Thread: TDI Vs TD5 Vs PUMA

I think the differences between them have been discussed in heaps of other threads but I’ll tell you my opinion, I went from a tdi to a td5 early this year (110 to 130) and I love it. I was a bit scared about the electronics but a defender has very minimal and it’s easy to find problems. One thing you might want to consider with kids is the older ones, even the td5 have pretty **** air con. I know I’m my situation ( mine doesn’t have it) it can get really hot even with both vents open and your right eye will get wind burn when you have the window down. It’s almost at the point where you don’t want to go anywhere together because it’s so hot, even though it doesn’t bother me, it bothers my partner. Don’t know if that will effect you, it’s more an issue if you plan to go away for a few days/weeks touring. The other thing would be I bought a low ks td5 but even though I’ve had to spend quite a bit of money on stuff eg fuel regulator repair, injector harness, seals. Stuff like that could go wrong or fail within 5-10000ks of owning it, especially as td5s are getting quite old now. So I’d be very careful to check maintenance not just for oil changes but for that sort of thing as well. I wouldn’t go back to a tdi, they’re too slow, good if you want simplicity though.

In my opinion and experience you should consider a late model 130 trayback

Here is why:

-Forever defender may as well be newer might spend more up front but will need less work
-With new bub and assuming long trips you want aircon - 130 cab cools better than 110
-Space of 130 better than 110
-Under my tray I have 75L dieso 75L water spare tyre and small tool drawer, can fit two fridges all our gear plus all the extra camping stuff a baby brings!!!!
-despite some unique engineering decisions made by LR with the tdci everything is controllable no more or less than old school.
-agree you should look for a rig pre-owned by an enthusiast my 130 came from a legend member who had babied it and spent hours sealing andnsoundproofing it, with a few mods like grease able intermediate shaft between tcase and mt82

Have fun and enjoy the journey

S

Wow here we go againCan-of-Worms-.jpg

I'm in a similar situation as yourself in that I would like to at some point upgrade to a later version Defender that I would plan to keep for a long time. I've currently got a Tdi300 that I'm still getting ready for a our 1st major family trip.


My thoughts when upgrading are:
# A/C that will suitably work (A/C in a Td5 is no difference to the A/C in a Tdi - I currently don't A/C so it will be interesting to see how everyone handles our trip at Christmas)
# Gearing - Better gearing in the Pumas (lower 1st gear which when towing, u shouldn't have to drop it into LowRange when taking off on a incline when towing)
# Puma is a Newer vehicle which hopefully means less potential issues ( I know, not always)
# Puma has a more car like interior that I think will be more suitable for the missus
# Puma is more tune-able with a better outcome than the Td5 (just from what I've seemed to have experienced though)
# Pumas are no way as noisy in-cab as the Td5's
# Concerns over the amount of electronics in the Puma, but to date there seems to be little problems/issues with their electronics....
# Td5's are currently cheaper to buy than the Pumas.... This may or may not matter if keeping long term
# Drivelines (ie: Diffs & Transfer Case - they have different G'boxes) are similar between the Pumas and the post '03 Td5's (I believe Td5's before '03 still had the salisbury rear diffs?)




these are only my thoughts and others more experienced will have different opinions


ideally I'd like to keep my old Tdi300 and buy a Puma, but that depends on a few things falling into place.....




rob

Originally Posted by rangieman

Wow here we go againCan-of-Worms-.jpg

Indeed...
I'm sure an near identical thread topic was posted in the past.

So, to the OP, welcome and make use of the search function on google and AULRO and all your questions will be answered, as well as many you didn't ask and at the end of it all....

Most buy according to budget and many of those get burnt regardless of engine type because the true determining factor was always cheap as possible.

As you own a Defender virtually all problems/niggles carry through the years so it will only be engine preference to research.
First dealer you pass with a Defender just go test drive it.
Welcome again and enjoy the process.

We are planning on making this next purchase a "forever" Defender.

I bought my forever Defender (99' Td5) 5 years ago with the intention of replacing the Td5 with a powerful full-mechanical engine when, not if, the Td5 failed. I drove a 300Tdi at the time and knew that the Td5 power levels made the truck far more suited to what I had in mind for it.

It didn't last as long as I had expected with the head gasket going, and bending a rod at 230,000km. In hindsight I should have done a pre-emptive strike and changed the head gasket out at the start of ownership.

Given the tasks I have planned for the truck, I cannot abide having anything other than reasonable confidence that a significant failure from an original part wont occur again. With that in mind, besides the mechanicals, all sensors, supporting wiring & joins plus the ECU will need replacing before they reach the point of failure. It's relatively easy to define a service life for the reciprocating parts of an engine........the supporting electronic hardware not so much. What is the service life of the ECU?

Anyway, I've pulled the Td5 and everything that supports it and will have a 4Bd1T in it's place shortly. Only after that will it be approaching the configuration I think it needs it to be in to perform as a forever truck.

If someone gave me a brand new Td5 I wouldn't put it back in my truck, very happy to have the worry of failure lifted from my shoulders.

Fubar how are you compliancing a td5 vintage fender with a 4bd1???
I thought there would be a problem there?

S

Regardless of the motor and given that you have a baby to transport I recommend that you research fitting a compliant child restraint to a Defender. It can be done but you might end up with a Discovery. Search this place for intel.