Is there actually anything wrong with 2.5TD's?

Looking around for my first purchase, I hear lots of people giving good reviews for the 200/300TDI's, however not many people talk about the 2.5TD.

Found a few posts with people buying them just to chuck a 200tdi engine in there, but for a first-timer is there anything actually wrong with buying a low mileage 2.5TD?

It seems I can get more for my money, and if its a matter of just not as much power or slightly harder to service, that would not really be an issue to begin with.


Cheers

If you get one that's been looked after it'll be ok. The early ones had a bad reputation for cracking blocks etc but the later ones were improved. They're slow and underpowered for towing but otherwise ok. They get a lot of bad reports on places like this but remember they're all at least 20 years old now.

I had 1 for a year & then put a 200 in it. Cheaper to run & faster ! If you get one you will change it for a 200, that's for sure !

there seem to be people on here who've had well over 200k out of them, so they can't be all bad

I'd go for the naturally aspirated older brother though, as from everything I read, it's a little more reliable, and you only lose about 10bhp!

trouble is its essentially a n/a with a turbo on and there not known for there reliability.
i kept repairing mine and in the end i junked it and put a 200 tdi in

get a 200tdi it will save you changing it after

or a v8

hughesy said:

If you get one that's been looked after it'll be ok. The early ones had a bad reputation for cracking blocks etc but the later ones were improved. They're slow and underpowered for towing but otherwise ok. They get a lot of bad reports on places like this but remember they're all at least 20 years old now.

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A very sensible reply.....but problem is unless it's a one owner with pukka maintainence [mucho oil changes & no overheating....a new rad after 10+ years is good practice],its abit of an unknown?