Pacey Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Hi Guys The bug for another Defender has bitten and very hard, since I now have a little one a 110 is the name of the game. I'm seeing some very big critiques of the Puma, rust etc. This begs the question would it be better to go with the devil I know and look at late model low mileage TD5's instead. Sorry if this has been done to death, have searched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve King Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Try and test drive both and make up your own mind!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pacey Posted November 8, 2013 Author Share Posted November 8, 2013 Steve I'm not asking anyone to make my mind up for me I have driven both in the past and have my opinion on how both handle. What I'm asking and I guess I didn't phrase it properly. Which one is going to last longer, I'm hearing Puma cross members are rusting up inside of three years, paint so thin if you sneeze too hard it will come off are these just one off's or the reality of an inferior product.Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happyoldgit Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Owned more than one of both and going back to a TD5 would be a retrograde step for me. Given time and no additional protection ALL Defenders corrode - period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve King Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Steve I'm not asking anyone to make my mind up for me I have driven both in the past and have my opinion on how both handle. What I'm asking and I guess I didn't phrase it properly. Which one is going to last longer, I'm hearing Puma cross members are rusting up inside of three years, paint so thin if you sneeze too hard it will come off are these just one off's or the reality of an inferior product. Thanks My experience with Pumas is limited, but my TD5 is miles better than my previous Defender which was a 300TDI. I have test driven a couple of Pumas and driven one on an off-road course for half a day, so can't comment on their longevity. My suggestion to test drive both was not flippant! There are a lot of dealers around who will have examples of both in stock and you are under no obligation to buy. As Happy Old Git says all Defenders corrode, however I think chassis parts have got thinner over the years particularly the rears members. I Waxoyled my TD5 shortly after purchase and have regularly inspected the chassis and dealt with any minor issues ever since. Personally I don't like the Puma dash layout and the way my knees bump the under dash! However you can't fault the improvements in heating and cooling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanuki Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 You really need to try-before-you-buy to find out what suits you. A while back I borrowed a Puma 90 and found the gear-ratios 'odd'. 1st is really too low to be useful - I found myself starting in 2nd most of the time. Similarly, 6th is a touch too high for sensible use except on motorways/free-flowing dual-carriageways. Also I found the Puma to be much more reluctant to rev than my TD5 - though this could be explained by my 12-year-old TD5 having rather more miles on it than the week-old Puma. The experience steered me away from buying a new Defender and so I'm now seriously considering giving a home to a Disco Commercial in the next financial year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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