300tdi vs td5

bluedog333 said:

Td5 for me ( and I’m a 200tdi man ). It’s a cracking engine, has no more electrical issues than the 300 does mechanical.

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We were all a bit sceptical of the TD5 when it first appeared with all its electrics but all it has meant is we've learned a lot about electronics

I'm with the TD5 brigade - No experience of anything else (so obviously biased) but I know when I have had problems there are only a few cheap sensors to check, and the fuel filter to find the solution. It's a great engine, easily adapted to deliver huge power and very little else to adjust.

300tdi, no electronics and no codes.

hi for me personally its tdi all the way the td5 sounds really great but i dont like the eletrics as my mates disco 2 has died in awsome fashion and quite a few have , the tdi ok doesn t give as much ooomph but doesn t bother me and mpg is better on a tdi compared to a td5 its your choice have a drive of both ,

Thanks for all your replies. I am looking forward to Land Rover ownership.

It looks pretty balanced between the engines. I have driven them both and they both are great. Yes the td5 is smoother and has a little more performance but the 300 is not that far behind and I even like the noise it makes (my original search was for a series 3 so both are a revelation in terms of driveability and use ability).

It will probably come down to condition, longevity (a keeper unless they ban diesels) and the extra cost of a colour change! The td5 is white on the inside from the factory so would take it back to this which should vaguely keep it original.

you could have it vinyl wrapped in a colour my mate done a disco it was v good the 300 defender chassis was really prone to rot on the later ones in the middle and rear crossmember i had a p reg it drove really nice but chassis was not v good and esp the bulkhead floorpans and along top edge below windscreen under flange and corners its all cost good luck

SA1 said:

Thanks for all your replies. I am looking forward to Land Rover ownership.
It will probably come down to condition, longevity (a keeper unless they ban diesels) and the extra cost of a colour change! The td5 is white on the inside from the factory so would take it back to this which should vaguely keep it original.

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NOTHING WRONG WITH YELLOW. Well I likes it anyway.

I quite like that!

I ve had both and when standard the TD5 is only marginally better. However the TD5 can be electronically remapped which makes a huge difference and puts it leaps ahead of a tweaked tdi. Reliability was never an issue for me with either .

TD5 is more refined and better on the motorway.
Probably easier to get a good one than a good 300tdi as they are all at least twenty years old now.

OP:- you are right to buy it on condition alone - forget the mileage - both engines are very good, and both will do high mileages with proper maintenance - Do this yourself!

If you go the TD5 route, then get your own diagnostics - no diagnostics = no TD5 IMHO. I wouldn't have one - had me fill of electronic sh*t, and would rather not bother again.

300Tdi can be tuned to high levels - 200 HP is possible -but EGT's will kill the engine in a heartbeat unless they are watched very carefully. It can be quite expensive to get decent power out of a 300 - by the time you've got a full width intercooler, had the pump set up properly, then you'll be north of £700, and probably around 160HP - EGT's are still important - so you need a gauge, and you need to watch it too!

TD5 can be remapped reliably for sensible money, and can be reverted to standard pretty easily too.

Thanks all again. The 300 tdi is a green CSW, in great condition and I have a soft spot with its Range Rover style wheels (sorry have forgotten the name). The td5 is almost as new condition but by the time I put a decent paint on it, the price difference is getting wide and pushing it up to Puma XS prices. As this is not a daily drive keeping the difference as a contingency reserve might be the best option and I really think they both drive great in their different ways.

The pics are not working as i cant see them.

I have had a moment of clarity this morning and decision is made. Pictures will be posted at the weekend when I pick it up!

TD5 all day long, I've owned 200, 300 and now 5 different TD5's and the TD5 definitley knocks spots off the tdis'. The 300tdi did not improve the 200tdi but was a failed attempt by LR to make one engine suitable for all their models. The fantastic but agricultural 200tdi was not refined enough for the Range Rover so LR tried to make a one size fits all engine and failed. The 200tdi is a better engine than the 300 and the 300 failed to make the grade as an all round engine not being refined or powerful enough for the Range Rover requirements. LR should just have stuck with the 200tdi for Defenders and developed a completely new engine for the Range Rover sooner.