If I understand your dilemma, it's about whether or not you even want a station, not so much features at this point. Here is a little background on why I wanted a PWS, and the like/love about it, which really only apply to my own personality. Your mileage may vary.
My area has wildly variable micro-climate weather, so the "local" forecast doesn't necessarily accurately reflect conditions at my house. I wanted to be able to check-in over the internet while travelling on business. My initial thought was wunderground. (My Vue does that, so great). I also wanted to keep track of gusts during the winter windstorms that take out our power several times each season. (Vue was selected for the 2.5-second wind updates). The rain collection aspect of a PWS was just assumed, so a self-emptying bucket that also records (via datalogger) was a bonus.
That's what got me started. Once it was installed and running, I found many other fun things to do with it. Tweaking the software that came with it, uploading to my own webpage, feeding CWOP, sharing the data with faraway friends and relatives, getting others interested, learning more about weather (through this forum), sharing my experience with others to help their wx hobbies (again, this forum). Had I considered these aspects, I probably would have purchased a more scalable system, like a Davis VP2, but had I purchased a system "less" than a Vue, I don't know if my interest in PWS would have continued to develop as it has. So, the Vue is a good place to be if you can afford it.
If reasons like these don't justify the price of a Vue, or seem like too much work for your desires in a PWS, there are less expensive, less flexible systems out there, but at that point you may not be interested in a PWS at all. But it sure is fun to collect and crunch data from your own location.