Inclined towards buying a petrol-automatic, as the SUV will have low running with mostly short distance commutes.
GTO recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
After two long years of ogling at Thars more than Porsches & Ferraris, I have decided to bite.
Can’t wait for a Thar Convertible to come home.
Although I think the Diesel AT is the superior Thar, I am thinking of getting a Petrol AT. Reason = BS6 exhaust. It’s the 5th car in the house and will just be a weekend/night toy. Running will be max 100 – 300 km a month, usage merely once a week, and I have other fast German sedans for highway runs.
The main reason I am wary of the Diesel AT is that complex exhaust system. Because of my low running & short distance commutes (think 5 km to Bandra or Worli), I don’t want to end up with choked DPFs & errors. Any thoughts? Would love a Diesel AT Thar with a tuning box / remap, but it’s just the BS6 systems that are putting me off. Another small influencer is that I am very sure of Mumbai following Delhi in the 10-year diesel ban (although I’ll probably upgrade to the 3rd-gen Thar anyway after 10 years).
Really, really want fat tyres. It’s a non-negotiable for the stance (check out the rims on my current rides too). Minimum of 285 mm, open to 305 (a friend has one with 305/60/R16 & I adore his Jeep’s stance). Okay with 18″ rims, very open to 16″ wheels with tall sidewalls too. What are the suggested tyre sizes for 285 mm and up? Good sources for wheels?
Thanks!
Here’s what BHPian shankar.balan had to say on the matter:
Good that you are hopping on to the Thar bandwagon. Welcome Aboard!
What colour are you getting? In the present dispensation, the best colours are Galaxy Grey, followed by Rocky Beige followed by Black.
It is a great vehicle. Speaking as an owner of a Thar and a Gypsy, I feel sure that it will complement your garage and enhance your lifestyle even more than the Classic does.
You will enjoy it for sure.
I’m submitting some thoughts towards your points above.
- Yes to Petrol AT. For the exact reasons, you have already outlined. Very low running. Short in City Commute. DPF headaches. Diesel Ban.
- Yes to the Convertible. Because it is intended for weekend or night use only. And it’s a Jeep thing after all. (Don’t leave costly stuff inside it unless you’re parking in a secure place)
- Yes to the Tyre Upsize. It improves the stance and makes it more purposeful and adds to the performance.
- No to 305’s. On 18-inch rims, they will be too large and may compromise articulation and steering/ suspension geometry as well as Fuel efficiency. The negatives of such an oversize will outweigh the positives in my book. (16-inch rims are a good idea if you’re going off-roading etc)
- Yes to 285/60/18 – Maxxis 980 AT. Because this is more a SoBo Tractor if I may use the expression a la Chelsea Tractor and Land rover. These are significantly better priced, look great, will fill the wheel wells nicely and give you what you are seeking in terms of stance and looks and all, plus the advantages of performance without the pain.
- No to changing the stock alloys. Merely paint them matt black and you’ll again get what you are seeking plus you’ll save cash.
Here are some additional suggestions based on what I have done on my Thar.
- Consider the AVO Suspension. It honestly makes a massive difference in comfort, handling, braking and dynamics.
- Consider the Aluminium Underbody protection and rear differential guard and steel side steps. These will help you. Especially in the Mumbai rains to save the Jeep from hidden obstacles. (You will use the Jeep absolutely fearlessly with these)
- Consider a headlamp upgrade to stock replacements but much brighter lamps – like Philips Xtreme Vision G Force 55W or Osram Night breaker 55W. No wiring cutting etc.
- Consider two nice Bumper mounted Hella 700FFs (suitably covered of course until you need them.
- Consider the JL Jeep Wrangler look-alike grille looks very nice but in matte black and not in the body colour unless of course, the body colour IS Black! Even more so because all the new Thars come with plain black bumpers, unlike the older ones.
- Get a good quality Centre Armrest for the front and two for the rear.
- Consider the waterproof Armoro Canvas Seat covers. They are very strong and of good quality.
- A few additional things from Armoro like the grab handle storage bag and roll bar mounted Canvas storage tubes at the rear. They help a lot with organised storage for small odds and ends.
- A nice big Umbrella or two.
- Couple of Decathlon canvas Camp stools/ chairs, a small table and a hiking pole.
- Rear tailgate Tray table from Mahindra (to place food and water on a picnic.) (can be fixed at Mahindra service/ accessories)
- Pair of white footwell lamps to illuminate when getting in and out in the dark (can be fixed at Mahindra service/ accessories)
- Boot storage organizer with a basic toolkit and a dynamo or rechargeable Torch and a Heavy Duty Tyre Inflator.
- A decent dash cam.
- Reversing Camera and Front distance Sensors (can easily be fixed at Mahindra Service/ Accessories.
- Clear UV-protecting anti-glare film on the front windshield (CR70)
- Vinyl wrap on the bonnet ridge and some side vinyl decals to prevent infidels and their ‘key’ antics.
- Suitable lock for the spare or a custom/ready-made ‘lifestyle’ spare cover.
- Complete Rust protection coating underneath the vehicle.
- Rain visors above the front door windows.
This is fun! To share my ideas and vicariously speccing up your Jeep and spend your money!
Enjoy!
Here’s what BHPian cool_dube had to say on the matter:
Ah, finally
As much as I love diesel, that mStallion unit on the new Thar is a gem and will leave a big grin on your face every time you drive it. Believe me, when I got behind the wheel of the new Thar for the very first time (test drive), I was of the mindset (like many of us old-time jeepers) that Jeep == diesel, period. However, the moment I started driving that lovely petrol jeep, I just could not get myself to think about the mHawk, which in itself is super-refined on the new Thar. Moreover, the following points further tilted the decision in favour of petrol:
- Low running – as in your case, the Thar for me is primarily a weekend toy for that leisurely wind-in-the-hair (hence a CT) drives as opposed to a mile-muncher. The odometer reads a meagre 5,500 km in close to a year that I have owned it and I know for sure that this will be my ballpark annual running going forward as well. So, the fuel expense is a non-issue for me. This is what we got it home for:
- DPF gremlins – given the low running, this was bound to pop up sooner or later in a diesel.
- Low-end grunt of the mStallion – if not for this, I’d have probably gone for the diesel because after all, what is a jeep without that good low-end torque? But this petrol unit has oodles of that.
Go for the petrol AT CT – you will enjoy every minute behind the wheel.
Here’s what BHPian Jaggu had to say on the matter:
Go with Petrol AT and hard top.
I know you like open-top trips, but how many will you do in a year?
This vehicle is capable of doing longer trips and you will definitely be tempted to do that for a nice Off-road spot away from the town with your lady. That is when you will really curse the decision for the soft top, plus it is a fast vehicle.. if something happens (god forbid), that hard top is well worth the small compromise on the desired front. Plus lockable cabin and do you really want to expose the expensive electronics and interiors of new Thar to elements, even by chance?
Think about it.
As far as tyres, just get a stock size or just one size up BF Goodrich. They are excellent for off-roading but heavy as it gets. But if you are planning to make it just a city buggy, don’t even bother with a change. The stock tyres that came are good enough and the alloys are good-looking.
Here’s what BHPian navpreet318 had to say on the matter:
Petrol AT all the Way!! It’s my daily driver. Love it to bits! Mine is the petrol HT AT.
- Fat Tires: 285 in 18 inches: BFG or Maxxis Bravo 980 would be great.
- Fuel Wheels have some great options. Jeep Tires India. There was a guy in Indore with 44 wheels. Sadly he passed away. Very good options!
- Otherwise, Lenso is another option.
- 6th Mile Customs has some great-looking Evo Corse Wheels for that rally-driven look!
- Get the AVO suspension. You’ll love the city rides.
Don’t worry about the offroad tires. I don’t offroad either. Love the stance. There are some things we do to just ogle at the car turning backwards after parking it.
Get the JK grill. Not the JL. JK is the original grill which was planned by Mahindra as well. I have it on mine with the original Mahindra logo which makes it look perfectly authentic!
Here’s what BHPian highwaypatrol had to say on the matter:
Hi GTO, I would highly recommend going with Diesel AT, fun of driving a diesel is priceless. Probably this would be the last chance for all of us to drive a Diesel engine in our lifetime considering the stringent upcoming emissions laws coming up ahead.
Regarding DPF, my Diesel AT Thar has driven for almost 30K km till now, and not even once the error pops up on my display. I honestly don’t know what this fuss is all about on DPF issues. I do short runs, long runs, off roads, on roads and whatnot. This Thar never let me down till now not even once!
Keyword: Decided to buy a Mahindra Thar AT: Confused between petrol or diesel