Tried different fuel pumps including Hindustan Petroleum, IOCL, Shell, Nayara and Bharat Petroleum.
BHPIAN NIXIE89 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
While I took a detour to Hirakud dam on the onward journeyThe Return Journey was a straight 3-day trip via durgapur-kharagpur-bhubaneswar-vishakhapatnam-chaennai, mostly on Nh16.
There was an alternate route to consider via Jamshedpur-Beheragora which would have merged with NH16 at Brahmapur but I have some sweet memories of this route from the past and got chills when I reimagine the bad patch of roads in Beheragora. Some 80-100 kmtrs of no road near the Jaugoda and Ghatshila mining area. It was torture for my previous generation Punto and the belly barely survived that stretch. So the option was dropped straight away.
Planned to start by 5:00 but got delayed a bit by a couple of hours. Road till Durgapur was pleasant and then there was a massive traffic jam near Mejia in WB – home to the large steel factory and thermal plant. Around 2:00pm, we reached Kharagpur, where NH16 (Kolkata Chennai highway) originates from the Kolkata-Mumbai highway. My red panda and family took a breather to see the 6 lane, and the speed buzzer went on for the first time since morning. Took a refreshments break at one of the Jio BP petrol bunks and headed straight to Bhubaneswar for a good night’s sleep.
Bhubaneswar has many places to visit – Konark Sun Temple, Shiva Temple and Raja-Rani Temple, to name a few. If not for the traffic jam, I had plans to visit the Konark temple in the evening to get a glimpse of the light show, perhaps next time.
Next day, we headed towards Rajamundry on NH16, passing through Chilka Lake and Chandipur. I was looking forward to the grand view of the lake from the hills but it seems the to and fro roads are different and I missed the view. If you are travelling towards Bhubaneswar on NH 16, don’t miss it.
My stay at Rajamundry was at a hotel on the banks of the river – La Hospin. It’s a nice cosy hotel with good food and pleasant staff. Rooms have started showing some ageing but otherwise it’s very conveniently located. Took a holy bath in Godavari before commencing the journey. Drove moderately with a relaxed mood as we were heading home after two weeks and many miles on the odometer. Made it to Chennai by 10:00pm.
My views on fuel outlets
HP
Have trusted them for my diesel cars for many years now and have no complaints so far on the quantity and quality of fuel. Facilities are basic, no refreshments though.
Nayara
Refuelled at two Nayara outlets (one in Odessa and one in Jharkhand). Felt the engine was a bit smoother and power delivery was ok. Most outlets being newly established, the toilets were quite fresh and well-maintained. No refreshments here as well
BP
Prefer to use BP for petrol, though I have tried diesel and felt sluggish response – somehow I felt a drop in the engine performance. Having said so, there are very good food joints at some BP outlets. Must mention the one near Nellore which has Padmavati restaurant. It has a very well laid out set up, open sitting area in a lounge and hut-type set up.
iocl
Stopped using them long ago after the engine was loud and had issues with the quantity.
Shell
Prefer Shell in the city but there are very few on the highways. Prefer them over HP and Nayara if available.
About Jeep Compass
Very capable car, good engine performance, great torque on demand, strong handling capabilities, stable chassis and a very ergonomic cabin. This sums up the good things, and I don’t feel other cars/compact SUVs in the same league would be a match for this machine. Individual priorities for comfort and looks as well as ownership experience could differ and I do respect critic views.
There is some not-so-good stuff too – inconsistent panel gaps and alignment of metal sheets in some areas, squeezing noise sometimes from the dashboard, software update reminder every time you switch on the car, seat ventilation auto start – to name a few. Still can’t fit a 1 litre water bottle on door pockets – something I struggled with Punto too.
I will put an end to this story here until my next trip.
Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
