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[Bugman]

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I thought the crash tests were out? Maybe it was tha Australian version which is pretty close to what we will get, which did mid-range on the crash test, the unofficial mpg I have seen is 28/34 I think but I dont think it said if that was a 4x4 or 4x2 model?? If it is a 2x then that is not that good, a new Ranger 2x with a 5 speed is getting (according to the reviews ) as much as 34 on the highway.. I believe it because my old (2002) work truck (Ranger) with 150,000 miles and 4 - 500 pounds of tools in the bed got 26-27 mpg like clockwork..

[OldJackPine]

The Ranger with the 2.3 engine and 5 speed manual transmission is a great vehicle for light hauling. Many auto parts stores use them to chase parts. They get car like MPG with the benefit of a truck bed. I have one and get between 25 to 27 MPG with more city than hiway driving. Why am I trying to replace it with a Mahindra TR20? First- After about 900 pounds in the bed, it is close to resting on the axle. It is rated for 1100 pounds but isn't happy loaded that heavy. Second- Towing 1500 pounds is all it is rated for. The transmission is better for cruising a tar road than starting out in a dirt field with a trailer. Third- It is a gas engine. It quickly loses MPG even when only 1500 pounds are being towed. The torque of a diesel engine keeps the MPG running empty or towing much closer. A 3/4 ton diesel may get 18 hiway and 14 towing. A gas 3/4 ton may get 18 hiway and 9 towing. I think the diesel Mahindra may have a simular correlation.

If you need a truck to haul a few bricks, a few sheets of sheetrock or to pick up a christmas tree, I would stick with the Ranger with the 2.3 engine and 5 speed manual transmission. Gas is easy to find and less expensive than diesel. They are proven reliable. The 2.3 with an automatic transmission gets greatly reduced MPG. If you need an automatic there maybe better options.

A Ranger 4x4 that will tow what I hope the Mahindra will tow, requires the 4.0 engine and automatic transmission. It is rated for 14 city and 18 hiway. Time will tell if the Ford F150 Eco Boost will maintain its MPG when towing. The world is changing but traditionally the diesel has proven it self more efficient at towing than gas.

[pee wee]

I was reading an article reprinted from Ward's auto quoting a Global Vehicle spokesman saying "Mahindra’s pricing strategy will “blow away” the segment"
Do you suppose they have something up their sleeves? Doubtful. At 22,000-26000 they aren't blowing anybody away. The list price in Australia isn't extremely low, so I don't see it as very likely things will be different here. Maybe they'll surprise us and they really will make a hit with their pricing strategy. What kind of prices would it really take to "blow away" the segment? What segment? They need to forget that stuff about it competing head to head with the likes of a Ford Super-Duty, because it ain't all that. Maybe in their office they compare the TR20 to a $50,000 pickup, but nobody else would. Won't be much longer we'll have the answers. Okay Mahindra, give us a pleasant surprise.

[ack]

Originally Posted by pee wee

I was reading an article reprinted from Ward's auto quoting a Global Vehicle spokesman saying "Mahindra’s pricing strategy will “blow away” the segment"
Do you suppose they have something up their sleeves? Doubtful. At 22,000-26000 they aren't blowing anybody away. The list price in Australia isn't extremely low, so I don't see it as very likely things will be different here. Maybe they'll surprise us and they really will make a hit with their pricing strategy. What kind of prices would it really take to "blow away" the segment? What segment? They need to forget that stuff about it competing head to head with the likes of a Ford Super-Duty, because it ain't all that. Maybe in their office they compare the TR20 to a $50,000 pickup, but nobody else would. .

I don't think for a minute that they are comparing the TRs to Ford's Super Duty!

I DON'T NEED a $52,000 Diesel truck. I have great credit but it would be a VERY LONG time paying off that bill. Nobody else offers a mid-sized Diesel Pickup truck - which is what I am looking for. Mahindra is banking on the possibility that there are a LOT of people out there who would buy a Mahindra instead of a gas-powered Ranger or Frontier/Equator because they have some hauling to do at the right price point.

I have owned a new 4-liter Ranger and I know the kind of job it did towing my Samurai 900 miles. The Mahindra TR Series will do that job better for the same or smaller up-front cost. (4.0 Ranger SLT SUP automatic 4x4 14MPG city, 18MPG highway $27,220 FOB Kansas City, MO)

I think they know what segment they are selling to and there's nobody else there as competition!

Okay, calming down now... Breathing deeply... AHHHHHHH......

[pee wee]

. . . and Ford has nearly 4,000 dealers vs. it's a secret but supposedly 300 or so nationwide for Mahindra. I do think they have done their homework and are in the same MSRP ballpark as a similarly equipped Ford Ranger, I just don't think they are trying to blow anyone away with the prices suggested. And with that talk about manufacturing one less than they can sell, they are hinting that they will try to hold the selling price as close to the sticker price as they can, which will mean these trucks being introduced from India and made with cheap labor and getting mixed reviews from around the world will be priced higher than the competition. Known quantity vs. dubious, with the dubious one being higher priced. What a marvel of pricing strategy that one is. With all the trouble and expense that Mahindra is going to in an effort to "get it right" in the market they hope to be their biggest to export to, I would have expected a better effort in this area. And they say they expect to sell 50,000 vehicles a year. Hmmmmm. The one thing their actions so far have said loud and clear to me is they don't know how to market, and I don't see signs of that changing in the future.

[OldJackPine]

I for one have a hard time understanding setting up Mahindra dealerships before Mahindra had product. Getting US government approval is and has been a Big Deal for some time. Getting it done has never been guaranteed.

The better the product the more money dealerships could be sold for and the more the product could be sold for. Mahindra failed to have all their ducks in a row. It seems a disservice to Mahindra, to the dealerships and to the customers. Maybe future dealerships will come on board at substantially higher costs, making the current dealerships feel like they got a fantastic bargain. Time will tell.

2010 Super Duties with the 6.4 diesel are available for 33 thousand and when the 2011 soon arrive may even go down more. All the delays may have some comparing the price of a Mahindra against that of a Super Duty.

[Kangrapes]

Ever feel like a Jackass with carrot in front of you. Well, that is the way GV and Mahindra has treated the U.S. market. Having tracked this product for more than a year, with promises from GV, I feel like a Jackass. This truck is now scheduled for September 2010. Two years and counting. All indications are by the time Mahindra hits the market there will be other small diesels available from companies with established dealerships and products proven in the European markets. Even the greenies are promoting clean diesel now (see Mother Earth News latest issue). Mahindra will be a day late, with a marginal product.

[pee wee]

I don't know what your source is for that information, Kangrapes, but I won't be in the market for a new vehicle come September. And if I were dealer I'd want my money back.

[dadtdave]

Do you think the issues are with Mahindra or Global Vehicles. I kinda get the feeling GV is trying to squeeze the consumer and Mahi !?!?!?!

[AZDzlPickUp]

Equally distributed between GV and Mahi Maho (Mahindrab & Mahopeless).