I started driving a Gypsy 3 years back- and most of its usage was in tough dirt-track conditions. I did drive up and down India with it around 4 times, but that was more out of necessity than pure choice. The model I used- a MG 410W, is a dream in the forest. Absolutely stable, noiseless and light as a feather. Excellent for watching and filming wildlife, its noiselessness is a major plus factor in forests. Low gear ratios, a four-wheel drive, and an excellent 1000cc engine that can kick out 60hp, contribute to a very confident ride in areas where there is bad substrate- especially squishy soils. The traction produced while on four-wheel is tremendous, and for its dry-weight, the Gypsy can be an extremely efficient workhorse. I had a soft top version, due to which there was absolutely minimal, if any at all, rattling in high speeds. Going 80-90 on the highway is very normal, and mileage at these speeds is quite phenomenal (12-14 km/litre). But the suspension on the Gypsy is a bit stiff-necked, so expect to be thrown around even while going over seemingly harmless bumps. As far as driving comfort is concerned, the Gypsy is a no-frills machine. The seats need to be re-engineered, so as to avoid a stiff back. Doing 100-200km a day on this machine was never a problem, but maintenance costs to keep her in that condition were high- may even be considered prohibitively so by some.
The baseline for me is that the Gypsy is a wonderful vehicle in offroad conditions, but for the city, I would rather pick up an ubiquitous 800 or Zen, purely for the fact that it is easy to manouvre and park, and that it would be more fuel efficient.
But for the dirt track- give me a Gypsy any day!!