I use HP5+ for nearly everything, expose at e.i. 200 and develop it in Ilfosol-S 1:14, 20 deg. 12.5 minutes agitating 10 out of 60 seconds. 10.5 min for 4x5 in tubes - constant agitation. The resulting negs print well on MG IV with no filtration in my diffusion enlarger.(posted 9196 days ago)I used XTOL for a while, exposing at 200, developing for the times Kodak recomended for e.i. 400, and that was fine too. I went back to Ilfosol mostly for convenience.
HP5+ is the latest incarnation from Ilford. The non-plus has been gone for several years now.
PS - are you the Bill Karoly I knew in Carmichael in the mid 70's?