Hi. Thanks everyone for the great info here. I am considering my first Land Rover, a used Discovery. There are several in the potential running. One is a 17SE gas 6, with what as far as I can tell has no options. Like, zero. Basic radio manual seats. Towing was added I think. Otherwise, nothing. Zip. No sensors or gizmos. Nothing. I wish it had XM is all really. This appeals to me because it means there is less to break. I also drove an HSE that made me tingle like a teenager but that rear shelf struck me as being meaninglessly automated. And there is now a diesel SE the mix with some nice options. I expect some reliability issues from whichever.

The price is excellent on the no-option option. Anyone here have any thoughts on going bare-bones? Anyone do it, and regret it? It seems spiritually correct to be bare bones. I plan to do some towing is the only major thing and it’s set up for that. Any thoughts appreciated.

 

Very much a matter of taste and what you value in a car. I like the premium luxury feel of a Land Rover so I would avoid base. I also like toys!

Major difference is the base model lacks the air suspension system. So the ride isn't as supple and the car doesn't lift up or crank down for access etc

I would look at how well maintained they are. I don't think Land Rover is any less reliable that other premium vehicles. My experience over the past decade has been excellent. But they do need to be looked after. I'd prioritize one with a good history of care

Gas vs diesel much debated. Diesel hood if you tow heavily (although gas is fine to tow too). But gas is much better performing in real world driving. With a fuel economy penalty. What matters to you?

My money would be on a Gas HSE. Great car!

Also if you want to post a specific link we can also take a look online.

 

Unless you plan to keep it for a good few years you may want to consider resale value or at least the ease of selling it.
In my experience base spec premium vehicles are not that attractive to buyers as most will have certain expectations in terms of luxury/gadgets when buying such a brand (in the 90s people used to say never buy a Mercedes with cloth seats for example).
I wanted a 5 seater D5 but when checking through dealer stock they were all 7 seaters and I was told that is because the customers shopping the D5 want the 3 row whereas if they don’t they tended to buy a Velar for the same money and have the RR badge...
So you may have a hard time shifting it in future which means dropping the price... That said, if you’re getting it for a very good price now and remember that fact in the future (so you’re not disappointed) then fair enough.

There is some truth to the idea that less gadgets means less trouble, but all the computers are still there and wiring, electric windows and seats, media system, and engine sensors and whatnot so while you may not risk an electric sunroof that doesn’t work by buying a car without one, the end result would be the same anyway.

I agree on the inner tailgate btw...

 

Thank you! Appreciate the thoughts. I ended up getting over to the dealer to take a another look at the SE, turned out a few things were not in the listing -- it has XM radio and air suspension, which were my top two concerns. I'm not familiar with the packages and thought air suspension came standard. But it doesn't have blind spot monitoring etc. Otherwise it's a really clean black/black 7-seater, with full service records from the selling LR dealer, about 35K mi on it (40k svc done). LoneStarLR -- you pretty much captured my thinking, the price was low enough that I could tack on a few more years warranty coverage, and even if I get out in a few years, I'm not expecting the moon for it. We have another car that has all the gadgets and loves road trips. The LR can handle that too, but it's also going to be treated as the truck in the house. I fell in love with the way it drives and hope it holds up! Thanks again for the forums and resources here, I've been reading up on this for a several weeks before taking the plunge.

 

Maintenance is the key to any Rover. Things will happen, its life. I've had D2, D3, RR HSE and now D5. I loved them all. D5 is my favorite by far. Good luck!

 

Air ride comes with the 7 seater option and/or the advanced off road pack (I forget the name).

Hope you enjoy it!

 

Congrats. Enjoy!!

 

Thanks all! Appreciate it.