Drive Before I Decide?

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J

J2Landy

New Member
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Hi all, I have just made an account as an outsider to the Landy world, but with the strong intention of finally getting my hands on a vehicle this year. I have driven a couple of old defenders over the years, but I am now in the market for a TD5 or a TDCI 110 (of which I've driven neither). I wondered if anybody had any good suggestions/recommendation for extended test drives/rentals in the southeast, I'm looking to have a at least half a day driving both the models/engines as above to narrow down my search and make a decision between a TD5 and Puma.

Any advice or particular considerations from the vast wealth of knowledge on this forum is absolutely appreciated! This vehicle will currently be a weekend/holiday/European adventure vehicle, but in the future there's potential for it to become a daily if I lose access to a company car (unlikely).

Any replies are appreciated, thanks a lot.
 
I appreciate the suggestion, I did make a few phone calls to them last week and they said it's a bit of a struggle if I specifically want to rent an old defender in the southeast (despite their website photos), but I do have a contact number to pursue.

Thank you.
 
If you put in your location (close) maybe some member here could adivse on a get together or green lane trip that you could join in and ride along.

But TBH they will be like you remember, lumpy/bumpy/rattly, but maybe a little bit quicker/quieter.
As for reliability this will depend on the maintainace.

Any well looked after will do what you need.

J
 
I have had a few 2.2 engines ones and some have had some nasty backlash from the rear diff when pulling away and changing gear sometimes, not had it on the older ones , I have gone back to a 300TDI which in my opinion is the best Defender they made , subject to a galvanised chassis fitted.
Good luck
Chris
 
CRS said:
I have had a few 2.2 engines ones and some have had some nasty backlash from the rear diff when pulling away and changing gear sometimes, not had it on the older ones , I have gone back to a 300TDI which in my opinion is the best Defender they made , subject to a galvanised chassis fitted.
Good luck
Chris
Click to expand...
Nah nah not those modern ones a 2.25 NA 110 hill pusher with the tongue hanging out.
IMG_20250323_134315_1~2.jpg
 
They are all much the same, 200/300/td/puma, all are a bag of wnak, and can be hard work to drive as a daily, rural they are great machines, town work with traffic all over best avoided.
 
marjon said:
If you put in your location (close) maybe some member here could adivse on a get together or green lane trip that you could join in and ride along.

But TBH they will be like you remember, lumpy/bumpy/rattly, but maybe a little bit quicker/quieter.
As for reliability this will depend on the maintainace.

Any well looked after will do what you need.

J
Click to expand...
Well i'm down in the southeast, near Brighton - that could potential be a cool idea. I was thinking about potentially going to the 'Great British Landrover Show' in Bath at the end of the month to have a look at what some people have done, and speak to some owners etc.

Well I think an extended drive will tell me much of what I want to know regarding the rattly/crude nature of the drive, to see how I find it on a 2-3 hour drive including lots of motorway and A roads - that's definitely something I've never done, I've only driven a mile or two down short grassy lanes.

Thanks for your input.
 
lynall said:
They are all much the same, 200/300/td/puma, all are a bag of wnak, and can be hard work to drive as a daily, rural they are great machines, town work with traffic all over best avoided.
Click to expand...
Haha an honest summary. I can imagine there's nothing fun about being stuck in traffic in one. Do you think you could stomach it on an extended drive (4-6 hours)?
 
I don't know what all the fuss is about myself. I drive thousands of miles in my TD5 and don't find it burdensome at all. The most miles I've covered in a day is around 700. My everyday motoring includes rural roads, motorway trips and the near-stationary traffic jam of the M6 through the west midlands as I commute between Leicester and my smallholding in Wales. It's a bit different from most modern cars, of course, but then cars feel a bit weird to me - the controls are very light and springy and feel like they're connected to the underlying mechanism with rubber bands. At least on a Land Rover your steering wheel, pedals and gear lever feel like they're attached to some machinery.
 
J2Landy said:
Haha an honest summary. I can imagine there's nothing fun about being stuck in traffic in one. Do you think you could stomach it on an extended drive (4-6 hours)?
Click to expand...
We often go driving for the whole day on laning or scenic drive trips, I don't find it a problem. They are a bit of an assault on your senses though compared to a normal car.
 
Brown said:
I don't know what all the fuss is about myself. I drive thousands of miles in my TD5 and don't find it burdensome at all. The most miles I've covered in a day is around 700. My everyday motoring includes rural roads, motorway trips and the near-stationary traffic jam of the M6 through the west midlands as I commute between Leicester and my smallholding in Wales. It's a bit different from most modern cars, of course, but then cars feel a bit weird to me - the controls are very light and springy and feel like they're connected to the underlying mechanism with rubber bands. At least on a Land Rover your steering wheel, pedals and gear lever feel like they're attached to some machinery.
Click to expand...
This^^. I am in exactly the same position and could not have put it better myself. 200tdi 110 has been my daily drive since I was 18, I do about 30k miles a year, and the wife's car just feels terrible to drive. they are perfectly capable of doing large mileage in all conditions with no trouble once you have accepted it for what it is and drive it accordingly. All of the stories of them being awful are from people who either expect them to be like their modern saloon, or who have decided that because their modern saloon isolates you from all driving experience and outside environment, even when breaking the speed limit, anything that doesn't do that is not as good.
 
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