and much faster on bad roads. Glad to see the gov is pushing some projects ahead with the new budget.

Thank you for sharing this, MadTiger

PS. I agree with the constant speed thing. I prefer to cruise closer to 100kph but keep my speed constant except for overtaking maneuvers.

Hi,
Sure, all cars are meant to travel on roads. But each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Since the Nano is normally not used for long distance highway travel, first hand impressions of this activity are nonexistent. Hence the request for your impressions. Don't see where mindset comes into the picture.

Regards
Sutripta

I apologize I guess I dint get your question right at the first place. I am no expert Sutripta, we have our tbhp guru's, seniors and distinguished bhpians like you for expert review, however if you meant how nano is in terms of other cars, then I would say: (IMO)

Highway driving is safe as long as you keep within 80 KMPH
Comfort - Not best in class, but for sub 2.5 lakh its pretty much Ok, and for such good highway we have its great.
Mileage - Definitely beats any other petrol car.
Capabilities - endless, people have driven nano on terrains of Ladakh successfully. But certainly with 4 adults it will grasp for breath when taken to steep heights, otherwise its fine. I took the 33 hairpin bend road while going up to Otty, 3 of us with our light luggage it climbed at ease. We came down too, and the breaks were good too.

What else, umm you bring up anything that you want to ask :-)?

I had asked that? Really? (Now I see the mindset thing!)

Sure. The cars which would figure on a buyers list along with a Nano. The M800 and the Omni immediately come to mind. And the 800 cc Alto.
One is not asking for a comparison between a Nano and say a BMW. (Until the Nano beats it hollow at some aspect of highway travel! When that aspect should certainly be highlighted. Say punctures.)

Regards
Sutripta

Madtiger, how is the current road conditions in Orissa. Is the highway now complete?

I was going to ask the same question too. I am leaving for Puri in next two or three days and this time have decided to drive at night. Is the highway (NH-5) already a totally divided four lane road? Or are there diversions present, when only one side is kept open for traffic, while work is continuing on the other side?

I doff my hat to you madtiger.

The furthest I've ever driven in a day was around 7 to 800 km on good south African roads where averaging 100 km/h was possible so a 7 to 8 hour trip.

That said, I always had faith that the nano could do a trip like this. Of course the fact that you have a 15 litre tank and can't practically exceed 80 means it is time consuming, but overall it is pretty impressive as a machine.

I nowadays drive my alto to and from Coorg (about 250 km oneway) so can confidently say it is a decent highway cruiser, partly because speeds of 100 to 120 are possible

The interesting thing for me is that your expenses were about Rs.3 per kilometer.

Assuming a nice round figure of Rs.75 per liter, that means you got a FE of 25kmpl!

25kmpl is pretty impressive - I suppose cruising at 80kmph gives great FE in a nano. What's curious is that on speedo, 60kmph is marked in green, signifying the optimum speed. Would it be correct to assume that cruising at 60kmph would give even better FE? Can anyone comment?

On a side note, 25kmpl with a 15 liter tank gives a range of 375km. Assuming you refill when your tank is 20 to 40% full (which is what I do), that gives you an usable range of 225 to 300 km on the highway. Quite usable for any distances if you ask me.
My personal benchmark is 500km. This is because open gas stations become hard to find between 12am and 5am on many highways but 375km is quite usable too if you drive slower and conserve fuel.

The nano is one peppy little car.

Really lovely to note your spirit of adventure and the trust you imposed on your steed ! Why don't you share a few more pics of the trip, and a few of the trusty Nano too ?