Wanted your opinions please ladies and gents. I am about to finalise my order this week but am totally confused as to what to do! My current car is an MY15 HSE with no optional extra's at all apart from the cosmetic mods I carried out to enhance the looks (colour coding, black bits, wheels etc). When I bought my car there was a 9 month waiting list and I was offered this car as a cancelled order for immediate delivery so pounced on it!

Have driven her for two years and have not missed out on too much apart from the upgraded music system and probably a heated steering wheel. Sometimes on dull days I think a pan roof would have been nice too. I don't miss the Dynamic driving functions as my other car is a 458 so get enough fun in that as it is where is the RRS is the family car and with 306BHP is pretty nippy enough to have fun in.

The difference in prices for the two cars I have spec'd up HSE v Dynamic is £5500.

Is the difference worth it!? and if so why!?

Last edited by RRSman on Wed Jan 18 2017 6:37pm. Edited 1 time in total

I am all for the pan roof with tilt and slide definitely brightens up the inside of the cabin.
Also, I have the heated steering wheel which I thought was just a gimmick but I have used it quite a lot and it really is great.
I'm not familiar with the different specs, but if you could get surround cameras they are really helpful and yes if you do spend a length of time in your car the upgraded sound system is also excellent.
If you manage to get these in the cheaper spec and you can manage the cost I'd certainly go for the Deployable steps as well.

The cheaper HSE I spec'd up includes

Pan roof Fixed (not interested in opening it as hate the noises it makes when open!)
Surround View Camera
Heated Steering
Meridian Sound
Painted Bumper Corners and Sills
Adaptive Cruise with Braking
Extended Leather Pack (dash and door cards in leather like the AB)
Gloss Back Veneer
Power Fold Mirrors with Dimming

The Dynamic is standard + Heated wheel, pan roof, upgraded sound system, Stealth Pack, Extended leather,

Given nearly all of your options are standard on the Autobiography Dynamic, how far away is your final HSED price to the base price of the Autobiography Dynamic with the same engine?

There's method in my madness, bear with me...

Residually an AD will be a lot better than an HSE or HSED, so the extra outlay on the AD cuold make it cost neutral pcm if you are paying by finance, because the GFV will reflect the higher value.

That way you get your cake and eat it.

#manmaths  SOLD - MY16 SDV6 Autobiography Dynamic - Fire Engine Red, Fixed contrast pan roof, TV, Dual Screen, 5+2, Privacy, Noble paddles.

Fixed panoramic roof actually lets in more light and the climate control is well able to cope with the glass area. I would certainly spec the heated steering wheel and upgrade to the 825w audio as what you get now in the HSE is utter crap compared to what I have in my 2015MY which is the Meridian 380w system that was then standard. If you want a bit of external bling then the ride on 22" wheels is very very good.

Oddly today I was working on the spec for a new RRS too and am in the same boat as you for my current car, I took a car that was being built 2 days after I made the inquiry so couldn't change the spec it has the fixed pano-roof, 22" style 504 wheels and privacy glass as the only options specced by the dealership. I was considering going for a Zanzibar HSE Dynamic (I fancy being a bit different to all the White, Black,Grey or Red RRS's I see around and have previously owned a Zanzibar Evoque), with stealth Pack and black 22" wheels with black contrast roof, deployable tow hitch, black roof rails, Tan/ebony interior, black headliner, Privacy, Adaptive headlights, heated steering wheel and upgraded 825w audio. What I couldn't decide was whether to go for the Autobiography as the price difference after adding what I want to an HSE Dynamic isn't that much - just I don't want many of the toys or the interior from the Autobiography as I rather like the HSE Dynamics.

Regarding the Dynamic pack I would add that as it isn't just a handling pack, it gives you proper full 4x4 rather than the AWD of the HSE. You get a low range gear box, additional functionality in the Terrain Response 2 and that has an automatic took take the decision making about which setting to use out of your hands if you want, and it has the e-diff which I have found makes the car more versatile off-road and also in TR2 Auto mode will work on slippery roads onroad as well. You might even enjoy a bit of green laning or doing the odd unpaved mountain pass in the car! 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Last edited by Tim in Scotland on Tue Jan 17 2017 12:09pm. Edited 1 time in total

Believe it or not but the difference in price between an HSE with this spec amd an AB is £10k

Which engine?

Edited to ask: I note in your HSED spec you have ommited a lot of options that you have put in your HSE spec e.g. Adapative cxruise, is that intentional? SOLD - MY16 SDV6 Autobiography Dynamic - Fire Engine Red, Fixed contrast pan roof, TV, Dual Screen, 5+2, Privacy, Noble paddles.

It is yes, as once I hit the Dynamic I'm ltd to budget so have to lose some options...where as with the HSE I can spec up the options and still be cheaper than a Dynamic - hence my question

I've plugged your specs into the config and then asked for finance quotes on each (based on it being a V6D engine). The finance quotes will show what the minimum value your car will be in 3yrs time. This is a yardstick for you to weight up the spend of options.

As I suspected it's pretty much cost neutral across all three models with your specs, because the GFV/RV is higher on the AD so it negates the extra expense.

Based on 3yrs and 10k per year, the GVF/RV being quoted are:

HSE - £71,935.00 list price, GFV/RV £37,796.00
HSED - £75,005.00 list price. £40,409.00
ABD - £80,300.00 list price. GFV/RV £46,085.00

This means the finance will be the same (give or take a few quid per month) on all three models. With that in mind you are better off getting the ABD because it will cost the same as an HSE or HSED over the period you will own the car.

 SOLD - MY16 SDV6 Autobiography Dynamic - Fire Engine Red, Fixed contrast pan roof, TV, Dual Screen, 5+2, Privacy, Noble paddles.

This is very interesting, thanks! Let me get on the phone to LRPR......

RRSman wrote:

The cheaper HSE I spec'd up includes

Pan roof Fixed (not interested in opening it as hate the noises it makes when open!)
Surround View Camera
Heated Steering
Meridian Sound
Painted Bumper Corners and Sills
Adaptive Cruise with Braking
Extended Leather Pack (dash and door cards in leather like the AB)
Gloss Back Veneer
Power Fold Mirrors with Dimming

The Dynamic is standard + Heated wheel, pan roof, upgraded sound system, Stealth Pack, Extended leather,

RRSman wrote:

This is very interesting, thanks! Let me get on the phone to LRPR......

I went through a similar process when I ordered mine late last year. Logic would say to buy the low option higher grade model, in my case, SE vs HSE both SDV6 with low range and terrain 2. I actually originally ordered the HSE upon advice from others...but it just didn't sit well with me. Basically, I was putting on a very similar suite of options on both grade cars. Many upgrades on the HSE were not of value to me (bigger wheels, memory seats)so it just didn't add up, for me. Bottom line, still more that 10k being the difference in Australia. Even if you have finance with or without a balloon payment, you still pay interest on the total amount for the time you have that debt.
My options are ; surround cameras, advanced tow assist, fixed sunroof, tow pack, TFT instruments, ebony roof lining, in control apps, heated seats, 3 zone air, keyless entry/start, HUD....

So I think it's personal and we all have a different perspective on value. I went with gut feeling in the end and I don't regret the direction I went. Mine gets built early February, I'm a bit excited.... lol

Good luck with your decision  2017 MY17 SDV6 SE

I went through the same process and ordered an AB which will arrive shortly

I'm also AB positive! Due for 1 March handover.