Thread: Which Defender to choose?

If it's in budget, then go TD5. The engine is smoother, more powerful, better at cruising, tuneable, etc. Tdi's are nice and robust for long range, overland work, but not very refined.

Take a TD5 for a test drive, then try a Tdi and compare the difference.

Terrain Vehicles. Top advice, will do.

Benz, thanks for that. doors, along the bottom of the sills etc. cross check?

You guys have any feedback on my timing belt question?

Deadset, cannot wait to get back and try them out. Trying not to let emotion come into making a hasty decision but hard not too.

Tdis will need timing belts changed. Make sure you buy the proper kit with the modified pulley with the 300 Tdis. TD5s have a timing chain.

yeah mate just look at the bottom of the doors.
this the first spot top rust anyway
the skin is ally but the frame is steel

the doors are not hard to fix mind you when minor rust is present
but the firewall is a bit harder

Benz. Beauty. re: doors, etc.

Terrain. Didn't realise the Td5's had timing chains.. nice. (or not?), [makes sense doesn't it? Do you have to replace the chain- eg: like a bike chain, it wears and needs replacing but you also need to replace the cogs on the bicycle.. if you want smooth cadence.. does the same apply to a car engine?]

Well, all 3 defenders have been sold now.. so back on the waiting game. bugger, well at least no hasty decision possible. TERRAIN, you are pretty much the only one that advised on the engines I was looking at. Will take them for a drive but really a starting to like the Td5 model.

Hi Jimb,

In July this year I was posed with the same Q and did a lot of test driving and research on this forum. I bought a '99 TD5 for the simple reasons that i picked it up for the same asking price as a 300 Tdi, it was more refined that the 300 and tunable. What I learned. The 200Tdi is a rough old girl, torquey off road but not refined on the bitumen. Sound deadening will be your first upgrade. The 300 Tdi is a different engine to the 200Tdi. LR refined the engine thus more pleasant to drive on the bitumen and about the same off road. Some LR mechanics I spoke to held the view that the 200 was more reliable and less prone to mechanical fault. If you are buying a 300 with kms most of the shortcomings of the 300 have been resolved with little upgrades ie the timing belt pulley mentioned earlier.

Can't speak for the TC and gearbox in the 200 or 300. My TD5 has 340k on the clock. The engine is strong as is the gearbox and TC. No metal filings at the recent major service. I expect 500k from the drive train before having to put my hand in my pocket. That said, the service history is the largest contributor to engine, GB and TC longevity. Keep clean oil up to it and it should repay you with a long life.

I've been told that an engine rebuild will set you back about $10,000. Might be overpriced by a few grand but expect to budget $8k for an engine. A gearbox is about $2k. A TC is about $1,500 (the gears are about $300 + labour).

The TD5 has a timing chain and does not require a scheduled replacement. My mechanic (a defender nut) said he has replaced 3 chains in his life and each was part of an engine rebuild.

With standard rubber the TD5 is torquey off road but has a different feel to the 300 which feels like it has more torque at crawl. I upgraded to 33" rubber which affects the crawl torque. A little right foot is needed. On road she pulls with plenty of torque and is somewhat refined. It's a defender. At 60kph the stereo volume is at 14 on the dial. At 80 kph it's at 20/22. At 100 kph it's at 27 to listen to it at the same audible volume.

For $15k you will be looking at a '99 to '01 without the extreme pack (traction control and ABS). Those features became standard from '04 (I think). I was at Mt Airlie on the weekend. There were several stock defenders with ABS and TC doing the track with the same ease as my locked TD5. Considering you can drive out of the showroom onto a track like Mt Airlie and do it with ease, the TC and ABS features a marvellous tool. Early 2000 extremes are going for +- $20k.

I am mechanically inept and fear a track side problem. If you are the same the TD5 is a greater risk than the 200 or 300. Being mechanical they are easy to repair roadside and any mechanic with a ticket will be able to get you on the road again. That said, the defender is a simple car by design and the things that go wrong are well canvassed on this forum. Read the forums and over time you will recognise the possible fault even if the skills of repair are lacking.

If you fear mechanical fault in the bush, buy a toyota. Sad but a reality for LR owners (availability of parts mostly). Of the 300 and TD5, the 300 is the most reliable because such few things can go wrong, the TD5 is a much better car to drive around town and if prepared meticulously it should get you to your destination and back. Don't buy a 200 because you will tire of the crudeness of it for bitumen duties. On a budget of $15,000 my money would be to invest $10,000 into the purchase price, fit a truetrac in the front diff and a truetrac or detroit locker in the rear ($3,500 for both), 1 inch lift and all terrain tyres. The basics for an unstoppable off road truck that will take you over 90% of the tracks with ease.

It's fun toying with all the options out there. Enjoy the experience. I love my TD5 and it's money well spent.

cheer MLD

Originally Posted by jimb

Benz. Beauty. re: doors, etc.

Terrain. Didn't realise the Td5's had timing chains.. nice. (or not?), [makes sense doesn't it? Do you have to replace the chain- eg: like a bike chain, it wears and needs replacing but you also need to replace the cogs on the bicycle.. if you want smooth cadence.. does the same apply to a car engine?]

Well, all 3 defenders have been sold now.. so back on the waiting game. bugger, well at least no hasty decision possible. TERRAIN, you are pretty much the only one that advised on the engines I was looking at. Will take them for a drive but really a starting to like the Td5 model.

The Td5 has a chain. It should last as long as the rest of the engine if serviced properly. The Td5 also is generally well designed and well thought out - probably due to the input from BMW into the development.

I would buy a TD5 over a Tdi (despite the electronics in the TD5). However I would buy one with an ISUZU 4BD1 over either of those.

You can purchase the parts from the UK and do it yourself for as little as about $75, but you do need to have or make a couple of specialist tools and really know what you're doing. If you do it wrong you could cause major engine damage.

Conversely, the kit supplied and fitted here will cost around $700 - $800 from what I have heard.

If you're buying a 300Tdi, just make sure you know when it was last done and factor that it the purchase price.


James.
P.S. My vote is the 300Tdi also .