[Closed] Land Rover Defender-Puma: Anyone got one?

hi mate,ok engine 2.4td from transit,g/box weak to say the least, cluches also weak, nice face lift with the dash etc, better seats, tax is alot (R.F.L.)saying that 95% of them are still in warenty,if im honest i would advise a late TD5, as for living with every day, possible i suppose, test drive a few and see what you think , dealer or private buy ???

I love landrovers, but as an everyday vehicle, unless you have specific off road requirements the cons would outweigh the pros IMHO.
Cons- slow, terrible handling, thirsty, expensive to maintain, uncomfortable, noisy, unsafe
pros - very cool looking

Driven 1 or 2 quite a lot. Engine works well. Better than TD5 . 6 speed is nice giving good range. Fuel will be useless compare to any car. New dash crap. Al the good bits have gone. Eg lots of dumping space, sensible heater controls etc but many went when the TD5 came in anyway. Stupid EU rules stop them having a decent number of seat now but maybe that isn't an issue. At least you won't have to worry about daft plastic bumpers. I use a 110 as a second vehicle purely because I have another and the fuel economy saving pays the tax. Oh year and there is no elbow space for the driver. Thing is once you get one you are hooked.

Cheers guys!

Lots of good gouge there. It is a shame about the extra seats, however my wife rarely uses 7 anyhow.

Interesting to hear that the gearboxes are weak.

unles its stupid drivers, my place has done 3 this week.

They are great fun, but having a TD5 hard top, they are slow and relatively thirsty. They are excellent fun though, and you couldn't do this in a normal car:

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Make sure you get a good warranty, i had an old 300 tdi, but been in a few td5's that still leaked like a sieve, and usual rust problems. Still want one though, but if you do a lot of motorway driving by a good book!

Just been chatting to a friend that worked as product planner for LR A few years back.

He was saying how the gearbox always was a weak link; it's 1972 vintage from the Rover SD1!! his friend was chief engineer and didn't rate the 'box.

Apparently not a disaster to rebuild.

i had a 300 tdi which i used every day and absolutly loved untill my wife made me sell it, i'd have another anyday but i do think you either love them or hate them.

If you are anywhere in the Midlands, I can highly recommend a trip to Nene Overland near Peterborough. Guy knows his onions, has approx 50 landies at any given time (including modified types) and is the only UK independant who can supply direct from the factory.

Used to have a 90 with the Puma engine. Was surprisingly quick (not car quick, but not slow either) and you haven't experienced torque until you drive a landie up some very steep Cornish hills (normally a 3-4th gear hill to keep speed constant) in 6th without dropping speed.

Excellent offroad, but you will be wondering how they can sell one for so much money. Build is 'agricultural' to say the least. Doors don't shut or seal that well, dash is fairly tacky, paint is appaling, and not much room up front (being a 90 the bulkhead stopped the seats going back very far so knees around ears when driving, but might be ok in a 110).

However, when the snow came last year, it was brilliant. I was one of those smug people in the 4x4 towing people out. Didn't put a foot wrong, and despite near sheet ice, dragged a large saloon car out of a ditch with nothing more than idle revs (low range is cool). In fact my girlfriend took it to work and enjoyed dragging a fully laden transit van out of a ditch when the 10 guys standing there pushing and telling her they didn't need help gave up.

So to summarise......if you're going to go offroad, get one. If you're going to use it as a second car, get one. If it's going to be your only mode of transport, i'd have a very serious think about it, as they aren't the most comfortable for driving.

Have been using a 300tdi 90 everyday for 5 odd years now in north Scotland, great things but dont expect many luxuries thay you would find in a normal vehicle, although the newer ones are no bad compared to my shed.
Went back to normal car a couple of years ago but soon got fed up with the boringness of it and went back to the green oval. Not many Seats around that can pull large tree roots out of the ground or drive up 45d/gree inclines.
You do get used to the overly upright driving position, the banging yer elbow off the window and the leaks that come through the top of the door seal and always end up dripping on yer crotch. There is always something nice when a fellow landy driver gives you a wave when they drive past.
I would love to get a newer TD5 or Puma engine variant but wont due to the tax costs. So I'll keep mine for 20years until it dissolves on the drive or the government bans me from using it.

Ive got a 52 TD5. Bought it in July after dreaming of one since I was a kid. Graduated from uni, got a job and bought it. I love it to pieces. Not very practical for carrying bikes (Its a 90). Not very fast. Pretty thirsty. Moderately comfortable. But its brilliant. I spend a fortune on it with repairs etc, but dont mind. It is my only car at the moment although im inhereting another in a month. Get one!!