I think i've decided to go for p38 but do i go v8/lpg or diesel i'm thinking diesel . How do they compare to the td5 i'm not a speed merchant i only fancied v8 for the sound but i've read up and they suffer from overheating issues
Advice please v8/lpg or diesel
Which would you choose
If i put my sensible head on i think diesel but my inner child says v8
Depends what you are after. Apart from air suspension, the most issues you see on the forums for p38's are due to problems with the diesel engine. But maybe there are more of them vs V8's.
The V8's are faster and more refined and likely to come better specced.
So it really does come down to what you want.
Diesel autos are pretty slow and gutless. Although you can remap them. But there is no denying they will be a bit sluggish by modern standards. Diesel manuals will offer more fun, performance and mpg and can also be remapped. Not sure how common they are though. The BMW engine was the most powerful diesel engine used by LR at the time. But most say it suits a car more than a 4x4 and kind of needs to be 'driven' to get the most from it. Not 100% sure on mpg, but suspect mid 20's likely and maybe low'ish 20's for the auto.
The Td5 is probably a nicer and better engine overall. But the BMW unit isn't all that bad tbh.
As for V8's the 4.0 litre could be had with a 5 speed manual and is probably the most fun overall. But super rare or more common with the 4 speed auto. The 4.6 was auto only and a slightly stronger auto box than the other engines, but essentially the same to use.
Many 4.0 litre and diesels are low spec, while nearly all 4.6's are well specced. The 4.6 uses the same amount of fuel as a 4.0 the 4.6 also has [pretty good performance by modern standards still. Although being petrol you do need to use the revs to make the most of the power on tap. In terms of mpg, this is the big difference really. V8's will be in the teens, when I bought mine I'd get 16-20, although 20+ really is only on a run. It is now modded and doing more like 11-13mpg!!
If you want to go off road, post 1999 models should have 4 wheel traction control, while earlier models only had 2 wheel (rear).
Compared to a D2, the D2 has the edge if you want to seat 7 and they also could be had with ACE which is awesome. Otherwise I feel the p38 is superior to the D2 in every other respect. But the p38's are a bit more fickle and unique with some of their parts, although still generally very well supported. Budget to get yourself a diagnostic tool if buying the p38, it'll come in handy. Handy for a D2 too, but not quite as necessary.
