Thread: TD5 or PUMA? The perpetual question!

If Land Rover offered brand new defenders with options

- classic or modern dash
- tdi, td5 or tdci powered

Most would choose the TDCI with modern dash, because for most people there is no reason not to.

I would get a brand new TDI with classic dash as my ready to go anywhere in the world collectors edition. Sacrificing refinement for the ability to eat through crap fuel, go snorkel submarine, force the fuel solenoid and start the engine off a roll should my batteries die. The perfect machine for a transglobal 'expedition' like adventure.

But if I had to drive the blasted thing everyday and satisfy privileged passengers, I'd get the TD5 with new dash. It is up there in power with the TDCI, has had more time to prove itself, and it has a land rover engine/gearbox/tc set up made for purpose. For those reasons I'd feel more confident in the longevity of the set up over the current TDCI offering.

But that's dream land.

Thankfully I do not use a defender as a daily driver, there are cars better suited to pottering around town. But if for some reason I needed one for daily work I would not hesitate to get a brand new TDCI.

Just look at current sales, it's not just because it is going out of production; loads of first time owners are buying in because the TDCI is the least abrasive defender ever made. I can see it here in Melbourne. People are using TDCI defenders in the city as daily drivers now - they are that good!

I think LR should have taken the Tdi out to 2.8 and not bothered with the Td5,I'd rather one less piston and a longer stroke.The TDCi in 3.2ltre doesn't feel like it has any torque improvement over the 2.4 the same way the Td5 doesn't over the Tdi. Pat

Originally Posted by PAT303

I think LR should have taken the Tdi out to 2.8 and not bothered with the Td5,I'd rather one less piston and a longer stroke.The TDCi in 3.2ltre doesn't feel like it has any torque improvement over the 2.4 the same way the Td5 doesn't over the Tdi. Pat

I'm hoping the next defender will leak frog this market segment like the first Range Rover. It would make sense for LR build on the award winning D3/4 and apply some of that technology.

Originally Posted by PAT303

I think LR should have taken the Tdi out to 2.8 and not bothered with the Td5,I'd rather one less piston and a longer stroke.The TDCi in 3.2ltre doesn't feel like it has any torque improvement over the 2.4 the same way the Td5 doesn't over the Tdi. Pat

Oooh Pat, you know just how to get my alarm bells ringing

Nothing wrong with the Td5 as a motor but the defender needs bottom end torque,the 2.5's don't have any. Pat

I just bought a TD5. I have not driven in a TDCi though.
I can compare the TD5 to the 300TDi.
If I had to choose I would probably go the 300TDi.
In saying that the TD5 does pull hard when you put your foot down. There is quite a long steep hill near where i live and I can just keep 5th all the way up.

Now that this thread is on a bit the KMs on the TDCi's would be higher and maybe a better judgement on the comparison between the two.

I've had a 300 Tdi and a TDCi. The TDCi is much better. And the six-speed makes a huge difference to highway cruising.

Note:
I havent read through the OP's huge essay or the 11 pages debating it... soooo IMHO:
TDCi (puma) is the best Defender Land Rover have built AND WILL be the best Defender Land Rover will ever build.

We have gone from a scroll of 50 million faults on previous models (TD5) down to a handful of faults.