New to site. Thinking of getting a defender

Hi I have a L200 warrior (a bit of a mistake) and I have had nothing but problems. I have been researching lots of different trucks new and old and most of the pickup market is bombarded with bad reviews about trucks. But I've been told the best truck for me would be a landrover 90 pickup. I was wondering which engine is the best in your opinion and the general performance and reliability of this vehicle. Can any one help ?

To be honest Matt (this is my first post and I'm also a Matt) you will get loads of conflicting advice about which power plant is best. Its true that if you break down in the middle of nowhere an average mechanic with a limited toolkit can resurrect a 200 or 300 TDI blindfolded but for my money a later series TD5 (2003-2006) would be my call. I've had all 3 and currently run a 2006 90 TD5 hardtop and to be honest the only issue I haven't had to deal with yet is the engine (and mine has a PSI tuning box fitted which can itself cause issues).

Surprises can hide almost anywhere in a Landy (which im told is part of the attraction) but the bits you don't want to have to deal with as a new owner are the chassis, drivetrain and major suspension components). You are more likely to come across horrors in these areas than a completely unrecoverable engine (which you should be able to spot on a thorough inspection and test drive). I would also make friends with a local specialist and get them to look at any prospective purchase before you are relieved of any cash.

I bought my first 90 (also a TD5) from a "reputable" dealer in the West Midlands who trade extensively on their brand name and global client list. Yes the vehicle was serviced and legal as i drove it out of their compound but the problems i encountered six months later would already have been apparent to a junior mechanic (and now me with a few years experience under my belt). Lets just say it cost me 30% of the purchase price to make it safe ... let alone put it right for the tasks I had in mind.

On performance and reliability ... well my current 90 TD5 appears to be bombproof. It has been modified significantly in terms of suspension, drive train and interior / exterior mods (its setup for expeditions to Norway and Morocco) ... but the TD5 power plant is pretty much standard, 86,000 miles with a PSI tuning box fitted at 80,000 and no issues to date.

You will probably find (when a few more replies come through) that the 300TDI wins the day from a hardcore fan perspective .... a lot of early issue TD5 owners retrofit the 300 when they tire of their incumbent engines legendary issues. But ask an owner of a 2003+ TD5 if they would consider a retrofit "basic" TDI engine they will almost certainly laugh for half an hour.

Long winded reply but I could find a way to shorten it without missing the point. I'm not sure where you are located so cant help re a local specialist (mine is Staffordshire 4x4).

You will also be told that the steel used in TD5 chassis's is of a lower quality than that utilised for the 200 and 300TDI vehicles ... I cant really confirm or deny that. What i will say is that my current 2006 TD5 spent five years exclusively trolling back and forth (for 70,000 miles) across a wet and muddy shooting estate in Yorkshire with hardly any tarmac time and the chassis is as solid as it was the day it left the factory (and it has never seen waxoyl).

Wow very helpful Info. I have a few mechanic friends and land rover owners who I might ask to come along on viewings. Thanks again

No worries ... If you deal let me know how you get on.