I've used XTOL ever since it came out. I know you wanted a liquid, but you can mix XTOL @ room temperature. It keeps for 12 months in a full container and 2 months in a partially filled container. I keep it bottled at full strength, but use it diluted 1:1. My experience is that it exhibits both higher accutance and finer grain than HC-110 (or any other developer I've ever used). Rodinal always exhibited high accutance, but it killed you on the grain. But that's the nature of the beast, it causes silver halide to clump a bit instead of slide around in the emulsion.
The only thing about XTOL I've noticed that might be considered a negative over HC-110 is that I need to down-rate my film by 2/3 of a stop for shadow detail. I pretty much shot all films at their rated speed with HC-110.
For film, I've been a TMAX guy for a looong time. I've tried both the Fuji Neopan and Ilford Delta families and wasn't compelled to switch. Comparing hi-speed films, I didn't like the Delta 3200 at all. When I tested it, it rated about ISO 800. I wasn't impressed with it's 3200 performance at all. But you can get it in medium format. TMax 3200 tested (for me) at 1600 and is very usable everywhere from ISO 400 to 3200.
With 100 and 400 ISO films, I found Fuji and Kodak films to be very similar. The Ilford Delta films exhibitied just a bit more grain and were about 1/3 stop slower.
But unless you're going to lock yourself away for two weeks, shoot the exact same subject under the exact same conditions with Fuji, Kodak, and Ilford films; process them in a half-dozen different developers; and keep all the results straight you'll have a hard time telling one same-rated film from another.
Here some links you may find helpful:
Kodak Developer comparisons:
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/profe...electing.jhtml
Paul Butzi has written several excellent articles on B&W films and developers. You can find them here:
http://www.butzi.net/articles/articles.htm
-Chip