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bblake

Active Member
Ok, I did do a search on this and the last thread I can find is nearly a year old and things may have changes (prices/reliability etc)

So I have £2,500 to spend on a diesel, always had series one V8 before so unsure which to go for. Is a late 300 better than a TD5 as a workhorse?

My main concerns are:-

Electrics
Diff lock v traction control
Have three amigo's been sorted by now on early TD5's?

Slag me off if you like, I expect it, but after a year it's got to be off interest to more people than I. If not I'll let the thread sink to bottom and not bother anyone :eek:
 
I know very little about the engine differences, but a 300 can be repaired with chewing gum, string and gaffa tape, where as the Td5 is very electrikery and may require electronic stuff to repair it.

So I am told.

Phil*
 
shenton24 said:
Why would you be slagged off???
Click to expand...

Simply because it's been discussed before.........

.......but not for over a year! Now Td5's are around the two grand mark, which they weren't a year ago (generally), so a price point has been broken. And of course I would appreciate opinions as I can't decide!
 
Big Phil said:
I know very little about the engine differences, but a 300 can be repaired with chewing gum, string and gaffa tape, where as the Td5 is very electrikery and may require electronic stuff to repair it.

So I am told.

Phil*
Click to expand...

Yea, that's my thinking.
 
if as you said you want a "workhorse" go for the early 300tdi, the D2 gives you more confort and enhancements but it's quite squeamish and you must love it to have patience if the electronics will start missbehaveing, the D2 needs TLC and knowledge to not give you a hard time... i love mine and i know what to do with electronics so for me it's better.
 
Either has done me well... Just wondering where the 3 series will figure in time and the 4!!
Can see the 300 and td5 been around a lot longer.....
 
Both are good, td5 is more civilised, especially auto, but a bit more expensive at the pumps, you should get a really good 300 for that money, there are also some very nice td5's in that price range. As a daily driver the td5 would just get my vote.
 
After getting cheesed off with various td5 incarnations recently and even more recently having the pleasure of doing a little work on and then driving a late high spec 300, just get the bloody 300

Td5s drive **** anyway and frankly are not worth the risk IMO

Won't be long before mint d1s are worth more than not just td5s but early d3s aswell

Cheers
 
I've gone for a D1 300tdi, driven 3000 miles since November and not had a single problem (famous last words) I drive it everywhere, motorways, A roads and lanes - no problem! My vote is buy a £1500 mint D1 300tdi and spend the remaining £1000 on mods or save it for another day!
 
Thanks for your opinions everyone, think I'm swaying towards a 300 now :) Do prefer the look of the D2's :confused: But hate dealing with electrics though. Yup, 300 I think, almost...

Interesting comment on D1's getting more expensive than D2's or D3's in the future, I can see the logic due to the simplicity of D1's, and as D2's continue to get older and cheaper it may indeed not be longer before a D1 is more expensive.
 
Last edited:
Andyzwright said:
I've gone for a D1 300tdi, driven 3000 miles since November and not had a single problem (famous last words) I drive it everywhere, motorways, A roads and lanes - no problem! My vote is buy a £1500 mint D1 300tdi and spend the remaining £1000 on mods or save it for another day!
Click to expand...


Absolutely the right approach. All Discos need a little fettling when you first get them as they are rarely properly maintained until they get into the hands of real enthusiasts who have a Paddocks account !!!!

Great vehicles, just be very careful about bodywork rust or you'll regret the purchase.


Dave
 
Had 2 300's an auto and now a manual. Had a td5 too for a short period.
For some strange reason that I can't really explain the 300 just feels more sturdy and I get a feeling that because of its rough idle and agricultural drive its not going to stop working.
With the td5 I always felt a bit less contented and was listening for every squeek and rattle in the 300 it didn't matter so much.
That's why I've gone back to a 300
 
FiL has a Td5, I bought me 300 off him... gues what he regrets passing the 300 on to me.

I had the Td5 to run around in for a few weeks when my 300 was off the road - once I'd gotten over the initial shock of the agricultural nature of the 300 again, the love affair was renutured.

My old fella reckoned it'd be a shot in the pan - one winter wonder a year last october... but nope, its still here despite him offering me his own very low mileage 56 reg avensis estate for just a few grand back last year.

Its just a different mindset when driving it - I now chug along during rush hour and look at all the poor sods in their miserable little euroboxes and repmobiles and think yep, this is the best vehicle I've ever owned, even when the bastard is playing up or demanding attention.

At the moment I have no interior lights or radio - t'is character building. I know every inch of the interior blindfold - having light back in there will be like getting an inside bog in Yorkshire - sheer bliss!! :clap2::clap2:
 
TD5 is a better engine and they drive nicer due to how the axles are mounted differently.

If you do motorway miles and long journeys go for a TD5.

However the basic nature of the 300 gives it more character and piece of mind that when it breaks, it's a diy fix and won't break the bank.

I currently have a td5 (and it has problems) but for what I use it for, the 300 I had was better.
 
I would imagine that that sort of price will get you a not-very-well-cared-for early Td5 or a well-maintained TDi.

Either way, it's going to be old so how it's been looked after will be the most important thing. Your biggest problem may be avoiding a cheap make-over on a knackered TDi.
 
Thanks again all, 100% going for the 300, will start searching for a good one tomorrow and post photo's when I get one, hopefully in the next fortnight or so.
 
Excellent.

Td5 shows it's true colours when it breaks down, despite how much better they seem on paper.

Basic d2 (minimal electrics) converted to tuned up 300tdi would be a great shout.

There was a white one knocking about online last year, overland prepped iirc, best of both worlds you could say :)
 
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