2011 Defender... Wow!!

am on a bit of a high still: yesterday I took a 2011 Defender 90 for a test drive. It had only done 29,000kms so was like new. This was the first Defender I had ever driven (remember I drive a Ninety - pre-Defender) and it was a revelation!


The new interior seemed solid and well screwed together, with good quality plastics on the door trim etc. The first thing I tried was the air conditioning as it was about 28 degrees yesterday, I was amazed as how effective it was - not something I expected from a Defender


I really liked the chunky gearbox, and the torque from the 2.4Tdci was amazing (my Ninety has a non-turbo diesel engine so this was a big difference). On the motorway 100km/h (60mph for your Britons) in 6th gear equated to 2000rpm (I think it is about 3000rpm in my Ninety )


I had great fun trying the anti-stall system - like a child with a new toy. The only little annoyance with the vehicle was I sometimes felt the gap from 2nd to 3rd was too big. I am sure I have read about this on forums. Am I right in saying that the power delivery from the 2.2 litre engine matches the gearbox slightly better? Has anyone driven both a 2.4 and a 2.2?

I am hoping to get a new Defender before production ceases as I am worried about the prices of proper Defenders increasing after LR introduce a new model. I am also considering a late model Td5 with low kms (if I can find one) as I think they might hold their value well since they have the last Land Rover engine.


Having driven the Puma, I now really want to try a Td5 and see what they are like. If only the current Defender could stay in production...sigh...

You'll find the TD5 a little disappointing if it's just a standard one as it's abit gutless unless you wind it up compared to the ease at which the Puma can potter around but with some mods I think the TD5 is a far more satisfying engine to drive with. Mainly due to the lovely noise

DaveM-sport said:

You'll be disappointing with a TD5 if it's just a standard one as it's abit gutless unless you wind it up compared to the ease at which the Puma can potter around but with some mods I think the TD5 is a far more satisfying engine to drive with. Mainly due to the lovely noise

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+1 and far more tuneable

Don't buy the puma buy the TD5, puma is a ford transit in drag......gearbox and engine don't like it much. Seen a few boxes written off at the local

Not a fan of the TD5 gotta rev the tits off it to go anywhere once your going tho its alreet compared to a 200 or 300 with plenty more low end. I'd hate to think what a TD5 is like offroad slow controlled driving

Pretty good tbh.

jai_landrover said:

Not a fan of the TD5 gotta rev the tits off it to go anywhere once your going tho its alreet compared to a 200 or 300 with plenty more low end. I'd hate to think what a TD5 is like offroad slow controlled driving

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All Land Rovers fitted with low range gearboxes (and even some without) are great off-road. You should know that :doh:

Low box is substitute for low end grunt,

Even 1st low stamp on the throttle hard and you have wait for it to get into about 1800rpm before it will pull anything all lr diesels are the same. Driving competitively gearing is zero substitute for low end torque

Tdi's are better than td5's tdci
I assume is probably worse but has an electronic anti stall to get aeround one of its main problems

+1 1

kin td5 or newer just wont pull the skin off a rice pudding down low,i hate driveing the tdci cos its about as much use off road as a slitty...


tdi is the way and the only way....

the td5 at work is remapped for 40% more output...yet still its got no grunt down low.....there for rangerovers them td5s.....

I much rather prefer the TDI's over all other models. Although I have a 300TDI at the minute, the 200TDI is the much better of the two in my opinion. If I was choosing between a TD5 and TDCI, I would opt for the latter.

I find my Td5 pulls much better than either Tdi I've had, each to their own I guess.

SteveT247 said:

I find my Td5 pulls much better than either Tdi I've had, each to their own I guess.

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My TD5 is mapped for torque and it pulls like a train. Gary at Alive Tuning to modified the throttle pedal mapping as well so it is more controllable in both high and low box. Standard pedal mappings only use half the pedal travel in high range (supposedly for comfort) and full pedal travel in low. Mine now uses full travel in high or low.

TDI's are a far better choice, had a TD5 and now have a 200tdi, had endless mechanical and electrical faults on the td5, just had the feeling when setting off anywhere I'd never arrive

Electronics is no substitute for engine built for low end

Shifty1962 said:

My TD5 is mapped for torque and it pulls like a train. Gary at Alive Tuning to modified the throttle pedal mapping as well so it is more controllable in both high and low box. Standard pedal mappings only use half the pedal travel in high range (supposedly for comfort) and full pedal travel in low. Mine now uses full travel in high or low.

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I found in the Tdci that I drove that there was a moment of hesitation when I pressed the throttle before the engine reacted. Perhaps this is caused by a similar thing - probably easily fixed by a specialist.

I've had a look at a TD5 torque curve and it looks like it should have heaps of low-end torque - I must drive one to see where all these comments about it being gutless at low revs are coming from.


I don't think the Tdci is gutless at low revs. I idled up one of the steeper streets in the city I live in at 1500rpm with no trouble. I suspect that the throttle mapping is poor which might give the impression of a lack of low end torque.

I have 2011 110 Puma and yes pushing pedal takes a while before power cut in but when it does its pretty amazing compared to 109 or 300TDi I had. Plenty of power left when restricted at 89 mph in 6th.

my 110 will spin the wheels if pulling out a junction or exiting a roundabout while towing if I floor it while already moving so definitely no shortage of low-end grunt in that

My dad has a td5 110 and wants to swap the transfer box for a disco one. Went to pick up a servo for my series and the guy we got it from had this mod done and swapped the exhaust for a straight through one, goes like the clappers, its a fantastic mod

My Dad's had his td5 for 3 years now and hes really happy with it (its a standard one, no mod as yet), only wants to swap the transfer box to make it better when motorway driving