Thread: td5 or new 4 cyl which is better

Originally Posted by Scallops

I dunno, I got 9.4km per 100 driving around Australia - 800 kg plus on board, stuff all over the roof, driving across 2 deserts in 2nd gear with the diff locked and the tyres at 16 psi!

How fast was your average speed? I bet that 6th gear is what is helping the most though. The td5 in 5th at 100k is turning 2500

Originally Posted by Captain_Rightfoot

How fast was your average speed? I bet that 6th gear is what is helping the most though. The td5 in 5th at 100k is turning 2500

Average speed I don't know (varied so much depending on place) - but I rarely, if ever, drive at over 90km/h - perfect in 6th gear.

Originally Posted by Scallops

Average speed I don't know (varied so much depending on place) - but I rarely, if ever, drive at over 90km/h - perfect in 6th gear.

That would be a big help. I've noticed my consumption goes up substantially the faster you drive. Defender aero drag isn't great.

At 110 it's about 11-11.5 l/100. At 100 it drops to 10.5. On one trip there was a football night and we were racing to get to Tennant Creek and we were doing 120+ into a big headwind and we scored about 15l/100 - our record. I've never tried 90 for long enough to get a result I do prefer to travel at around 100 as the noise level is still pleasant. At over 110 for long periods it gets a bit much

thanks all, plenty of pros and cons to mull over some more! on a sidenote what is vnt??

vairable nozzle turbo.

cheers phil

Seems to me that those with TD5's arn't going to "dis" their motor - so their votes are going with the TD5. Those who've bought the Puma aren't going to admit the old motors better...

All I can offer is that my 09 Puma is everything I expected and more, a defender that does 120km all day at 10L/100kms and can actually overtake up hills! All this and it can still perform better off road stock than my D8 work Troopy! I'm one happy camper....

I bought my wife a new PUMA (lots of kids + 7 seats = good), and I kept my Td5. So I drive both regularly.

There is nothing like a warranty for taking away worries about minor noises. My Puma's spent 3 months of it's first 6 months in the workshop for a variety of issues, but this did not cost a cent.. (Well I suppose lost depreciation, lack of use... Mmm PErhaps it did cost me a heap...) But anyway, the teething problems seem to be over.. Although it's booked in to get a rusty bulkhead repaired soon.

Driving wise - the PUMA wins hands down. It's so much more powerful, that the TD5. The seats are nicer. It's cleaner, there's no permanent texta marks on the hoodlining where the kids got to it.. etc. A new car always beats an old car in driving experience. However the TD5 has no sway bars and seems to handle articulation better than the PUMA, also it has softer suspension offroad. The PUMA's traction control is smoother however, seems to "pulse" a lot quicker than the TD5. So for a pure offroader - I think the TD5 has slightly better potential - barring the better TC in the PUMA.

The deciding factor for me would be the warranty. I just spent $2000 having the TD5's roof reattached and braced where the corner frames popped out + a heap of other minor repairs. Then earlier in the year another 2.5k on something else I don't remember. And now the clutch has started juddering. I spend on average 7k a year keeping the old TD5 on the road. So a new car with a warranty is the go unless you can do the repairs yourself.