I have driven it for about 800 kms so far, post-accident. The overall car has run 4700 kms.

BHPian fawad0222 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

As most of you know, I am using a below-knee left leg prosthesis after having met a road traffic accident in November 2022.

With the grace of God and prayers from you all now I have started leading a regular life, including regular walks and cycling.

I drive a Jeep Compass, diesel manual, had bought just before the accident. While driving, I keep the left prosthetic foot on the clutch as keeping it on the dead pedal is difficult and the operation of the clutch, is clumsy. This way clutch doesn't get engaged until I press it for its intended purpose and there is only a slight downward movement of the clutch (free movement), without its actual engagement. I have driven it for about 800 kms so far, post-accident. The overall car has run 4700 kms. Recently my brother had taken it to hills where after climbing just10 kms, there was a strong burning smell in the cabin and slight smoke in the engine bay. The car was taken to the ASS on a flatbed where the whole clutch plate assembly was changed.

Now I am unsure whether the clutch plates were damaged due to my driving and need inputs from the Bhpians who have technical know-how of such matters. It will be of great help, as I will accordingly decide to either keep the car or replace it with an automatic one.

Sincere regards

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Fawad, my compliments on your spirit & recovery efforts. Best wishes to you.

Please do a lateral upgrade to minimize the financial impact - sell your Compass and buy a pre-owned AT. If you sell your car early and buy used one, it reduces the depreciation hit.

Get a Compass AT, or any other AT crossover. The options are endless in the pre-owned market. Your doctor obviously knows 100X more than I do, but IMHO, it's best not to put the Prosthesis on a mundane task like the clutch pedal for which ready solutions (in the form of an AT) are available.

Here's what BHPian Kosfactor had to say on the matter:

See if there is a way to modify the dead pedal so that it can better accommodate your driving, Yes any weight on the clutch pedal will wear out your clutch, hydraulic clutch actuation has no slack at the top.

I cannot say if it's your driving that has damaged the clutch or your brother's driving, because someone who is used to driving a small turbo diesel or petrol engine may easily abuse the clutch of a larger turbo diesel engine vehicle because of their driving habits.

2.0 MJD`s gearing is tall, a clutch overhaul will cost a bomb unless you maintain very good clutch discipline in traffic \ hills etc.

Here's what BHPian SS-Traveller had to say on the matter:

Deeply sorry to learn about your unfortunate accident and handicap.

Even with a normal foot (even barefoot) resting on the clutch pedal, friction plate wear is highly accelerated. In your case, the touch sensation of the prosthetic foot is zero, so you are unable to figure out whether the foot pressure is enough to make the clutch slip or not. The best advice is to devise a raised dead pedal alongside the C pedal, onto which you can move and rest the prosthetic foot till the time the clutch needs to be used. Absolutely do NOT rest your foot on the C pedal when not changing gears.

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say on the matter:

Hi Fawad. Very happy to hear that you are resuming all activities with maximum normalcy post the very unfortunate accident.

I am in the same camp as some others here. I would simply recommend changing over to an automatic in as financially viable a manner as possible. I’d also echo the suggestion of a lateral upgrade/transition as feasible.

I am neither a doctor nor someone using a prosthetic so fundamentally ill-equipped to respond with authority but just intuitively it seems to me that it would be a better bet to operate an automatic vehicle rather than operate the clutch with these adjustments.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The SUV took the full beating while sheltering us completely and hence sustained some damage.

BHPian CrAzY dRiVeR recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Details about the hailstorm are mentioned in the latter part of the post.

20,000 kms update

The Compass has crossed 20k kms and there has been nothing much to update - just regular tankfuls of diesel and adblue. The car continues to be fun and makes light work of office commutes and highway drives.

Just leaving the thread with a few recent clicks. Getting Galaxy Blue with the white+tan interior of the Limited was an excellent decision and the car continues to receive praise from friends and family. Compass in itself has a novelty factor (thanks to poor sales) and this colour is even rarer. So far so good.

Meanwhile, another vehicle has entered the garage. Will update the relevant thread soon.

Caught in a storm:

There was a recent storm outbreak in Bangalore that created headlines - sudden downpours with hailstorms and strong winds. Resulted in the death of a girl who drowned in a Xylo caught in the underpass.

Unfortunately, I was caught in the same area and got caught in the same storm - except on much higher ground. Presence of huge trees in the area meant that I couldn't take refuge from the hailstorm anywhere and the car took the full beating while sheltering us completely. Unfortunately, a small branch fell right on the bonnet too - needing me to reverse out of the situation. Could be the leaves or the build of the car - but it left only a long scratch on the PPF and a minor ding on the bonnet.

Thankful the sunroof didn't crack! The sound of the hailstorm was so horrible and loud inside the car - wife has been having hearing problems for the last one month since the storm.

When the weather suddenly changed. This was only at 3:23PM and it just turned night in a few mins.

Scratch from the tree branch and the aftermath once I reached the parking safely.

All the leaves the car managed to collect during the hour. Cleaning all of this out took a good 30 minutes.

Detailing Mafia Trivandrum tried to correct it, but was only partially successful. Anyways, the damage is only on the PPF.

The hailstorm also left minor dings on the body, barely visible - but I'll know it is there.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I barely manage a fuel efficiency of 6-7 for the 50-odd km commute.

BHPian yashg recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

It's been 6 months since I got the Compass. After the trip to Ajanta-Ellora in December, had one trip to Dahanu for a weekend getaway. It has only been office drives and burning petrol stuck in traffic.

Took it for the first six months / 5000 km service to the Andheri SC of Landmark Jeep. Not much to do except routine checks, software updates and wheel alignment and balancing. There was some rattling noise coming from the rear which I asked the SA to check and fix. He later called me saying it was coming from the sunroof and will take a day to fix. Had left the car at SC on a Saturday, and collected it on Monday. SA showed me a video of a loose nut which was causing some movement and noise. It was tightened. The rattling issue is now fixed. Total expense was 2213 for WA+WB. Uneventful routine service experience. Nothing to complain about.

I noticed some BYDs in the service centre. SA mentioned Landmark has acquired a BYD dealership. For now, they are servicing them from the Jeep SC, they will eventually move them to a dedicated centre once volume increases.

The car has been running smoothly. Other than the rattling there was no other complaint from the car. The fuel economy has been abysmal though. Mumbai traffic is getting worse day by day. The commute that used to take 50 minutes pre-covid now routinely takes 1 hour and 20 minutes. I barely manage FE of 6-7 for the 50-odd km commute which sometimes takes 3.3 hours total!

I have been part of the Jeep owner's groups. They routinely organise trails. Haven't been able to join any yet for one reason or the other. Just last Saturday the group went to Shivar motocross. Hope to join one of the trails in the coming months.

So far, so good.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Ventilated seats are an excellent feature, even though I am in Bangalore having ventilated seats mean AC can be kept at lower levels avoiding blower noise.

BHPian kamleshp recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I bought a (company leased is the right term) Jeep Compass 'S' diesel AT, exactly 1 year ago.

It has been an excellent ownership experience so far, no complaints on the vehicle and service.

The SUV has delivered exactly as expected, only disappointment is that I could not take it on highway as much as I wanted to.

Initial niggles:

On purchase day itself I realized that driver side speakers are not working, the showroom staff tried to reset but it did not fix the issue. I was advised to visit the service centre. Apparently, a connection was not right, but the fix took solid 4-5 hours, I was pained to see panels being removed on a new car. Since then, the audio is working excellent.

There is a on and off vibrating noise from passenger side, it is not rattle, it is like the noise you get in big speakers when there is no music being played. I have taken the vehicle to service station but at that faithful time my JC did not produce that vibrating noise. It is very faint, cannot make out when music is on, so life goes on.

Carplay disconnections were very frequent in the initial days, during one of my visits to service centre, they upgraded the software to latest version and since then Carplay works without any glitch. After the recent upgrade I see the lag in touchscreen response.

Purchase decision:

I was looking for a car in INR 35-45L range, the first choice was Skoda because I owned Fabia for last 11 yrs. The sales guy did not make any effort to sell me either Octavia (wife rejected it outright) or Superb (dirty car for test drive). Even my repeated attempts to get another test drive failed, so Skoda was out of consideration. Luxury cars were out of budget, and I was not keen on Hyundai.

I did 2 test drives of JC, liked the feel of it on road and the sales guy was ever ready to come home with TD vehicle and answer my queries. I read through all the JC threads on TBHP, spoke to a friend and finalized on the JC Diesel top end.

Likes:

• Ventilated seats are an excellent feature, even though I am in Bangalore having ventilated seats mean AC can be kept at lower levels avoiding blower noise. Less fatigue on long distances.
• Wireless Apple Carplay and wireless charging is my fav, no need to carry that additional cable, as soon as you sit in the car, phone is connected and on charging mode. No worries related to charging on long travels.
• Almost luxury feel in the cabin with all black, soft leather, etc.
• Good steering feel and precise drive, I am very impressed with the steering precision at slow crawling speeds.
• Highway drives is where JC excels, each time I take it out on highway I feel why I do not take it out more often.
• Panoramic sunroof gives the cabin very roomy feeling and proud to say that not once my kids have asked to stand up through the sunroof when JC was moving, even after seeing other kids do it in other cars.
• Audio quality.

Dislikes:

• The parcel tray is a pain, it does not come out easily.
• Alerts are distracting, the alerts related to low tire pressure, low AdBlue, etc., on the console, are distracting and intrusive. Sometimes a simple act of horn while driving gives an alert chime. Initially it was very unnerving as I felt something is going wrong. Took time to feel comfortable around alert chimes.
• Acceleration is not instantaneous, a frustrating fraction of a second late from the time you press the pedal. It takes little time to get adjusted to.
• Sometimes RPM stays high for little longer than acceptable, this is annoying.
• Braking makes some noise, like a gripping noise, during slow moves mostly after wash and rainy days.
• A pillar creates blind spot in certain directions.

Driving usage:

I took a week off from work for the first 7 days of ownership, drove it in the city, and outskirts with multiple drives on NICE road end to end, clocked 1200kms. Less compared to what I wanted to clock but enough to give me good feel of the car.

I drive it mostly in the city, use for going to office, which is 22kms one side, the drive is through the city. Trip to Goa was my longest highway drive otherwise highway drives have been mostly to nearby towns. There is a big itch to drive long and far, need to plan something this year.

Fuel efficiency:

I have recorded all my fuel expenses, almost always tanked full when fuel indicator hit 'E'.

The best I have got from tank full is 701 kms, FE of 14+kmpl, this was when I drove to Hubli and back. Overall, the FE is 10.5 to 11 kmpl. I should admit I am not satisfied; I need to do more highway runs to extract higher FE.

Conclusion:

I am satisfied with the purchase, the car is good to drive, service experience has been good. Maybe driving modes (eco, sport, etc.) and paddle shift could have enhanced driving experience a little more, but frankly, I need to use it more, maybe put 4X4 also to use.

Happy driving, cheers!

KP.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The FCA 2.0L diesel does like to rev and it is very smooth. Power delivery is linear after the turbo kick. I can never get tired of diesels.

BHPian vretdesbyrd recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

While I flail about on OLX for Fortuners and 9anime for Isekai all day waiting for the Scorpio, I decided to have a look at the Jeep "Chompy" Compass:

What I liked:

• Handling and Dynamics: This is one of the best handling crossovers this side of 40L. Enough has been said about it and it is all true. Now, if it were only rear-biased.
• The FCA 2.0L diesel does like to rev and it is very smooth. Power delivery is linear after the turbo kick. I can never get tired of diesels.
• The gearbox is less dog-poop than the pre-facelift Chompy. I can live with it but it will remain at the back of my head.
• The materials, buttons, switchgear, door handles, everything is build absolutely solid. Controls have this nice heft to them. Only weak links are the wiper and indicator stalks.
• U-Connect is nice and took 5-10 seconds to pair up to my iPhone. Similar timeframe for the OnePlus. Works flawless, nothing to complain about.
• Suspension is very good at dealing with bad roads. Sharp potholes felt really soft and fluffy. It was gliding like driving on Korone or Luna's cheeks.
• Yes, this is way better, even than Scorpio-N and Endeavour (not that they are anywhere even close to bad to begin with - I am one of those people who find Fortuner's suspension livable).
• I will never stop praising a 360 camera system, even if it is poorly implemented (Alturas G4). This is a good one.
• Both front seats are powered. Who does that in this segment?
• I like the sunroof. It is big and the controls are nice. What is also nice is the button-operated rear hatch.
• 4WD Lock, 4 Low, Hill Descent Control, Auto-Hold, Auto-Irritate-Me, EPB, this thing is loaded.
• Nice and soft seats. Very comfortable overall.
• Really good A/C for a european vehicle. Especially the ventilated seats. At par with 320d/Fortuner/Swift. Slightly better than Scorpio-N (it is good) and in another dimension compared to Vento/Superb.
• Audio system gets the job done. Very audiophile tuning (lacks bass).
• Makes RR Evoque look like a trashcan at this price point. (Urbanmech joke?)
• I like the way the digital instrument cluster looks and feels.
• Sales guy mentioned that customers have upsized to 235/55R18 without issue
• Vehicle is a looker and turns heads easily. The green looks lovely, both on screen and in person.
• Build quality, fit and finish is really good. I daresay phenomenal and way better than my 2010 Superb.
• It turned off when I opened the driver door in P.

What I didn't:

• The gearbox. I said it is less dog-poop but that is still dog-poop to some degree. At a certain point I needed the full output of the engine. Put my foot down all the way.
• It took 2 seconds. IT TOOK TWO SECONDS! Yeah, I can live with it but compared to this, Scorpio-N and Fortuner torque converters feel like an F1 sequential transmission.
• No physical controls for ventilated seats. It's right there on the screen but I would just rather avoid using the screen other than for 360, navigation and music.
• Cannot see the bonnet despite cranking seat height to the max.
• Brakes are bad. Better than Vento but bad. Not very confidence inspiring. Scorpio/Fortuner/Crysta stopped and slowed exactly how I wanted.
• A semi dog-poop gearbox like this could be redeemed with paddle shifters but no.
• Does the subwoofer even work?
• Overpriced by a couple of lakhs but it is totally worth it. Hardly any cars that are not overpriced these days.
• Ground clearance is way too low for such a nice off-roader.

While not totally vetoed-out, it remains on the list alongside the Scorpio-N and used Fortuner

Here are some more pictures:

Quarter:

Rear:

Rear quarter:

Nice seats:

i like this view of the cluster more:

Cramped but comfortable rear. We don't complain since we are a family of short people (but Fortuner and Scorpio do feel palatial):

Clean and functional centre console:

Pièce de résistance (the lifesaver):

Notice that the auto-irritant button is off.

Meh:

That's it for now.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

There's no word on whether the petrol variants will return to the Compass line-up.

Earlier this week, there were rumours suggesting that Jeep had discontinued the Compass petrol variants. The news has since been confirmed.

Jeep India has issued an official statement following the discontinuation of the petrol variants of the Compass.

Official statement:

The Premium SUV segment continues to enjoy a strong demand for diesel powertrain. Jeep India will continue to invest and develop its efficient state-of-the-art 2.0 L MultiJet Turbo Diesel powertrains offering superior torque, lower emissions and an impressive fuel efficiency. Jeep India is committed to the market and has significant product plans for the future. We will continue to explore all possible engine and fuel options in line with the evolving market preferences to offer what is most relevant to our consumers.

The Jeep Compass 1.4-litre turbo-petrol variants have been shelved. Going forward, the SUV will only be available with the 2.0-litre diesel engine. Jeep will continue to invest and develop this powertrain further, however, there's no word on whether the petrol variants will return to the Compass line-up.

It was 14K+ kms since the last service and so I decided to get the service done little earlier.

BHPian arun_josie recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Maintenance Update: Wheel Alignment/Balancing, Pollution Check and Scheduled Service:

Wheel Alignment/Balancing at Madhus:

This was done a day before the service. This was just a regular scheduled check and there were no complaints. During the balancing they said that one tyre requires force matching, and this was done. However, after this force matching the TPMS on the tyre stopped working, it was very strange and they tried fixing it but couldn’t. After checking with the TPMS vendor (Sensairy), this sensor was replaced.

I had a 50% coupon which they had issued during one of the Jeep trails conducted by the Bangalore Jeep Club, so the bill came down to 1K this time.

Overall, it was a very good experience here.

When I reached their place it was raining very heavily and I didn't get out for few minutes. Thankfully the crowd was well managed and they allotted a bay for me immediately.

Pollution check:

I got this done as well as it had expired. Now it is valid for one more year:

1,20,000 Km Service done @ 1,16,253 km:

It was 14K+ kms since the last service and so I decided to get the service done little earlier. It’s the 1,20,000 kms servicing done at 1,16,000 Kms.

As usual I booked the appointment with PPS/MPS Motors, Hosur road and was there by 9:00 AM on the day of the service. The job card was opened as soon as I arrived and an estimate of 13-14K was given for this service. I didn’t point out any issues as I had time constraints and decided to come another day for the issues as they were just minor issues.

Once the job card was opened, I was walking out to the lounge when I came across another Bhpian who had come there for some body work. So, I had some company while Scarlett was getting serviced.

These were the work done during this service:

• Routine complete checkup / Underbody check
• Engine Oil/Filter replacement
• Fuel Filter replacement
• AC filter
• Brake Bleeding

Air Filter was ignored this time as I had replaced it recently.

The work got over by 12:00 PM and the bill came to 13,212/-

Here are few pics:

The old oil being drained out:

Fresh new oil:

Now its good for another 15k kms:

After a wash:

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Currently, Jeep dealerships are said to be accepting bookings for the Compass diesel only.

If the latest rumours are anything to go by, Jeep may have discontinued the petrol variants of the Compass.

During a brief interaction with a salesperson, BHPian Maky learned that the Compass Petrol was no longer on sale. Both manual and automatic variants are said to have been shelved for now. Whether it’s temporary, while Jeep upgrades the engine to comply with BS6 Phase 2 norms remains to be seen.

The Compass Petrol is powered by a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine producing 156 BHP and 250 Nm. The engine is paired with either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DCT.

It is said that the Compass will only be available with the 2.0-litre diesel engine for the time being. This engine develops 168 BHP and 350 Nm and is offered with a 6-speed manual and a 9-speed automatic with four-wheel drive.

Thanks to BHPian Maky for sharing this information with other enthusiasts!

Based on my requirements, I have shortlisted the Jeep Compass, Tata Harrier and Hyundai Tucson.

BHPian akshye recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Dear kith and kin,

I currently own VW Polo 1.0 TSI MT. It's the only car in my garage. While it serves the purpose, it's not a car for family road trips - mainly due to lack of rear legroom. Although there are only two and a half occupants in the car, most of the time for road trips, we have issues with long journeys.

My wife doesn't sit in the rear seat due to lack of legroom, and my son gets bored after a while, being alone on the back bench. So he wants to sit in the front passenger seat on his mother's lap, resulting in a crowded front passenger seat and an empty rear bench.

The moral of the story is, we need a larger car for our road trips.

Since Polo serves its primary purpose, I have no intention of replacing it. So we are considering buying a second car. When I started looking for a larger second car, I was first looking at sedans. But after a few road trips in Polo, I realised that road trips are often to unknown terrains. Hatchbacks and sedans can't be taken to remote destinations, hotels, etc. without worrying about a scratched belly and bumpers.

Hence I was then inclined towards SUVs. Thankfully, our market has a lot to offer in that segment. To be honest, I'm unable to make up my mind about what to go for. Also, since my requirements are long journey oriented, just a test drive is not going to serve the purpose. Hence, looking for opinions based on the user experience of the owners of the cars in the list. Additional suggestions are welcome too.

So here goes my list, please share your experience and opinion to help me make an educated decision.

Needs

• A comfortable car for long journeys. Need not be a driver's car, since Polo satisfies that need
• Safe - Every safety feature counts - ABS, ESP, structural integrity, features for ease of parking, and off-course NCAP rating
• Good ground clearance and capable of running on unpaved roads
• Creature comforts - including cooled seats, a sunroof (for those one-and-a-half passengers), etc.
• Large boot space to carry more luggage than the two and half need
• Auto gearbox - no MT/AMT/IMT etc.

Need nots

• No 6/7-seater - my spouse thinks those are tourist cars. Plus I don't want 3rd row to consume space when I don't have a need for it
• No MUV/MPV - neither of us like them

Not so sure

• Diesel - I don't trust incumbent rulers in the centre (Ministry Ban on Diesels by 2027 (Petroleum ministry panel: Ban diesel 4-wheelers in big cities by 2027)), but diesel cars make economic sense

Contenders

Jeep Compass

This is the first car I considered, since I always loved Jeep. It's a good vehicle and has a premium feel to it.

But I think, it looks outdated in this third decade of the century. I already have one outdated car in my parking; what would neighbours say?

Plus I have doubts about the longevity of the Fiat company in our motherland.

Tata Harrier

This is the only car from this list that I've experienced in the showroom. I just loved the car overall. I happen to have an emotional connection with Tata company as well, which may be the biasing factor for me loving this car. Interestingly, my spouse liked the car too, whereas she always spoke against big-bulky SUVs before this.

While all this is what the heart thinks, the mind doesn't agree entirely. I've seen ergonomic design issues with Tata cars, their QC too is inconsistent. So, although I like Tata cars, I still need more convincing to spend over 2 Million Rupees on their product.

Hyundai Tucson

Well, I know this is way more expensive than the earlier 2 on the list. But I genuinely liked the car. Plus it's not locally made with cost cut around corners, compromising 'structural integrity'. It actually a modern car with every creature-comfort at this price point - just what I need in a car for our road trips. It's sized right - not too big, not too small.

With a very good Euro-NCAP rating, this is just the right car. The only thing is the price - a million and a half more, than Harrier.

This is all I have on my list for now. I have decided to buy a new car in 2024.

Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:

If you can stretch your budget for the Tucson, go for that only. It's the best SUV of the lot, a truly world-class product and quite an all-rounder.

Second choice = XUV700

Car you haven't considered = Innova Hycross. Drives beautifully, 15 kmpl thanks to the Hybrid, sorted ride & handling, spacious, has kit and is easy to live with (light steering, smooth AT). Doesn't have that MPV image like the Innova Crysta.

Here's what BHPian JoshMachine had to say about the matter:

I would suggest that you draw up a budget range (min to max) to filter some of the buying decisions. Else, this 5-seater SUV segment can be notorious.

All the 3 cars you have shortlisted - Harrier + Compass + Tucson have their own case to make and are positively different in their own way.

The Harrier AT is definitely a solid mile muncher and may appear a bit rugged while at the other end, the Tucson is a very wonderful piece of modern engineering. The Compass would sit somewhere in between. You might want to throw in a Hector (CVT) also just to complete the comparison.

Not sure if you are open to the pre-owned route, but a good (low mileage) Q3 or a Kodiaq (pre-BS6 diesel) can also be a good surprise for those long road trips. Never mind the 7-seater config of the Kodiaq, you can always use the extra space to add 2 more suitcases.

As for what neighbors will say, does it matter so much that your buying decision will get influenced?

Here's what BHPian dicor had to say about the matter:

Looking at your choices, I can assume a few things:

• You have a budget of 20-30 lakhs.
• You are not hell-bent on real estate inside. You just want better ground clearance.
• You want Automatic.
• You want better Fuel economy, the sole reason for choosing diesel.
• You need creature comforts.
• You do not want sub 4 mtrs

If there is no frequent highway running, I suggest you stay away from Diesel due to DPF issues.

Your options are:

• Creta (Even the petrol variant is fuel economical)
• Hector
• Scorpio-N (Petrol variant is fuel guzzler and Diesel demands frequent highway runs)
• XUV7OO (Petrol variant is fuel guzzler and Diesel demands frequent highway runs)
• Safari / Harrier
• Innova Hycross (Hybrid), No DPF issues.

If you come up with a budget and daily driving usage and pattern, members can put further points.

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say about the matter:

• I think in today’s day and age, you should try to avoid diesel if you can. Since FE and safety are both important to you, I’d actually recommend the Innova Hycross strong hybrid as the top choice. It's reliable, safe, fuel-efficient, it’ll last a decade and more and it really does look posh enough for a family. I’d ignore the third row and think of it as a spacious 2-row car with a big boot.
• My second recommendation from that list would be the Tucson petrol - it indeed is a really perfectly sized car which looks modern in every respect. The only downer is that if you’re more inclined towards a petrol, I suspect it’ll be a bit of a guzzler. How much this matters if this is for occasional long trips you can weigh it up.
• On an unrelated note, if you don’t mind my saying it, please never have your child in the front seat - EVER - in an adult’s lap - whether you’re going around the corner for a 2 min run or on a long drive. This is extraordinarily unsafe, more so with airbag-equipped cars but even otherwise.

Get the child a car seat or a booster depending on age and put it at the back. If the child is adamant not to sit alone at the back, one adult should compromise with their comfort and sit at the back with the child. I’ve on numerous occasions driven alone at the front when my son was very small and he was throwing a tantrum for his mum to be at the back with him. But we simply did not allow not being seated in a car seat - it was non-negotiable from very early on and became a muscle memory for him.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

When a few Jeepers got bored of off-roading, they switched off traction control and made us realize - a Jeep can DRIFT

BHPian aayusht recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Background

I bought a Jeep Compass in November 2021 and was soon added to a ~500-member group of Delhi NCR Jeep owners. I had seen that the group regularly organized trails, off-roading events and day trips. I had been keen to join these trips/trails but one or the other commitment stopped us from signing up for such trips. However, when one of my engineering college seniors (GG) tagged me encouraging me to join a trip being planned between 1st – 3rd April, I immediately agreed but added - ‘subject to terms and conditions’. I spent a few days encouraging my better half to agree to the trip and with wifey’s consent secured, I made the payment for the trip before the decision could be reversed, that way I could claim – “money already deposited, so no turning back”.

As the date for the trip approached, I was keen to be part of the planning process and reached out to the moderators for the trip. I was roped in for the planning and partnered with fellow Bhpian AshwinRS from Noida to plan logistics and meals

Trip participants

1. Target was for 25+ Jeep owners, but finally, 20 signed up & made payments
2. But there were unforeseen challenges with a few and finally, 17 Jeep owners with their families joined the trip (16 Compasses & 1 Meridian)
3. 15 Owners from Delhi NCR + 2 from Chandigarh
4. A total of 37 adults & 10 children

Day 1 Itinerary

• Gurgaon, Delhi and Noida Jeepers had 3 assembly points & we started in the wee hours of the morning
• All Delhi NCR Jeepers were to assemble at the flag-off point at Haldiram, Sec 63, Noida. Flag-off activities included pasting stickers & decals on the Jeeps
• We planned to leave for Tehri at 7 AM but actually left around 8 AM
• Breakfast halt was planned at Om Mannat Dhaba 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM; we trickled in at the location & finally wrapped up breakfast after chit-chats by around 11:30 am heading towards Haridwar
• Chandigarh Jeepers joined us close to Rishikesh & completed the formation of 17 Jeeps
• Throughout the journey between the breakfast halt point and Rishikesh, Google Maps played tricks and sent different groups on different roads which were finally meant to merge closer to Rishikesh. We also chose to take a detour around Rishikesh taking hilly roads which were longer but Google Maps predicted less travel time. It was the more scenic route & glad that we took this option. However, please note – this detour also had a few spots with landslides, nothing too major, but we had to navigate through some tight spots (a few of us needed a little help keeping an eye on how close we were to the edge)
• Lunch Halt planned at The Winterline Resort where buffet lunch was planned 1 PM - 2 PM; en route to this location we encountered light rains and also spotted small pockets with fresh snow/hail
• We finally reach the Hotel Le Roi, Koti around 7:00 pm (many exhausted after close to 12 hours of travel)
• The Dinner Party with Live Music at the Hotel was from 7:30 PM onwards & that is when many of us truly started to mingle with others (Bhpian AshwinRS & Abhishek from Chandigarh were the singers who made the evening memorable)

Day 2 Itinerary

• Breakfast was wrapped up around 10 am with most of us lazing around the hotel restaurant and admiring the natural beauty around the hotel
• Many of us trickled to the venue for water sports and in smaller groups ended up taking up speed boating, Jet Skiing or Water sailing
• Right after the water sports activities, some of us were keen to try the customary tea & Maggi from the hills. Somehow the tea and Maggi from the hills seem to have a different taste
• We assembled back at the hotel by 12:45 pm
• We drove to the Tehri Dam (10 minutes away from the hotel) and realized that to get closer and enter the premises, we needed to get a few permissions sorted, which we had not planned for and hence could not proceed inside the dam premises. We finally moved to an observation point closer to the Tehri Dam and returned to the hotel for lunch around 2 pm
• Post lunch, the group dispersed into smaller groups, with a few moving back to rooms to relax, a few of us going to the lake banks and another group that identified spots for off-roading. Personally, the icing on the entire trip was the off-roading.
• The photos and videos I have included don’t do justice to the fun we had
• Post that a few Jeepers (AshwinRS among them) went on for a night trail to the Dobra Chanti bridge around 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm while a few other Jeepers (including me) spent time relaxing at the hotel followed by an early start to the drinks.
• We wrapped up the night after a sumptuous meal, drinks and lots of fun

Day 3 Itinerary

• The group wrapped up breakfast between 8:30 AM -9:30 AM at the hotel
• The group started to check out and head for Delhi between 10 AM to Noon (all of us were offered to leave at our own discretion, but we ended up leaving the hotel in small groups)
• We left around 10:30 AM with 2 other Jeeps while a couple of others had a more relaxed drive back with loads of drone photographs and prolonged entertainment
• On our way back, we made one stop for a late lunch at Namaste Dwaar - The Gateway to Rural India NH-58 and reached NCR around 4 pm only to reach home around 7 pm (remember – Noida to Gurgaon in peak traffic takes more time than flying out from Delhi to Mumbai; sarcasm intended)

Key highlights of the trip

1. While driving towards different checkpoints on Day 1, Jeeps were mostly in a convoy formation. Due to traffic, the convoy broke a number of times but the moderators were constantly on radio walkie and worked extensively to ensure the group stuck together
2. On Day 1, it was drizzling in some patches & the drive was enjoyable. When we were closer to our destination (after Banali on NH34), we could see patches of hail & something with a semblance of snow.
3. The off-roading on Day 2 was fun, first time I saw (in person) what a 4x4 can do and that a TrailHawk can really redefine how you see 4x4s. I could never dream of doing any of this in my Petrol Compass
4. When a few Jeepers got bored of off-roading, they switched off traction control and made us realize - a Jeep can DRIFT
5. The area around New Tehri is truly beautiful, (despite the ecological impact that the dam reservoir caused, something which Bhpian SS-Traveller & I discussed)
6. The food at Om Mannat was good & The Winterline Resort & Restaurant was decent (it is among the better options on that patch, you won’t get fancy restaurants en route, so plan a bit if you wish to halt on this patch)
7. At the start of the trip, the only person in the entire group I knew was my college senior. By the end of the trip, I was friends with most of the other Jeepers who joined this trip. The moderators were friendly and helpful (Mohit makes all the organizing seem too easy but honestly, it's not). The entire group of 17 Jeepers & family turned out to be pretty welcoming and made the entire trip worthwhile.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.