 | Home > General & Technical (L663) > Long-term opinions on the P300 (switching from the P400?) |
 
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I'm a single male with only my D90, and am not a place in my life where keeping the 90 and getting a second car makes sense.
| steam_simon Member Since: 24 Sep 2022 Location: London Posts: 82  
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I have a D250 110 and whilst I can't comment on the P300/400 engine, I have two sets of wheels, one of which has Goodyear Wrangler AT tyres for winter and some "off-road".
They are on 19" wheels though and I haven't detected any real difference to the Continental Tyres the vehicle came with. I deliberately chose 19" to give a softer ride as the 20" sidewall looked (to me) to be too shallow. The downside with 19" wheels is the limited options for tyres though. 18" might have been an even better option. |
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16th Nov 2023 10:08am |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 2703 
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l find my 90 D250 for want of a better word "jiggly" over less smooth roads but l imagine it's because of the SWB and the 110 will be better.
Mine is on the 18" wheels. On faster roads it's much better. |
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16th Nov 2023 10:42pm |
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| Buz1500 Member Since: 07 Jul 2020 Location: Cumbria Posts: 150
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I had a P300 for about 2 years, one of very early ones. I used it to tow a 2000kg caravan to various parts of the UK and twice to France for our main summer holidays. I never felt it lacked power and to be honest it helped me make my mind up to upgrade it to a P400e plug-in hybrid. I’ve had my P400e for about 6 months now and I’ve never felt that the engine was underpowered, even when the hybrid battery was exhausted and I was towing.
I suppose it comes down to expectations and driving styles in the end but I didn’t choose a Defender for high speed on road performance. I will add that previous to the P300 I had an L405 Range Rover 4.4 diesel. 2019 Range Rover SDV8 Autobiography 2023 Defender 110 P400e X-Dynamic HSE - gone 2020 Defender P300 SE - gone 2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR - gone 2013 SDV8 Autobiography - gone 2011 L322 TDV8 Vogue SE - gone 2006 L322 3.6 Vogue Se - gone 1999 P38 4.0 se - gone 199? Classic 3.5 - gone |
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17th Nov 2023 8:38am |
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| dbit Member Since: 10 Oct 2020 Location: Colorado Posts: 13
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Indeed, I also feel the tires one can fit on the 20" wheels (without extensive modding perhaps) lack enough sidewall. Frankly, I don't do intense off-roading with my 90 (dirt trails and snow mostly) and found the 20" wheels + good year wranglers are just fine, it's on-road comfort i find a little lacking haha. Like you, I'm also weary of the limited tire options for the 19" so am strongly considering a P300 for 18" wheels.
haha jiggly's a good word for it, I've also found that the 90 feels like it's constantly rocking back and forth. it's a subtle sensation from the driver's seat but I think more pronounced in the rear, I've had some friends tell me they got motion sick despite my mellow driving style. I personally don't mind the rocking feeling as i think it has a bit of charm, but do think i -- and the occasional back seat passenger -- would enjoy a more planted ride.
Great to hear, thanks for sharing  . I don't tow much, but will on-occasion have the truck loaded up with 3 people, a dog, and all our gear for a weekend camping trip in up to ~9000 ft. of elevation (i've surprisingly been able to fit it all in the 90's cabin + trunk!). I imagine the truck with the P300 will get around just fine, but may not have the easiest time picking up speed quickly while already cruising at 65 or 70 and needing to overtake someone.
I'm curious what made you consider the upgrade to the P400e, which iirc has the same 2.0L petrol in the P300 paired with electric motors for greater output? Shame we can't get that powertrain in the US. I also didn't choose a Defender for on-street high speed performance, and think I was swayed to go for the P400 by how positive all the reviews were -- plus, i was really into the x-dynamic trim at the time haha. IIRC I did try out the P300 once before ordering my P400 D90, and found the performance fine except for situations where you need instant power for quick maneuvers. Despite enjoying a more mellow drive, the "always-on-tap" power of the P400 (especially at the low end, I appreciate gaining speed without revving much) is super useful for navigating around distracted drivers when trying to make lane changes on the high way. I've read the P300 has noticeable turbo lag (many claim ~2k RPMs for the turbos to really spin up), curious for your take on that too  |
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17th Nov 2023 3:24pm |
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| Buz1500 Member Since: 07 Jul 2020 Location: Cumbria Posts: 150
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The reason for moving to the P400e was pretty straightforward. I analysed my P300 journey data from the LR remote app and it showed that 75% of my journeys were less than 20 miles. Using off-peak electricity I could charge my battery for a lot less than the equivalent petrol costs.
The reality has shown to be even better once I got the car with longer trips showing up to 34 miles EV miles in between charges due to battery regeneration. I always leave it in Hybrid mode as the car’s software handles the battery/petrol usage far better than I ever could. Regarding the P300 and turbo lag. I can’t say I ever noticed this, perhaps it’s my driving style. The Defender encourages a more relaxed approach to driving. 2019 Range Rover SDV8 Autobiography 2023 Defender 110 P400e X-Dynamic HSE - gone 2020 Defender P300 SE - gone 2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR - gone 2013 SDV8 Autobiography - gone 2011 L322 TDV8 Vogue SE - gone 2006 L322 3.6 Vogue Se - gone 1999 P38 4.0 se - gone 199? Classic 3.5 - gone |
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19th Nov 2023 8:15am |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 2703
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"jiggly's a good word for it, I've also found that the 90 feels like it's constantly rocking back and forth. it's a subtle sensation from the driver's seat but I think more pronounced in the rear, I've had some friends tell me they got motion sick despite my mellow driving style. I personally don't mind the rocking feeling as i think it has a bit of charm, but do think i -- and the occasional back seat passenger -- would enjoy a more planted ride"
Same as the old Defender really. We owned 90 and 110 TD5 at the same time. The 110 was definitely better due to the longer wheelbase. The 90 was more bouncy or "jiggly" My L663 D250 tows the caravan very well, but on certain roads you can get a bouncing where you can hear the caravan clattering on the tow bar. l imagine the 110 would be better here as well. |
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19th Nov 2023 2:01pm |
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| J.Christopher Member Since: 24 May 2021 Location: London Posts: 9
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Hi there,
I’ve had a 110 p300 for nearly 3 years and 40,000 miles. No complaints from me, never had a problem with it. I changed the oil after first 8000 miles, then do it every year rather than the recommended 2 years (and filters) I use it for work as a van, often with half a ton of materials, tools in the back. Pull away is always good, nipping out in traffic etc, only time I wish maybe a bit more power is when joining fast moving motorways, overtaking from 50 mph but it’s not bad at all, 300hp is more than enough for a defender. Recently just done a 20000 mile trip around Europe, loaded to the gills with luggage, Xmas market purchases and all dog stuff (and small dog) averaged 25mpg which included steep Alp passes. Not bad I think. I also have the 19” wheels as wanted biggest tyres I could get, the rides great imo, I do have tyres at the higher end of pressure because of the stuff I carry, but still very comfortable ride. Try and get a test drive if possible? JC |
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4th Jan 2024 10:23am |
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| dbit Member Since: 10 Oct 2020 Location: Colorado Posts: 13
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The dealer near me suggested I simply order a P300 and test drive it when it arrives, so I did. They said they don’t get many allocations for the P300 and won’t have one to test drive soon, but get loads for the P400, and can simply order a P400 if i’m not happy with the P300.
I went with the 18” wheels, partly for aesthetics but mostly for ride comfort. My D90 on 20” wheels is quite harsh even on minor bumps, and would like for a more stable and cushioned ride (imo the 90’s ride is an odd compromise: harsh and communicative like a sports car, but tippy and full of body roll like a truck). |
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4th Jan 2024 2:54pm |
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| CincyRovers1 Member Since: 30 Nov 2023 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Posts: 54 
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I've had my 110 P300 for almost three years now and it has been great! I originally intended to get a P400, but I couldn't stand the lackluster throttle response under 2k rpm. I decided I'd rather have a little bit of turbo lag than it being dead under 2k. Luckily the newer P400s no longer have this problem. The only issue I had was the computer for the fuel pump failed and that was at around 2,500 miles IIRC. I'm at 31,000 miles now and it has been smooth sailing since then. I also change the oil every 5k miles. The P300 has more than enough power 99% of the time, and that's coming from someone who owned a 5.0 LR4/D4 for ten years. 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏𝟎 𝐒 𝐏𝟑𝟎𝟎 (Pangea Green over Acorn/Lunar)
𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐒 (Dolomite Silver over Black/Bordeaux Red) 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟕 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐒𝐄 𝐋𝐮𝐱𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐢𝟔 (Aintree Green over Vintage Tan/Ebony) - Gone 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟏 𝐋𝐑𝟒 𝐇𝐒𝐄 𝟓.𝟎 (Ipanema Sand over Almond/Arabica) - Gone |
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4th Jan 2024 4:23pm |
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| dbit Member Since: 10 Oct 2020 Location: Colorado Posts: 13
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CincyRovers1, did you feel a change in the ride going from the 19s to the 20s? I’m going down to the 18s to hopefully get a better ride with chunkier tires.
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4th Jan 2024 8:16pm |
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| CincyRovers1 Member Since: 30 Nov 2023 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Posts: 54
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No, I didn't really feel a huge difference in ride quality. I went from the Goodyear Adventures to a more hardcore Falken Wildpeak AT3W and the ride quality is pretty much the same. I prefer a stiff ride, but having driven numerous Defenders with 18" wheels, I can tell you the difference is almost nonexistent. There is a big difference going from 22s to 18s, though. 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏𝟎 𝐒 𝐏𝟑𝟎𝟎 (Pangea Green over Acorn/Lunar)
𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐒 (Dolomite Silver over Black/Bordeaux Red) 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟕 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐒𝐄 𝐋𝐮𝐱𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐢𝟔 (Aintree Green over Vintage Tan/Ebony) - Gone 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟏 𝐋𝐑𝟒 𝐇𝐒𝐄 𝟓.𝟎 (Ipanema Sand over Almond/Arabica) - Gone |
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4th Jan 2024 8:31pm |
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