01-04-2013, 11:08 AM
For the best bang per buck and cheapest maintenance, XUD all the way. For more refinement and better living day to day, HDi.
Both can be tuned relatively easily up to about 180bhp. But HDi's can eat clutches, maps are an expense you don't need with an XUD, but XUD's you need to be handy with spanners and have an idea what you're doing to get a decent tune.
MPG wise HDi wins for the most part. But XUD's can be run on veg which gives a cheaper cost per mile, despite lower MPG.
When it all goes wrong, which at some point it WILL, XUD's in their basic form are much cheaper to fix than HDi's. No sensor issues to worry about and basic engineering in its finest. However, HDi's can develop more power with standard blowers, XUD's you WILL need to swap the turbo to get reliably over 150bhp. And if it's an expensive blower, the cost to repair escalates. For instance i've spent over £600 on turbos through trial, error and breakages to get on a par with a stage 2 HDi, which can be done with a FMIC and uprated clutch if you want the full torque map.
For out and out power though, an XUD can be bought for sub-£500 in not bad condition, and a TD04 can be strapped on (along with a Bosch, if not already fitted) for under £200. Instant 170bhp easily for under £700 all in, you'd pay more than that just for a half decent HDi.
Both can be tuned relatively easily up to about 180bhp. But HDi's can eat clutches, maps are an expense you don't need with an XUD, but XUD's you need to be handy with spanners and have an idea what you're doing to get a decent tune.
MPG wise HDi wins for the most part. But XUD's can be run on veg which gives a cheaper cost per mile, despite lower MPG.
When it all goes wrong, which at some point it WILL, XUD's in their basic form are much cheaper to fix than HDi's. No sensor issues to worry about and basic engineering in its finest. However, HDi's can develop more power with standard blowers, XUD's you WILL need to swap the turbo to get reliably over 150bhp. And if it's an expensive blower, the cost to repair escalates. For instance i've spent over £600 on turbos through trial, error and breakages to get on a par with a stage 2 HDi, which can be done with a FMIC and uprated clutch if you want the full torque map.
For out and out power though, an XUD can be bought for sub-£500 in not bad condition, and a TD04 can be strapped on (along with a Bosch, if not already fitted) for under £200. Instant 170bhp easily for under £700 all in, you'd pay more than that just for a half decent HDi.
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