Ive a choice between these two vehicles. Both roughly the same price, so where would your money go?

The van

Mmmmmm, do you need the 4×4 capabilities of the Landy or towing abilities? Very knickable at the moment too!
If it were me and didn’t need the 4×4/towing capabilities I would go with the comfort of the VW. Lands are agricultural after all.

Are you a builder or a farmer?

If neither, then something else.

The Landy is an itch that needs scratching

I live on a rural estate with a working farm. The roads are not the best especially when it rains etc I need a larger vehicle for transporting furniture and it will double up as a bike/dog wagon. The T5 ticks the box for space and comfort, the Landy will probably cope with getting covered in shite better…. Unlike our current cars.

Rent both of them for a weekend and see if you like either
It might cost £400 but cheaper than paying £15k and deciding you don’t like it

T5 Syncro.

Unless you are off roading the van will be better in every way. It won’t be a land rover either which would be a bonus for me as I dislike spending money in garages….

Long journeys?
The Defenders can be uncomfortable, especially if you are tall/wide.(I’ve driven from Munich to London in a day in one, and London-Morocco-London)

The Defender won’t be as well built as the VW, and you’ll probably spend more time writing cheques/talking to mechanics than if you buy the VW…

However I’d have the Landy, just because….

Have you ever driven a Landy ? On the road, for more than five minutes ?

If the answer is “yes” and you’re still asking the question, then get the Landy as you’re clearly one of those people.

If “no”, test drive the Landy, amaze yourself that the design & build quality has barely changed since the sixties, wonder why on earth you even considered it in the first place, and buy the VW.

Land Rovers are horrible to drive and they’re not even that big inside. The VW is a much better choice. I offer this advice as a former Land Rover owner who now has a T4.

Op, thats not a real question shirley…

T5 all the way and if your worried about lathering up the inside, get a liner made up.

If you’re trying to get furniture of any decent size in the back of a Defender, you might struggle due to the stupid 1950’s design of the rear door.

Van every time.

T5 by a long way, have had/used both the landrover is daft unless your really need decent off road capabilities & crap on long journeys

I got rid of a 2010 variant of the landrover 12 months ago and bought a 2013 variant (panel van) of the VW. The van is better suited to lugging stuff around 90% of the time, it does 15 more miles per gallon of fuel, and needs servicing half as often. However, I found the landy more comfortable to drive and did like the ‘go anywhere’ feel. Plus I had some good family adventures in the Landy, so do miss it. Depending on your circumstances, I would seriously look at a Discovery 4 as well.

Series 2 and Disco 3 owner in a previous life but never owned a newer defender, I thought they were supposed to be a bit more civilised than their older models. I’m all set to go buy a T5 but then saw the 110 and thought hmmmmm

I own a T4 but drive Defenders for work fairly regularly – an early 90 for the day job and a 130 for the fire service.

The van is great to drive, comfy on long journeys, and really practical (the T5 will probably be even better). I love it and would be heartbroken to get rid of it.

The landies by comparison are cramped, wander all over the road, leak in wet weather and squeak, rattle and roll and generally have the road manners and refinement of a greased donkey in a scrapyard.

But… I’d still have a Defender in a heartbeat if funds allowed, particularly if I could stretch to as newer one. I’m clearly one of those people.

If it was my money, was mainly doing shortish journeys and had the opportunity to use the off road and towing capability I’d have the 110 all the way.

If doing longer journeys regularly, the T5 is definitely the better choice… get the 4-motion version if you need some extra off road capability. Not sure whether the T5 is an improvement but my T4 is rubbish in mud although decent tyres help.

@Simon_g – we also used to have one of those. Great vehicle until it crapped it’s engine 2 months ago 🙁

Reading what you have written i’d say that a station wagon isn’t what you need, more along the lines of a double row crew cab pick up with a hard top.

T5? don’t forget to buy some plastic flowers to hang from the mirror.

Given that both of the options chosen have such a huge fashion tax, you could probably buy a decent van, a 4×4, and an estate car and have money left over for a bike.

Owned the Defender, used T5’s loads – of the two?
Neither – I put my money into a Caddy Maxi Life.
7 seats, the same load space as a T5, great road manners and the fuel economy of a reasonable car.
Ask Mattbee if he’d buy a T5 again or not?

Thanks for all the replies. Can I just ask, those that have commented about how awful the defenders are they referring to the newer puma engined ones or the older type Deafeners? I have heard the newer ones are a bit more ‘sorted’.

Newer ones are a bit more sorted, but still defenders! Interior has been improved, seats are better (depending on the model), handling is still an offroad vehicle, mpg poor, noisy, gearbox is clonkey etc. Go test drive one.

ps. I love mine 😉

T5 is what I would have. I do like Defenders, but then again I would also look at a Jeep Wrangler if I really needed that sort of car.

For moving large stuff around, T5 is going to beat a Defender which has a load floor that is not that big and not even completely flat. Discovery 3/4 would be a better compromise, the space with seats folded is huge and they are better built.

But when it comes to it the T5 would hold its value better, will be better made and will be more comfortable to drive on long journeys. The wife will not let me have one, which is why I am encouraging you to! I you really need off road ability, you can pimp one like this A Team thread: 4 Motion Camper

T5 all day.

I’d love a Defender

Wouldn’t buy one admittedly.

All logic says the bus. Not neccesarily that exact bus. Doesn’t mean the landy is wrong, but it doesn’t make any sense for practically everyone.

Thanks for all the replies. Can I just ask, those that have commented about how awful the defenders are they referring to the newer puma engined ones or the older type Deafeners? I have heard the newer ones are a bit more ‘sorted’.

No – I’ve never driven a ‘Puma’ Defender, but did live with a 300TDi 110 for 6 years as a daily driver.
However, quite a lot of the running gear is the same across both models.
They are noisy, clunky and ‘agricultural’ but great fun, and pretty great off-road in the right hands.
As a family vehicle, or for mostly road use, they are very compromised.

As someone up there said, a twin-cab pick up. The best of both (love mine).

Or, out of the two, unless you NEED a 4×4 (and it doesnt sound like you do), the van.

I was able to try a Defender for a weekend before buying my first one. Although I really liked it I was still worried initially, knowing that I’d have to live with it for a few years, but I’ve rarely looked at another vehicle since.

I know they’re flawed in many ways, but that’s part of the appeal, and they just suit me. I find the driving position to be really comfortable, but I’m of slim build, so I’m not squashed against the door.

I’m on my third now, which I’ve had for 11 years and 200,000 miles. It’s a TD5, so a bit different from a new one.

Mine hasn’t been too expensive to run, although it can’t be run on a shoestring budget. I go to an independent specialist for all servicing. Apart from normal servicing it’s needed new discs, callipers and steering components. A few parts fail at regular intervals – light switch, fuel filter. I’ve also had some injector washers and an air-flow-thingy go, plus the rear silencer, Tyres last really well – I get around 100,000 (road) miles out of them. I would say corrosion can be the biggest problem, and from what I’ve heard the new ones may even be worse.

The engine in mine is great – loads of low-down grunt, and you can drive it on a trickle of throttle. I had it remapped to improve fuel economy, and although I rarely use the extra power it’s also pretty fast now. It also handles pretty well for what it is. Although there’s a lot of chassis lurching, the anti-roll bars keep things under control, although you wouldn’t want to overcook things in a big way. I tend to drive slower now than I used to, and keep within speed limits, but I used to drive fairly quickly on Scottish west coast roads.

From what I can tell depreciation is low.

I happily live with all its quirks, and don’t mind the rough edges, although it definitely is different from a modern vehicle.

Quite a fan of both LR and VW.
Loved my old Ninety, but things have moved on. It was horrid for longer trips and my mates 53 reg 110 is no better although engine wise it certainly is.
The van ( I now have one of those and a Skoda Superb estate, firms car) is a whole load more useful in almost every, non off-road way.
4 wheel drive T5 would be awesome, but it’s easy enough to chuck snow socks on a 2wd if you need to, or even have a set of winter wheels.
Both can be costly if they go belly up and dealers for either are at best ok and in the case of LR at worst , utterly incompetent. A more recent Freelander experience taught me that.
I get about 41mpg from my van, driven ‘ normally’ , not penny pinching , or driving like a knob.
Comfort wise , the T5 is a nice a thing to drive as the car, (they have the same engine , 2.0 / 140 )even long distance, the van lets you see the view and the road much better though.
Ten years ago my heart would have bought the Landrover, now though it would have the van.

Many thanks for all your replies. I’ve seen a rather nice Sportline T5 that ticks the boxes so will line up an appointment to go see it this weekend (if it’s still for sale).

Audi Allroad A6
Volvo XC70 or XC90
?????

Freelander? Mine (company vehicle, admittedly) Has been faultless, 65,000 in two years. Very nice to drive. 190BHP auto gives around 35mpg with a bit of towing, too. Plus it’s not a VW and it’s British.

I’d definitely say try the T5 before you buy – f I needed to hire a caravelle a few weeks ago and for all the hype was pretty disappointed, didn’t like it much at all. Feels like a barge to drive compared to my Sprinter – really poor maneuvering but also a really jarring ride – if the roads are poor then you’re going to know all about it. Also just not especially comfortable to drive- the steering wheel feels really quite high even in its lowest adjustment and the gear stick is similarly high on the dash.

I mean compared to a defender its obviously going to be great, thats like scratching and itch with a cheese grater- but I was underwhelmed by how it compares to pretty much any other van – for all the car-like dressing they’re more van-like than any other vans I can think of.

My current car is a Discovery 3, love it but it’s just too nice and not big on load space for my needs.

Oh and that T5…. Was sold days ago. That’s the third car in a row now that has been sold and it was an old advert. Slightly annoying.

and it’s British.

🙄

Erm….