Hi all. I am selling my ‘21 Bronco, because though I loved off-roading in it, it was not a fit for noise, comfort, etc. I’ve been reviewing and know I want to lift and customize whichever Defender I get. With that in mind, and after a handful of hours of research, I haven’t been able to decide on the SE vs the X. I would greatly appreciate thoughts from the community.

 

Gotta be the S. Add the offroad pack (rear locker), air susp, and maybe the tow package (for atpc/terrain response).

slap l8 rock sliders on and you are rock crawling better than stock non-sasquatch broncos, with more payload and double towing capacity. Not to mention far more comfort and style 😎

 

I don’t know what the SE and X currently offer relative to one another, but I believe you can add the offroad and advanced offroad packages to any model, as well as other packages and accessories. I have a 22 X-Dynamic SE and added all the off-road goodies.

The big thing, though, is 18” wheels on the P300 vs. 19/20/22 on the P400. The problem with 19s is they’re almost unheard of in the serious offroading community and therefore very few tire options exist compared to 17 or 18 or even 20” for that matter. The problem with 19, 20 and 22, in increasing degree, is the fact that the unbending alloy wheel gets bigger with each size, while the flexible tire sidewall gets smaller. So in an offroad situation the larger sizes will be less comfortable to you and passengers and will bend more rims. And there’s no way to order 18s on the P400.

You can, however, either take a grinder to the rear calipers (fronts fit 18” wheels as is) of a P400 and cut a lot of material off and get them to fit. Or you can drop a grand at Lucky8 for a caliper retrofit that will allow 18s to work front and rear. That’s the route I’ve gone with my P400. Then you can shop a pretty vast selection of 18” AT, RT, or MT tires that will have plenty of sidewall for offroading.

20” OEM alloys with 255/60R20 Goodyear Wrangler Adventure AT:





18” OEM steelies with 255/70R18 Cooper Discoverer RT:

 

It doesn't matter. You get the best spec one you can afford... don't get wheels bigger than 20"s though. I'd only say steer clear of v8 for hardcore off-roading. As tempting as it is, it's a bit more of an an issue to add roof racks, tires to, etc.

 

I would recommend neither of those options. Instead I'd choose the P300 S so you can enjoy the benefits of the 18" wheel, improved ride, lower price point and simplified powertrain.

If you absolutely must have the P400 then I'd opt for the SE which avoids a glossy underside (which isn't going to look very pleasant when scratched). However, the P400 is going to force you into a 19" or 20" wheel. I personally like the 19" wheel for those who will use the factory tyres, but suggest 20" for those who absolutely insist on swapping tyres to something more aggressive or robust.

 

I ended up with a Defender despite having a morning-after Bronco reservation (got my defender early in September, Bronco would have arrived late January). After hearing about the noise and the whole "window down to open door" thing, I'm especially happy with my Defender. I grabbed an SE with off-road/advanced off-road (forces you into air suspension, which I wanted), and heated/cooled seats. Price-wise, at the time, it was about $10k more than my loaded Badlands order, so still in the ballpark.

Just taking a quick glance at trim differences, it looks like the X may come with the door lower parts painted vs just matte plastic. If that's the case (Because it's hard to tell from photos), I'd worry a little about rock damage off-road. According to the website it also has windsor leather vs regular leather seats. That's probably more comfortable / luxury, but I'd wonder about durability / ability to clean, but someone else will probably pop in and tell me I'm an idiot any moment.

In any case, get what looks good / is affordable / makes you happy. I took one test drive after getting frustrated with the Bronco delays and I was sold on the Defender. I'm still sold on it, still look back at it when walking away, and it still makes me smile.

 

I am with NoGaBiker in that it should not mater which you get provided you steer away from 22 inch wheels and include the Advanced TR response system which includes the rear locker. P400 comes with some challenges with wheel size as stated.

For me I ended up with the X as by the time I configured the SE with everything I wanted it was getting close to the same price and there where a few color trim items I could only get with the X at the time (Ordered mine in 2020). Ended up converting to 18s by grinding the rear caliper fins. Have kept the 20 inch wheels in order to have an option to switch when not off roading

 

Mcdooogs is right on -- get the S with a P300 (if in the US). And add the forward underbody shield to expose the front tow eye, and add tow eye on the hitch (or add the two rear exposed rings) and you are all set !!

It is more important to spec the vehicle as he notes than to worry about X vs. SE.

I too agree with the INSIDER that the Good Years they offer are a very fair balance for most of their customers --- but if more toughness, less fuel economy, and a bit more noise is ok with you, you will find plenty of tire choices at 18" are available.

And my P300 continues to tow wonderfully -- it has more stability than my LR4s. The full horse trailer at 7000 lbs. is very suitable -- (particularly when interstate acceleration at 80 mph is not necessary).

Enjoy !

 

@gurka01 Great looking X. The 18's clear the HUGE front X brakes without any issue?

 

Fronts are not an issue. Rear calipers had to be ground down a little to fit.