Defender 90 TDI + V8 owners, some questions...

[working class]

Hi guys, Toying with the idea of buying a 90, dont really like any of the other series's, I have a few questions if you can help me.

Which is the more reliable engine, 200 tdi or 300 tdi? What mpg do they get?
Also If I got one with a 3.9 V8 in it on gas, what mpg can I expect?

And in general are they reliable cars? Will be my main work car and I work shifts so need something as relaible as my Audi A4 has been!

Examples of one I like;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

Edited by working class on Sunday 11th July 17:32

[BLUETHUNDER]

Had a 50th Anniversary V8. Never run it on gas. I was getting roughly between 12-13mpg around town. 19-20 on a run. I had it for three years,used daily and never had one single problem. One of the best vehicles i have ever owned.:thumbsup:

[working class]

BLUETHUNDER said:

12-13mpg around town. 19-20 on a run.

Jesus I get 50ish in my Audi, I was hoping for somewhere in the region of 30-35!

[rhinochopig]

working class said:

BLUETHUNDER said:

12-13mpg around town. 19-20 on a run.

Jesus I get 50ish in my Audi, I was hoping for somewhere in the region of 30-35!

ETA - you'd be lucky to get that out of a 200/300tdi diesel TBH.

Edited by rhinochopig on Sunday 11th July 20:09

[working class]

Really? What about a v8 on gas?

[Chester Drawers]

I run a P38 4.6 which has LPG conversion, due to the cheaper price of LPG I'm getting the equivalent of probably 28mpg. Bear in mind with LPG that you'll get slightly less power but it's way cheaper than either Petrol or Diesel.
Can^t comment on series though, my RR is my first venture into Land Rover products.

[working class]

Mmm, possible alternative...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

Edited by working class on Sunday 11th July 22:04

[300bhp/ton]

working class said:

BLUETHUNDER said:

12-13mpg around town. 19-20 on a run.

Jesus I get 50ish in my Audi, I was hoping for somewhere in the region of 30-35!

Not from a 4x4, doesn't matter who makes it either. Petrol Subaru's struggle to do any better then 25-30mpg and they are hardly the same thing.

[300bhp/ton]

working class said:

Hi guys, Toying with the idea of buying a 90, dont really like any of the other series's, I have a few questions if you can help me.

Which is the more reliable engine, 200 tdi or 300 tdi? What mpg do they get?
Also If I got one with a 3.9 V8 in it on gas, what mpg can I expect?

And in general are they reliable cars? Will be my main work car and I work shifts so need something as relaible as my Audi A4 has been!

Examples of one I like;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

Edited by working class on Sunday 11th July 17:32

200 and 300tdi are almost identical in many ways. Biggest difference is the gearbox and number of splines on the half shafts.

So reliability wise they are pretty equal. They also make pretty much the same power and drive very similarly.

MPG will be dependent on how you drive, a realistic average would be 25-28mpg, although on a run and gentle throttle over 30mpg is possible. But equally a heavier right foot and shorter journeys will see lower 20's. My D90 300Tdi used to do 21-23mpg, my 200Tdi Disco about 19-24mpg depending on what tyres I had one and how I drove it.


Petrol V8's will be much lower. I used a 3.5 carb recently, on a long run I managed 17mpg (although it will 19mpg if you drive it right), but pottering about and short distance expect more like 12-15mpg tops.

LPG will actually be worse mpg wise than petrol, if you can overage over 15mpg on petrol, then expect 13mpg on LPG. Cost per mile however will mean it's returning more like 26-28mpg.

[normalbloke]

300bhp/ton said:

working class said:

Hi guys, Toying with the idea of buying a 90, dont really like any of the other series's, I have a few questions if you can help me.

Which is the more reliable engine, 200 tdi or 300 tdi? What mpg do they get?
Also If I got one with a 3.9 V8 in it on gas, what mpg can I expect?

And in general are they reliable cars? Will be my main work car and I work shifts so need something as relaible as my Audi A4 has been!

Examples of one I like;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

Edited by working class on Sunday 11th July 17:32

200 and 300tdi are almost identical in many ways. Biggest difference is the gearbox and number of splines on the half shafts.

So reliability wise they are pretty equal. They also make pretty much the same power and drive very similarly.

MPG will be dependent on how you drive, a realistic average would be 25-28mpg, although on a run and gentle throttle over 30mpg is possible. But equally a heavier right foot and shorter journeys will see lower 20's. My D90 300Tdi used to do 21-23mpg, my 200Tdi Disco about 19-24mpg depending on what tyres I had one and how I drove it.


Petrol V8's will be much lower. I used a 3.5 carb recently, on a long run I managed 17mpg (although it will 19mpg if you drive it right), but pottering about and short distance expect more like 12-15mpg tops.

LPG will actually be worse mpg wise than petrol, if you can overage over 15mpg on petrol, then expect 13mpg on LPG. Cost per mile however will mean it's returning more like 26-28mpg.

Didn't one of those 2 variants have a major issue with oil travelling down the engine loom and into the ECU? Or was the the TD5?

[300bhp/ton]

normalbloke said:

Didn't one of those 2 variants have a major issue with oil travelling down the engine loom and into the ECU? Or was the the TD5?

300Tdi in a Defender had no ECU. Yep it was a smallish issue with some TD5's.

300's were known for other things, but mostly all were sorted yonks ago.



BTW - OP, Landy's are generally reliable. But you need to bear in mind that a Defender still uses at best 1970's Range Rover underpinnings and at worst 1948 Series 1 underpinnings with several bits being pre War era components.

This means they like TLC and have a more demanding service schedule. This isn't unreliability, just more maintenance orientated.

Look after it and it'll run and run and run.


Things to note, all Land Rover's leak. It's just part of what they are, as a rule it's oil out and water in. Both of these are normal.

Hub seals can leak too, look a bit messy but don't really cause any real harm. Can be time consuming to fix.

Disc breaks and bearings are easy to replace, but as with the hub oil seals time consuming, its not like changing discs on a Ford Focus.

Engines are pretty robust, regular fluid changes are good and they can be noisy.

Rust is an issue on the chassis, but all bits can be repaired and replaced, and with a Land Rover should just be seen as regular maintenance.

[normalbloke]

Oxymoron.

[working class]

300bhp/ton said:

working class said:

Hi guys, Toying with the idea of buying a 90, dont really like any of the other series's, I have a few questions if you can help me.

Which is the more reliable engine, 200 tdi or 300 tdi? What mpg do they get?
Also If I got one with a 3.9 V8 in it on gas, what mpg can I expect?

And in general are they reliable cars? Will be my main work car and I work shifts so need something as relaible as my Audi A4 has been!

Examples of one I like;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

Edited by working class on Sunday 11th July 17:32

200 and 300tdi are almost identical in many ways. Biggest difference is the gearbox and number of splines on the half shafts.

So reliability wise they are pretty equal. They also make pretty much the same power and drive very similarly.

MPG will be dependent on how you drive, a realistic average would be 25-28mpg, although on a run and gentle throttle over 30mpg is possible. But equally a heavier right foot and shorter journeys will see lower 20's. My D90 300Tdi used to do 21-23mpg, my 200Tdi Disco about 19-24mpg depending on what tyres I had one and how I drove it.


Petrol V8's will be much lower. I used a 3.5 carb recently, on a long run I managed 17mpg (although it will 19mpg if you drive it right), but pottering about and short distance expect more like 12-15mpg tops.

LPG will actually be worse mpg wise than petrol, if you can overage over 15mpg on petrol, then expect 13mpg on LPG. Cost per mile however will mean it's returning more like 26-28mpg.

Thats brilliant thanks, so in reality I am better off going for a diesel then!

[300bhp/ton]

working class said:

300bhp/ton said:

working class said:

Hi guys, Toying with the idea of buying a 90, dont really like any of the other series's, I have a few questions if you can help me.

Which is the more reliable engine, 200 tdi or 300 tdi? What mpg do they get?
Also If I got one with a 3.9 V8 in it on gas, what mpg can I expect?

And in general are they reliable cars? Will be my main work car and I work shifts so need something as relaible as my Audi A4 has been!

Examples of one I like;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

Edited by working class on Sunday 11th July 17:32

200 and 300tdi are almost identical in many ways. Biggest difference is the gearbox and number of splines on the half shafts.

So reliability wise they are pretty equal. They also make pretty much the same power and drive very similarly.

MPG will be dependent on how you drive, a realistic average would be 25-28mpg, although on a run and gentle throttle over 30mpg is possible. But equally a heavier right foot and shorter journeys will see lower 20's. My D90 300Tdi used to do 21-23mpg, my 200Tdi Disco about 19-24mpg depending on what tyres I had one and how I drove it.


Petrol V8's will be much lower. I used a 3.5 carb recently, on a long run I managed 17mpg (although it will 19mpg if you drive it right), but pottering about and short distance expect more like 12-15mpg tops.

LPG will actually be worse mpg wise than petrol, if you can overage over 15mpg on petrol, then expect 13mpg on LPG. Cost per mile however will mean it's returning more like 26-28mpg.

Thats brilliant thanks, so in reality I am better off going for a diesel then!

Both are good and have their merits. V8 sounds better, is more powerful and faster. TDi's can make good power and drive nice, but are more noisy and less refined.

[cpas]

working class said:

Hi guys, Toying with the idea of buying a 90, dont really like any of the other series's, I have a few questions if you can help me.

Which is the more reliable engine, 200 tdi or 300 tdi? What mpg do they get?
Also If I got one with a 3.9 V8 in it on gas, what mpg can I expect?

And in general are they reliable cars? Will be my main work car and I work shifts so need something as relaible as my Audi A4 has been!

Examples of one I like;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

200 and 300 fairly similar in every way - 300s in newer motors so will have some improvements like rear disc brakes and arguably smoother gearbox.
My 200 TDi will average about 25mpg.
The one in the link wasn't a Defender (just to confuse you) as it's too old!! I was a pre-Defender 90 incorrectly describes as a Defender. This happens a lot.

Edited by working class on Sunday 11th July 17:32

[white90]

Unless you intend spending time/money as they have a habit of going wrong whilst sat still.
May be worth asking yourself what you need/want one for.
I sold my 90 recently
first time without a L/R in 16years, and I have far more spare time at weekends now plus I no longer smell of EP90

[cpas]

white90 said:

Unless you intend spending time/money as they have a habit of going wrong whilst sat still.
May be worth asking yourself what you need/want one for.
I sold my 90 recently
first time without a L/R in 16years, and I have far more spare time at weekends now plus I no longer smell of EP90

...which means yo have to pay for aftershave now

[rhinochopig]

white90 said:

Unless you intend spending time/money as they have a habit of going wrong whilst sat still.
May be worth asking yourself what you need/want one for.
I sold my 90 recently
first time without a L/R in 16years, and I have far more spare time at weekends now plus I no longer smell of EP90

The LR constant loss lubrication system. Destroyer of driveways the world over.

[stevieg123]

sold my 5 series Bmw .... bought a 90 300tdi .. love it ...as long as i dont drive more than 60 miles in one go... my arse goes to sleep and have trouble walking .. hate the oil on the drive...

[bmw2002]

stevieg123 said:

sold my 5 series Bmw .... bought a 90 300tdi .. love it ...as long as i dont drive more than 60 miles in one go... my arse goes to sleep and have trouble walking .. hate the oil on the drive...

Park it on the lawn then