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Buy the best you can afford, keeping some aside for mods/tyres etc. A cheaper series 1 with some good bits added may be better than a series 2, especially if you are planning on keeping it for a while. Avoid low mileage series 1 V8s, they are likely to have had problems keeping them off the road and hence the mileage is low.
Had a series 1 300Tdi Auto for 3 years, sold 3 years ago, wish I'd kept it, but bought a Td5 auto, beautiful car to drive over last 3 years. More recently purchased a series 1 V8 auto as a second car, had now for 8 months. Driving them back to back, the series 2 is plusher, and yes there is an extra 6 inches of load space in the back, but not as much difference as you might think. The V8 uses twice as much fuel as the diesel, performance wise they are fairly close. The V8 sounds fantastic.
Biggest drawback in the series 1 - crappy sound system (fixable)
Dislikes about series 2, larger turning circle than series 1, and I have hung up the arse on rocks (worse departure angle).
I think that they are both very similar to drive on road, as does my wife. Offroad, there is some difference, with CDL versus ETC (The series 2 is one of those unfortunate beasts where Land rover omitted the difflock all together) but they both do the job. The difference between them is less marked than say driving a Discovery then driving a 100 series Landcruiser (my father has yet to see the light!!)
I must disagree with redback strongly. They are a lot more alike than they seem, when you live with both day to day.
So, to repeat myself, get what you can afford.
Justin.
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