I will be buying another Defender soon, and I am debating which one to get. I have driven the P300, the P400 and currently have the V8 which I will be selling. I have also driven the Defender diesel in Africa which is really my engine of choice, but we cannot get the diesel in the US.
What do you guys recommend?

 

I've had my P300 for over four years and love it. It has more than enough power, and since it lacks the MHEV system, it theoretically has less that can go wrong. However, the P400 has proven to be quite reliable, and the extra power is nice. Add the fact that it is a naturally-balanced engine, it is hard to go wrong with it.

I originally planned on getting the P400, but I couldn't get behind the throttle programming of the early P400s I drove. They were completely dead under 2000 rpm, and then it was a surge of torque from there to redline, and above 2000 rpm, the throttle response was kind of like an on/off switch. I then drove the P300 and while there is noticeable turbo lag at wide open throttle under 3000 rpm, the throttle response in normal driving is linear and responsive. I have since driven a 2022, 2023 and 2025 P400s, and my issues have all but been erased. Especially the 2025MY P400 loaner I had for a week - that was exceptionally good. Damn near immediate throttle response throughout the rev range, and it is so smooth you hardly feel it running.

I don't regret my P300 at all. Never once have I felt like I needed more power, but sometimes I would like more power. 0-60 in seven seconds is actually pretty good for a 5000 lb. SUV with an I4. It is one of the smoothest and most refined I4 engines I've experienced, and in the four years and 43k miles I've put on my Defender, I haven't had a single problem with the engine. I still think it is an excellent engine and is more than enough for most people. However, if I were to buy another one, this time I'd get the P400, as all of my little gripes with it have been remedied.

The supercharged V8 is fabulous, and I'm a HUGE fan of that engine. Its the last car you can get this engine in, and that alone is worth it for me, but since you want to move out of the V8, you're probably going to feel more at home in the P400. What you really need to do is extensively test drive both to see which engine is better suited for your needs.

I had the chance to drive a 2020 D240 I4 diesel at the LR Experience Center at the factory in Solihull and absolutely did not like that engine. I also drove a 2024 D300 on my trip to the UK last year and that I6 diesel would also be my engine of choice as well. It is perfectly suited to the Defender, and has all of the benefits of a diesel while being quiet, refined and very drivable. In fact, that is one of my top ten favorite engines I've ever driven.

 

I agree with Cincy, going from the P525 to the P300 might be too much of a decrease in power. P400 is probably the goldilocks you're looking for.

 

Curious on why you are looking to move from the v8 to the 4 or 6?

We have a 2019 Range Rover full size autobiography with the supercharged v8 and are really happy with that engine other than lack of good exhaust note with the factory exhaust. (This was a replacement coming from some of our prior cars Macan GTS, Cayenne GTS, S63 etc we had) We were in the market for a used defender and between a 110 X and 110 V8, would have really loved to have the v8 in the defender too, but couldn’t justify the 35-40k increase for the engine over an X. We also only wanted the vintage tan interior which made finding a v8 harder and even more expensive, we “settled” with the X and P400 and are very happy with it. We just couldn’t justify the cost increase for the purpose we were buying the car for. We had a 1990 Defender 110 200tdi for years for a workhorse type car, pulling hauling, and dog beach mobile, and wanted to get back to something like that but a little more modern.
If we were selling or trading the Range Rover we likely would have held out for a v8, and we still get curious and often have thoughts of selling the p400 x for a v8, which is why I was curious why you were looking to go down to the 4 or 6. I would hate to give up our 110x and then be unhappy we did it.
We would again buy used like we did with this one.

 

Thanks for all your inputs which I value highly. The V8 Defender has been wonderful with zero issues. It feels heavy and it is, and nothing is wrong with that. I also had a P400 that got totaled, so I am familiar with that engine and I will probably end up going with it, however, I am very impressed with the P300. It has enough power for everything I need it for. This purchase will not be my primary daily driver, hence my dilemma between the P300 and the P400.

 

@CincyRovers yes, that D300 engine is divine. I would buy it in a heartbeat if offered in the US.

 

Raving fan of the P300. 20k on the clock on mine in about 20 months. How's my boat well, great road trip car. No complaints on power at all, but I did have to buy pants with bigger pockets to hold the $10k I didn't spend on the P400. 😁

 

I have spoken to several JLR engineers and "LR Experience" instructors. Most of them prefer the P300 over the P400 as the weight distribution is better and makes the vehicle more agile.

 

I can't agree more. The P400 is 100 kg heavier, the Diesels are even 170 kg heavier - the 110 is 70 kg heavier than the 90.
Bowler did take the 90 P300 for a reason.. the modern Lightweight series 😀

 

Last night my wife drove me in our P400 SE to go pickup my other vehicle with a P400 from getting its engine and hub oil changed. Up here in rural Maine we have some empty country highways that are pretty straight. Coming out of a traffic circle she just floored it and had the biggest smile on her face as we ... *cough* quickly.. uhh... hit the uhh... speed limit... and uhh... conformed to traffic uhh... laws....

Gotta say that the P400 has some impressive getup and go - and I don't even have dynamic mode enabled. I am worried about her penchant for driving like an absolute maniac. She would take corners in her old honda so fast that we replaced all of the ball joints on it ... every other year. Her tires always had bald shoulders. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to get her into a vehicle with almost 400hp.

I've never driven a P300 to compare to but I'm in the knuckledragging "always get the most engine you can afford" camp. Can't see ourselves ever going down in engine size.