X Ambition vs Redwood
The big question here is where do you want to ride and what are you looking to do on the bike? I always tell people to put a rough percentage on what they will be doing more of. These bikes can "do it all" but every bike has certain things that it does best and then things it is capable of doing but not as efficiently as the other models we offer.
Roads and Commuting
Bike paths and smooth trails
Gravel roads, logging roads, service roads on dirt
Touring and Bikepacking.
Heavier trails or roads where there are rocks, loose sand, mud, light snow etc.
Trails close to what a hardtail mountain bike is capable of doing.
This is a dedicated hardtail mountain bike so it really is just meant to be ridden on mountain bike trails. If you want to do anything road related you are better off going with the X or Redwood as they will be more efficient for those types of activities.
There isn't really a "faster" bike between the two because its more about the rider than it is about the bike. The X Ambition can roll a little faster on roads which is why it is better suited for it. Can the Redwood be used as a road to gravel bike? Yes absolutely, it just won't be as good as the X Ambition would be because of the wheel and tire differences. The X Ambition can be used for bikepacking and touring but it doesn't have the same amount of loading capabilities and rack mounts that the Redwood has. The same goes for the X Ambition on more difficult trails as well. Because of the skinnier tires compared to the Redwood, you wouldn't be able to ride it as hard or as fast as the Redwood can go on those types of trails. This is why it is good to break down your riding and prioritize what you will be doing more of. If you are only going to bikepack once or twice out of the year then pick the bike that is good for everything else the majority of the time.