Mahindra is looking better all the time! Particularly with defender-litelux on the distant horizon.
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Mahindra is looking better all the time! Particularly with defender-litelux on the distant horizon.
Chris, thank you very much for the information on the Mahindra. My son & his girlfriend are discussing buying a 4x4, I will certainly advise them to add this to the mix. Sounds like good value for money.
Many thanks for the quick response Chris.
It really does seem like the Mahindra is accumulating winning ticks in all the boxes.
Not having a DPF is a huge buying advantage given the troubles they can cause.
Liking a car, owning it and using it are three very different concepts. Liking is far more important than owning or using and you like yours which counts for a lot. It is a great recommendation.
Looking forward to hearing how it tows.
Cheers.
No problem guys it is a pleasure. I have hooked the van up so decision is made :). I took it with the van for a trundle down the road and back just to make sure all will be well and it was fine. One slight grumble was it was a little bouncy with the van on, but the van was not loaded neither was the car and I think I had too much pressure on the stabilizers too so I backed them off one link, I will see tomorrow how it goes in the morning. Power wise it was too short a run to work anything out again I will know by Townsville for sure:)
The Mahinda is simple spacious, no frills but tough, I cant think of any other car for the money that ticks those boxes, especially for 25k new.
Chris
Ok update, we arrived in Townsville and we did the trip and consumption was 8km/l which shocked me as with the van my Defender only manages 6.6km/l. Without the van the Defender is about 9.5km/l the Mahindra is around 12 so with and without the van the Mahindra is far mor economical. Power wise I really did not notice much difference we did most of the trip at 100km/h. The big hill though between Cairns and Townsville I normally reach the top at 80 ish maybe 78 with the van on I got to the top with the Mahindra doing 75km/h so the difference is minimal between the two. Mahindra minus points is first the suspension is harder than the Defender. With the van on the Mahindra hardly moves when you hook up the van and with normal driving you dont notice the harder suspension but with the van it gets a little bouncy, not much, but it is worth mentioning. I wont change my springs as the car is also used for heavy carrying on the farm, but anyone wanting a Mahindra for 4x4 I would spend the 2k and get the aftermarket suspension as stock is too stiff. Power wise it pulled the 16 foot van so similar to the Defender I did not feel the need for more power. That said if more power is wanted you can get a new chip and exhaust for 2k that will give 30% more power which I will consider myself in the long run :D
Comfort wise my back held out better in the Mahindra, the cruse control IMO helped as my lower back goes numb on the right, but moving my right leg when cruse is on fixes the issue. Love my Defender so much, but the Mahindra will be used on these trips with the van due to consumptipn quiet (now noisy missus :mad:). The ride is better in the Defender stock standard with the van, but the diffference is tiny.
Chris
Fascinating Chris. Sounds like the Mahindra is putting the Defender to shame!
Not at all, the Defender is better finished, and it has many positives that we all know and love, why I will never sell mine. But the Mahindra is a lot quieter inside and the far better fuel consumption with the van on will mean I use the Mahindra more than the Defender for these long trips. I will now consider fitting an after market cruse control to the Defender though as it is a great releif on a long drive to move the right foot. What I will say though is the Mahindra is an absolute bargain for what it is. Is the Defender twice the car of a Mahindra? No way.Quote:
Originally Posted by MrLandy
Chris
Thanks for the reports. I have a couple of customers at work who changed from trayback landcruisers to Mahindra pik-ups and they are extremely happy with their choice.
Apart from Defender being better finished and a more elegant design, it still sounds like you think Mahindra is better overall?!Quote:
Originally Posted by cafe latte
Chris what is your fuel consumption in litres/100km?
that's the standard.