Why I bought a used Mahindra TUV300: 40,000 km ownership experience

Buy it if you are the type of person who'd have bought a Mahindra Jeep instead of a Contessa or Premier Padmini in the good old days.

BHPian theqca recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My initial thought was to do a write-up around this car mainly because when I tried to get info before buying one there was limited information available.

Ownership reviews on this forum helped to a large extent and I read through all of them. The official review is a great thread which gives you an excellent perspective on what the tank feels like for the first time.

My post here is to document my findings/learnings from an old 2015 second-hand TUV 300 which I've driven for 40k km over a period of 2 years and I'm going to skip all the information that you'll get in the official review about specifications etc.

But I'm bored on a Sunday evening so I'm adding some more to what originally was just supposed to be a reference point for existing / future TUV owners.

Why I bought one

I always wanted a Jeep. (the Mahindra types not the fancy Compass).

Couldn't afford one when I was in college. Then I grew older and richer.

Bought a nice Honda City top-end automatic. With gears on the steering wheel - When I wanted to pretend I was Ayrton Senna or Prost. No, not Hamilton. Wifey likes that guy. That's one good reason to not be him.

Got bored. (Of the Honda)

I thought to myself - I need a Jeep.

Like most people in their 40's, I've started thinking out loud. It sounds cool in boardroom meetings - "I'm thinking If we blah blah blah....."

Doesn't feel cool at home though.

Wifey screamed - No!

I thought to myself that usually means yes.

When I thought some more I realized that I can't really buy a jeep to go to work and drive out of town about once a month. The new Thar wasn't out yet and the old jeeps that felt so cool in the early 90s didn't feel all that good in 2020.

Or maybe the CJ340 and the 550s and the Commanders and whatever still feel the same as they did in the summer of 1990 but my preferences evolved over years.

I remember driving a friend CJ340 / Classic way back in the good old days when it was new. It felt so good. I remember driving a Commander, Willys as well as some Jongas over the years in various places all over the country. Was fun.

I remember some of them with 3 gears, some with 4. Some 4x4, some 2WD.

I remember drooling over the Classic parked at a showroom at the corner diagonally opposite Bhavans (on the road that leads towards Peddar road). I used to make it a point to stop and admire that beast with wire wheels and those bull bars and truck-type mirrors.

If any of you lived in town in the 90s you'll know what I'm referring to.

If you still don't know what I'm referring to you can ask one chap called GTO to share a pic of his Classic from the good old days.

I don't know why they are called Jeeps. I know about GP and general-purpose and all. But in India, a Jeep refers to anything that's made by Mahindra and more or less looks somewhat like the old American "jeep". This "somewhat" is a very vague term. It includes "jeeps" without doors, with 2 doors, 4 holes for doors as well as 4 doors (not counting the one behind because then it would be 5). It includes hard tops as well as soft tops.

Here's what I found out from the net about the Mahindra range of vehicles I was thinking about.

• MM540: It came in both 2WD and 4WD. It had a 2.1 Litre 62 BHP indirect-injection diesel engine (XDP 4.90) with a 4-speed Gearbox.
• MM550: An MM540 itself, but with 4x4 (no 4x2 variant) with refreshed interior and a 2.5 Litre 72.5 BHP indirect-injection diesel engine (XD3P) with a 5-speed gearbox.
• MM440: MM540 fitted with a petrol engine (hurricane F-134). Only in 4x4. Later it also had a 1.8 litre Isuzu engine and was called MM ISZ.
• CJ340: The civilian jeep (CJ) was produced in the USA. It had different versions over years like CJ3B/2A/4/5 and so on. In India, Mahindra manufactured the CJ3B. It came with the Peugeot 2.1 engine. It had an SWB (Short Wheel Base) chassis.
• CL340: After the 1970s, CJ was renamed CL.
• Classic: It was a limited edition CL340.
• MM650: It was the MM540 with LWB (long wheelbase chassis). Was also available with 4x4.
• MM750: This was a longer MM650, targeted as a UV to transport people.

The Maruti Gypsy was out - I had enough of those in my earlier life. The Jonga was out - While I liked them, I didn't feel like driving them.

What I really wanted was a Commander / 540 etc but with all modern comforts like air-conditioning, power steering, disc brakes, airbags etc.

The (older) Thar felt like a (slightly) modern CJ340. But it was small. I wanted something larger so the family cant crib about only 2 doors blah blah blah. The other issue I have with the Thar is also the lower fuel economy. I roam around a lot and need something that is easy on the pocket.

• I wanted a ladder-on-frame chassis so that it feels like a Jeep.
• I wanted rear-wheel drive. (I didn't really need 4x4 as I wasn't ever going off-road. I don't see the point in driving over rocks and boulders. I'd rather hike.)
• I figured the Mrs will complain about body roll.
• Casper the golden retriever enlightened me with ancient zen wisdom - the missus will always complain. If it isn't body roll it'll be something else.
• Russel Peters chipped in - Be a man.

The only vehicle which seemed to tick all the boxes was the TUV 300.

My search commenced with the usual Olx adverts. I had made up my mind that I do not want to buy a car from a dealer. Apart from the inflated cost, I really enjoy the entire experience of working on my cars and bikes and doing them up. To me, that is part of the ownership experience which I can’t get if I buy something from a dealer where he's already camouflaged all the problems. Those problems then hit you suddenly at the wrong time - like just when you are about to pick up Kelly McGillis.

Found one on Olx. A place called Mira road - Didn't like the way the guy spoke. It sounded like he was doing me a favour. Said he'd just paid some huge amount for a brand new Innova etc. I don't like people who talk big. It's a TUV. Not a range rover. Even if it was a range rover I'd still want to buy from someone who behaves normally. I didn't go to see the car. Maybe it's a bit too much to expect basic courtesy and etiquette these days. Maybe it was a good car and I missed it but it doesn't matter. The car was white. Good enough reason to not buy it. It's apparently the most common car colour in India. I wanted black.

The next car on the list was owned by a gentleman in Panvel. Too far away.

The next one was owned by a cop living somewhere closer to my place than Mira road. 2nd owner. Went and met the guy. Saw the car. Took a test drive. Told him I'll get back to him. He was courteous and shook hands. Said take your time sir. I searched some more, but couldn't find anything that was worth the amount I was expected to pay.

The thing is I have this thought in mind that the TUV is not a top-end fancy car. It's not a Mercedes G wagon. It's a Mahindra.

It's a tough car that can handle a lot of punishment.

Low maintenance. Easy to fix.

It is a vehicle suitable for roaming around on bad roads. In rural areas too where there are no real roads.

So I can't get myself to think of an amount more than 5 lakhs for a used TUV 300.

Went back and met the cop. Took another test drive. This time a longer one. Drove around Sewri and Dockyard weaving around trucks and tankers and then took the eastern freeway from town to Chembur and back. Did the deal. Got the car.

Went straight to the local mechanic for a check-up.

I'm not sharing too many photos mainly because as I said earlier I'd like this write-up to serve as a reference point for existing owners or someone planning on buying one so sharing some known issues and possible fixes as well as things to watch out for in this car (tank?). To me, that makes more sense than forcing you guys to look at photos of what I bought and where I went.

• Model - 2015 T8 Manual
• Purchase date - Oct 2020
• Km run at the time of purchase - 40k
• Current reading - 81k

Known Issues with the TUV

Wheel spin - the rear wheels spin if you push the accelerator a bit too hard if you've stopped just before a bump/speed breaker. This happens in reverse as well as forward gears especially if you've turned the steering wheel at the same time. I've never had any wheel spin issues after I started making a conscious effort to control the acceleration. Mahindra had apparently solved this problem by making some changes in their suspension and/ or offering an MLD kit. I haven't bothered with either replacing the suspension or putting in an MLD kit. My car is not in warranty and as I said earlier I don't want to spend too much on this car. I've never had any problem due to this wheel spin. The trick is to not accelerate hard once you've stopped before a speed breaker. Do it gently and you won't have any issues. If you still need an MLD kit you can get it from Mahindra or an after-market one from a company called Eaton. Google them for more details.

Starting "problem" - there is some sort of an issue where the car does not start the first time you turn the key especially after you've driven the car for some time. The motor turns, but the car vibrates and the engine doesn't start firing. You need to turn it off and give it another go - it then starts ticking over like a charm. The company as usual had some stupid diagnosis. Said sir you need to change your battery. I plopped in a larger battery. The starting issue remains. Though I must say it always started the second time when I turn the key. I did some research and some TUV owner in Punjab gave me the solution - it apparently got something to do with the fuel pump but I'm ok with having to turn the key twice. I don't feel like going to Mahindra. I pretend it's an old Commander and needs the "heater" before starting. Now if only it had a choke lever I'd pull that out to stop the engine too. Anyone who's driven an old jeep will know what I'm referring to.

Coolant leakage - the coolant level keeps magically reducing. I lived with it for 20k km. Mahindra said some 3 parts of the pipe/tubes were leaking. They had just 2 of them in stock. I said no. You either do all 3 or leave it the way it is. The leakage wasn't very severe. Coolant would need some topping up every 200 km. I usually just push in water and not coolant. It's a Mahindra after all. Works well without any fancy stuff. I got the car checked by the local mechanic recently. He found some leakage near the (flange I guess it's called) which connects the pipe that pushes water/coolant in/ out of the radiator. He put in a new one for around 1500. The coolant level hasn't dropped after that at all. I still carry a bottle of water just in case. Haven't needed it though. God knows which 2 other parts Mahindra said needed changing.

Thud sound - from somewhere below the gear lever/handbrake when you hit a bump suddenly. Sounds like something is loose. It isn't. Won't result in any problem - there is a bushing that needs replacement. Costs around 1500 bucks approx. Part number 0703CAP01341N. It's called a mount rear shifter link. If you are not ok with that thud sound then that part needs to be changed. I thought I'd do it on day one. But it's been some 40k km now. Yes I know I'm being lazy. Wifey keeps reminding me.

Rust - it's around some door handles and at the top of the driver-side door frame. Painter /Denter laughed when I said it's rusting and might fall apart - "sir this is a Mahindra. It's like that only. Nothing will happen. Keep using it. When you have time for about a week or so bring it. We'll get it done" Oops. This conversation too occurred some 40k km's ago.

Paint quality - maybe my standards are a bit high but I now know why all those old jeeps looked so different from the other cars. The paint quality even after polishing is nowhere near what I've had on other cars I've owned. So I've just left it the way it is. Stopped polishing the car. Let it look a bit rough. Mahindra calls it a tank. Let it look like a tank. I've seen lots of real tanks. So I know what I'm talking about. No more polishing and wondering why it ain't looking like the other cars.

The car pulls to the left - after wheel alignment/balancing you need to go for a drive and then get it adjusted manually via trial and error. Front left wheel. Don't leave the alignment centre without getting this left pull bit checked. It's gonna happen even on roads which are not sloping towards the left.

The radio starts when you put the infotainment system on - can't figure out a solution apart from removing it and putting a touchscreen but then the alerts would disappear. I like those alerts. No not the one about the seat belt - that's irritating. The ones about the handbrake being engaged if you start driving accidently without putting it down and the doors/bonnet not being closed properly are important to me. The same goes for oil pressure, battery etc. So you need to live with the radio static being heard at some 87 points something megahertz every time you turn on the infotainment system. Takes a few seconds to connect the phone/switch to Bluetooth etc.

The key remote gets cracked / buttons get messed up because of being pressed too often - bought a replacement plastic key shell (amazon) and a silicon key remote cover (Amazon again). Put it on the key original fob. Problem solved.

Some other quirks which I've realized over the past 40k km which I didn't know existed at the time of purchase.

Body roll - That's the way the car is made.

Live with it. Like it. It's like Chinese food - an acquired taste.

Don't try solving it with Rogerab. Well, you could put Rogerab or a similar fitting but then the suspension becomes stiffer and I feel the suspension won't last as long as it would normally do. The solution is to drive straight over bumps and not approach them at an angle and to drive faster than you would normally do in a small car. Just pretend the bump or pothole isn't there and the car just keeps going. Don't slow down to around 10kmph as you'd do in a sedan. Just roll over it at around 40kmph. Yes, passengers are supposed to hold on tight in a jeep. Why do you think they've got those handles above the door?

Brakes - they do the job as long as you drive the car the way it's meant to be driven. Not as good as the ones in my Honda but then I don't drive the TUV like I'd drive my Honda. Neither do I drive the Honda the way I drive the TUV. ABS works. The error warning light came on once during the rains. Faulty sensor. Brakes however continued to work as they should even when the ABS sensor was acting funny and telling me it ain't working. Coming back to the main point - don't expect the brakes to work as you'd have on a modern Italian car. It's a large heavy tank - it won't come to standstill from 100 km/h in 2 seconds. The factor that into your driving.

Window button placement - it's in the middle and not on the door for the driver and passenger. Doesn't feel normal.

Driver and passenger armrest - It is comfortable. But looks ugly. Should have been designed to look a bit better. It looks like an afterthought. Or like those armrests, they used to have in the govt owned Asiad bus in the good old days. The car looks better without those ugly armrests. The thing is they are extremely comfortable and feel great for the driver and front passenger.

Headlights - the bulbs gave by the company are not bright enough for highway use in India. I got a relay and bulbs of a higher wattage fitted.

Static bending lamps - the left one keeps konking out for some reason. The bulb is fine. Some issue with the fuse maybe. I can't locate it. Mahindra wanted to check the entire wiring / change it etc. I decided to live with 1 static bending lamp not working till I find the time to get my hands dirty. (Static bending lamps - these are additional headlights that turn on when you turn towards the left or right above a certain speed)

Seat belts - don't retract unless helped by you pushing them up a bit unlike the ones in my other cars which immediately go back to where they should be. Mahindra said they can't change just the spring. Need the entire seat belt assembly to be changed. I said never mind.

Clutch - I've heard some owners complaining about clutch failure at around 40k km. The company asks you to change the entire assembly and flywheel and whatnot. I know of owners who've apparently changed just the clutch master cylinder. And the car runs fine forever after that. Maybe there is some design issue with the older clutch master cylinder.

The guy I bought the car from had done the following changes -

1. Clutch plates and master cylinder changed
2. The starter motor was overhauled.

Work I've done over the past 2 years

Battery - changed to a larger batter thinking it would solve the starting problem. It didn't but the larger battery is more suitable for this vehicle. Mahindra put in that 65 Ah battery most probably to keep costs low.

Headlight relay and bulbs - needed this as I had to drive extensively on highways and places where there were no streetlights.

Differential oil change every 20k km - the company says 20k.

Gear oil change every 20k km - company says 20k.

Air filter and AC filter - every 20k km - the company says 40k km for the air filter and recommends merely cleaning the AC filter.

Engine oil and oil filter every 10k km. Normal oil. Not fancy mineral oil. Don't see the point in using fancy oil in a TUV. The company says 6k km. Mahindra sells two types of oil filters. One is slightly larger and one smaller. The correct one is the smaller one but I'd put the large one once when I didn't know which one goes it. It didn't make any difference though.

Wipers - changed once. Just buy any brand as long as the size is more or less the same. It need not be an exact fit.

Coolant leakage - details mentioned above

Brake service and pad cleaning - every 20k km. The company says 30k km or 2 years for brake fluid. I changed it once about 40k km ago. I get all 4 brakes serviced (meaning cleaned and lubricated where needed) every 20k km and then top up the brake oil if needed.

Wheel alignment and balancing- every 20k km

Seat covers - Didn't like what the company gave. Put some seat covers from Opera house. Shoddy job. Not very happy with the fit and finish but it's better than what came with the car.

Tyres - the car came with CEAT tyres - highway tread pattern. I got Goodyear wrangler (all-terrain) tyres fitted. Upsizing tyres and putting in wider ones increases fuel consumption. Stick to the same size. The Yokohama tyres with white letters look better but are more expensive so I went with the wranglers. In case any of you are thinking of a tyre upgrade from your stock tyres, think about the sort of roads you'll be driving on. If it's mainly good roads then get the highway tread pattern. If it's a mix of bad rural roads and highways then get the all-terrain tread type tyres. Pure off-road tyres are a waste on this tank. They'll only help in burning more diesel.

Horn - the ones that came from the company weren't good enough. I prefer the SSkoda-type sound as opposed to the "peep" that we get from most cars. Bought a pair of Minda horns. One konked out after about 3000km. Have now fitted one original horn and one Minda trumpet. Has been working well for some months. No complaints.

Steering wheel cover - Needed the steering wheel to feel a bit thicker.

Antenna - was broken. Fixed a new one. Looked good for about a month. Broke. Now I'm living with the broken one. I don't plan to fit it again. The remaining portion still looks good and doesn't really look broken.

Speakers - what the company gave was not good enough for me. So put in some better ones to make Mark sound better. No not Mark from the office. Was referring to Knopfler.

Whistling sound - Kept hearing it on some occasions. My brains told me it's something to do with the turbo. I went to Mahindra. They said it was normal. The mechanic said sir this is a Mahindra diesel engine. If you don't hear any sound then there most probably is something wrong. The sound you are referring to isn't a turbo "problem". You've driven the car for 80k km. If there is some air leakage issue you'll find a difference in the car's performance. It will be extremely sluggish. You just keep driving for another 80k km. And even if the turbo fails at some point in time you'll be able to continue driving till you reach a service centre.

Rubber belts (fan belts) - I changed them at 40k km when I bought the car since I just wanted to be sure that nothing suddenly goes kaput. That's one rule I've always followed with cars I've bought used. Change the liquids and belts and tyres and wiring/fuses where needed before you start using it.

Some more information

Heavy clutch - is irritating in traffic. My move from a Honda automatic to a Mahindra TUV was great till I was jobless and wandering around. Now after driving from town to Malad every day my left thigh muscles seem to feel different from the ones on my right leg. The good thing is the torque so you can move in traffic without pressing the accelerator. In fact, you can drive from zero to about 40 to 50kmph without pressing the accelerator at all as long as you keep shifting up in time all the way to 5th gear.

Squeaking Clutch - Can’t do much about this. I got Mahindra to change the clutch pedal shank assembly but it still squeaks when you press the clutch pedal. They should have just kept a normal spring-like in the older jeeps. I could have oiled it manually and resolved the issue.

I think it's a great car. I don't slow down for bumps and bad roads. I just keep driving irrespective of road conditions. In the tank you just drive through puddles or in heavy rains when everyone else tries to slow down, everyone else stops or tries going around the pond in the middle of the road. Sorry I meant puddle. You just blast through as if the bloody thing didn't exist.

A lot of rural roads around the farm are not roads by modern standards. I think an obstacle course would be a more appropriate term for them. But the TUV handles them well.

Speed - cruising speed / ideal speed - I believe you need to drive/ride cars and bikes keeping in mind things like the capability of the vehicle and not just your own skill. So to me, a TUV 300 is good enough for up to 100kmph. People might boast they've done 140...big deal. It doesn't mean the vehicle is ok to be driven at that speed. Drive a BMW at 140 and then the TUV at 140 and you'll know what I mean. The TUV is great as long you keep in mind the fact that it is not meant to be driven like a sports car. You keep the RPM around 2000 and drive normally between 60kmph to 100kmph and it feels great. Around 90kmph to 100kmph it feels like you can keep driving forever. After 100kmph it feels like you need to now start focusing a bit more. After 120 it feels like you need to go back to 100kmph immediately unless you really like tempting fate.

Fuel consumption - 14 to 15kmpl overall. Anyone who says 20 (like some chaps do online) needs lessons on how to calculate fuel consumption. Or they are saying it under ideal test conditions or they've got that figure by driving without pressing the accelerator. But you'll get around 15 even if you keep pushing the tank hard.

Ideal Usage - I purchased the car during the lockdown and I was jobless thanks to downsizing that happened at that time. Yeah, I know buying a car after losing your job isn't a very wise thing to do. I was mostly driving from Bombay to the farm near Raigad and made trips to Panchgani / Nasik where I have small pads so it was a lot of highway usage. I drove to a few beaches and some hills around Maharashtra too.

Once I resumed working around 6 months ago my outstation visits have been reduced to once every 2 months but I'm driving to work every day. I find it a bit cumbersome in Bombay traffic. It's a large car and you won't like it at all if you have to drive during peak hours.

7-seater myth - The seats at the rear are not really useful, to be honest. I'd say it's more of a 5 seater. Yeah, the rear seat (middle row) is actually good enough for 3 adults, unlike most sedans which I feel are more of 4-seater cars (with just 2 people in the rear seat). The 2 seats in the dicky in the tank are mostly used to keep stuff like maybe a box or bag and I'd say you could perhaps get someone to sit there if you threaten them. They'll sit there quietly till they suffocate. Or they'll open those quarter glass panels because the AC definitely doesn’t reach back there.

The sensors on the car gave me some trouble. Twice. Sorry thrice. What I've realized is that the tank is quite a reliable vehicle. The sensors appear to be its weak point. They tell you there is a problem when it doesn't exist.

1. ABS sensor comes on while I'm somewhere on the highway in heavy rains ahead of Karnala. I stopped the car wondering what the hell is happening. The brakes were working fine. So ignored the problem and continued driving. Called up the local mechanic - sir it's the sensor that is acting up. Just ignore the warning light. He was right
2. Airbag sensor - the error light was on when I purchased the car. Mahindra fixed it. The cop didn't bother with it saying god knows if the airbag will really engage even if the sensor says everything is working fine. I don't know if the airbags will work when needed but I like to keep things in working condition rather than learn my lesson the hard way.
3. Oil pressure warning - the sensor came on when the vehicle was hot. I turned it off and put it back on. The light went away. Again came on randomly at low speeds. A local mechanic on the Mumbai Goa highway said sir the sensor usually goes wrong. There is nothing wrong with the car. The sensor costs some 300 bucks just to put a new one. I didn't listen to him. Gave the car to Mahindra. They did all sorts of analyses and attempts at reproducing the error - finally, after 4 days arrived at the root cause. Faulty sensor. Billed me some 3k.

Key learning

Local mechanic - 1

Me - 0

Other misc inputs

Which battery should I buy?

The largest one that fits in the space there. Don't buy the one the company gave that is too small and isn't able to handle the heavy load this car needs. Buy a larger one like 95 Ah or more whenever it’s time to buy a new battery. The Ah rating refers to the capacity of the battery in terms of how long it would hold the charge. The output will remain more or less the same. So you buy a larger battery especially if you ain't using the car every day and/or you've added extra lights or something that is consuming the battery more than what the company guys gave with the car.

Which Engine Oil is most suitable for this car?

• I've used Castrol / Shell / Mobil / Mahindra / HP (once while topping up on the highway).
• I haven't found any difference in any of them, to be honest. The car runs the same irrespective of the brand.
• Apart from the initial "smoothness" that you get with all new oils. Not sure if it's really smoother or just the placebo effect. You've put in new oil so you "think" it's feeling smoother.
• My Honda on the other hand definitely felt different with expensive synthetic oil.
• This tank just feels the same irrespective of what you put in. As long as you stick to the company rating of CH4 15w-40 it's fine.

Tyre pressure - the company said 32 in 2015. Later they changed this to 34. I tried all pressure ranges. They all feel the same. No difference in handling or fuel consumption. I've been filling 34 for about a year now.

Oil Change interval - the company manual says if it's Mahindra oil then 10k km. If it's some other brand then 6k. I've kept it at 10k assuming that the company doesn't really have some special type of oil that is magically prepared and really different from what other brands have. They've just said that to make you come back to the authorized service centre more often.

The ideal way to drive - is like you'd drive an old jeep. Release the clutch without pressing the accelerator. Once the car starts rolling press it if you need the car to pick up the pace. Change gears quickly. Don't redline it in each gear. Keep the RPM around 2000 most of the time. The engine will not stall unless you are being stupid. It's not a silent vehicle. Listen to the engine while driving. It feels good.

AC Mode - I've always kept it on eco mode. Never felt the need to use the normal mode at all.

ESS - No. Leave it off always. Forever.

Rear Mudflaps - are needed if you want to prevent mud from flying on the rear windshield. The wiper there has to keep working overtime unless you fit mud flaps. I bought them for the front wheel too but didn't fit them - it reduces the ground clearance. Looks like a faulty design. It's too large. I've used the rear ones only.

Extra fittings - Mine came with the rear bull bar and sideboards or whatever those are called. I'd say those are a must-have for this tank.

84bhp or 110 bhp version - the tanks are identical. It's the same engine tuned to deliver more power. Even the 110 won't drive like a modern fast car. It's still supposed to be driven like an old Jeep.

Manual or Automatic - Manual only. The TUV 300 automatics have serious issues and I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.

Is a Scorpio better? Yes but it's a larger engine and you'll have to live with 12kmpl. Lower if you push the car. It's also extremely difficult to find a Scorpio that is in mint condition. Most of them are used as tourist vehicles. Even the ones without yellow plates are used illegally to ferry people from point a to point b with stopovers in the middle. For this reason, they are also much more expensive as compared to a used TUV. I bought a TUV instead of a Scorpio keeping in mind the lower cost of maintenance, lower cost of new tyres, oils and liquids, better fuel economy and lower purchase price.

If I want an SUV should I buy a TUV 300? No.

• You buy the tank if you want an old traditional Mahindra-type jeep with some modern comforts.
• Yes, the tank does have a street presence and on highways, cars will move out of the way when they see you thundering towards them but it's still an old-school sort of a vehicle. It's not the same thing as a Fortuner or Nexon or Duster or Creta etc.
• Buy it if you are the type of person who'd have bought a Mahindra Jeep instead of a Contessa or Premier Padmini in the good old days.
• Buy it if you need a large vehicle which has a lot of space.
• Don't buy it if you need to corner hard and get from zero to 100 in 3.4 seconds.

As of now, I feel my tank will last for another 1 lakh km. The guys at Mahindra said they were confident the engine was good enough with absolutely nothing to be done. I need to keep reminding myself the sounds are normal. I've had zero breakdowns to date.

What I've realized is that it definitely is a tough car (tank?) which can take a lot of rough use and punishment.

It's not a posh vehicle.

If you need a fancy set of wheels then the TUV is not the car for you.

Way Forward

• I need to decide on whether I should keep the tank for another 2 years or sell it. I've always kept my cars extremely clean with not a single extra sticker or fitting (even inside) apart from what came from the company.Yeah, I've been called bawaji by the mechanics.
• But with the TUV I'm thinking if I finally get round to doing that denting & paint work then perhaps I'll put some stickers on it - Team-BHP stickers on the doors, a compass symbol on the rear quarter glass on both sides, the Mahindra live young live free sticker on the rear windshield. And maybe a large Compass-type symbol on the bonnet.
• It actually depends on where I'll be driving in future.
• If it's mainly the city then I'll need a sedan or a more sensible vehicle.
• Unless I want to keep pretending I'm John Wayne

The official TeamBhp review is an excellent resource of information about the TUV 300 with inputs from a lot of members. Do take a look.

I'd like to thank Mr Abdul Sayed (Head - Customer Experience) from Mahindra (dude, you rock!) as well as Mr Dsouza (GM of the Mahindra workshop at Sewri) and his awesome team for all the invaluable help support assistance and guidance they've given me for my vehicle. They come across as experts who definitely know their stuff well.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.