late td5 or early puma?

yes, yes it does.

I think your buying the wrong vehicle.

A Disco 3 will cover most (all?) of your offroad requirements and a helluva lot "nicer" than any Defender. (Geez dare I say it , other brands are "nicer" too.)
But many Defender drivers aren't after "nice".

Bottom line for me (in you position) would be money. Your looking at about 20 Grand for 1 gear, nicer interior, and slightly more capability - although most people would rarely explore that gap in capability.

I like Puma's but not worth (IMHO) the upgrade.(for me)

So I think your head heart comment is around the wrong way.:angel:




(Manic, watch out!, Julia will getya with that "ladies" comment!!):p

Quote:

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Originally Posted by manic

And here I am thinking

more comfort = less defender
more luxury = less defender
enhanced passenger safety = less defender

If you want something of the defender lineage you should be using it to venture out into the unknown equipped with a feast of tinned spam and a swiss army knife. You should be happy whistling through baron landscapes unknown to the world with your windows wound down and the wind in your hair.
but this to me does not make it a better Defender.

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The choice here is between a TD5 and a PUMA. So out of those two choices I vote for the PUMA being the better defender. Neither a TD5 or a PUMA are what you describe or think of as a Defender - and in fact I'd reckon the character you are talking about applies to the older series land rovers, rather than a defender. The Series 2A perhaps is the closest thing you'll get to what you describe, a true indestructible, uncomfortable, reliable, brain numbingly loud a proper Land Rover, but it's not a defender.

Out of the land rovers I have at the moment, 67 and 71 (pre and post ridiculous headlights) s2a 109", Series 3 109", Series 2a 88", A few 2 door range rovers, a 4 door range rover, a 110 TD5 Defender,a 110 PUMA Defender. I reckon the best "Defender" is in fact the old Pre 86 Range Rover, best axle articulation/suspension by far, no electronics, no electric windows, proper Land Rover construction etc etc. But the closest thing they make to that now is the Defender.

And once you are in a Defender there is no going back. I sold a Discovery to buy the PUMA defender. No comparison. The Discovery has no character. A Defender has oodles of character (good and bad).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BilboBoggles

The Series 2A perhaps is the closest thing you'll get to what you describe, a true indestructible, uncomfortable, reliable, brain numbingly loud a proper Land Rover, but it's not a defender.

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Clearly you've never driven a perentie hard top long distances.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BilboBoggles

The choice here is between a TD5 and a PUMA. So out of those two choices I vote for the PUMA being the better defender.

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Ah much clearer... I find this acceptable. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Benny_IIA

Does thant mean I series is more Defender then a defender?

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The defender is a series of the series so perhaps it is :D

Nup, its gotta be a defender, even if it has to be the soft option (Puma)…

I would take most interest of those that have owned both.......plenty of non puma owner that seem to experts

I've got both. Love them both.

PUMA is altogether better in most areas. Gearbox has a lower 1st and a higher top gear. Aircon. Heating. Cabin ambience. Sound system (!!) and you can actually hear it at 110Km/h.

Things I miss are the front flaps for fresh air, and even though it has a more modern engine, it doesn't get any better milage than the TD5. That's about it I think.


BTW - my TD5 has a cassette player as a a sound system.... and the OE system in the PUMA rates about 3 out of 10

Quote:

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Originally Posted by spudboy

... and the OE system in the PUMA rates about 3 out of 10

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That’s fine, the noise coming out of the wife usually rates about 1.5/10
:rolleyes:

What a great thread to read - I'm in a similar position to the OP. My decision between a TD5 and Puma comes down to reliability when faced with questionable fuel.

I'll be taking my family overland to the UK in five years time. We're looking at a 130 Defender and the question now is what engine will be the most reliable and easy for me to service with my limited skills in an emergency.

I spoke with a Land Rover expert today and the advice I was given was to avoid all Common Rail Diesel engines as a dose of bad fuel may stop them in their tracks with repairs being costly and inconvenient. With older engines, the same fuel may take a toll on the engine, but it should be serviceable enough to get out of trouble.

I'd be interested in the opinions of others here, should I discount the Puma engine based on the chance I'll face some dodgy fuel along our trek overland?