We went with the "insane price" BlueStar RNB 30" range about a year ago and would do the same again. Yes, we could have purchased a suite of appliances from one of the big box stores for what we paid for this range but we wanted a good performing gas (propane) range that had few bells and whistles to break, was easily repairable and would hopefully last us the next 15-20 years. I researched for over a year before we finally made our purchase and I love the range. It just works and works well. There is no touch screen with a computer board or whatever to go bad, there is an excellent broiler however and the oven is large enough to hold a full size commercial sheet pan. I can easily roast a 23+ pound turkey with room to spare and I can bake multiple items at once because the oven is so large. The range top is cast iron so no scratches (they can even go in the dishwasher) and the open burners are so nice, the drip pan is easy to clean also. The only extras this range has is a convection fan and an oven light, exactly what we wanted. I could have cooked on a $500 range but I wanted one that was made in the USA, BlueStar is, and would last for ages with easy repairs and I liked the looks honestly. No more fancy electronics on my ranges. Good luck with your decision!

So, is this the $539 GE you are asking about or maybe this slate colored version? (JGBS66)?

If so, then this is one does have a broiler but it is the old-style design with a broiler "drawer" below the oven. Consumer Reports rates it as a pretty good range. Some folks like broiler drawers, some prefer an in-oven broiler. YMMV.

The range you linked to, the slate colored JGB700, is only $110 more according to the Lowe's site I just checked. For that relatively small amount of appliance money, you get more features and conveniences: an in-oven broiler (if you like them); a self cleaning oven (with a high heat self-clean option in addition to the "steam clean" option of the JGBS66), an oven convection fan (helps even out oven heat for two tray baking and somewhat crisper roasts), a somewhat bigger "power" burner (so maybe a bit faster to boil a pot of water if you are using a suitably large pot), and a storage drawer. FWIW, CR did not test this model but it is likely similar in performance to the first model..

I suspect Lowe's has been having trouble moving that JGB700 stove in the slate color because I see that the white version of the JGB700 is listed at $200 more.

Dunno that either model would be any more reliable or durable than the other. As mandy_elaine says, the concern --- as with most other brands of ranges these days --- is uncertainty about the durablity of the oven's electronic control boards.

Honestly, if your 17-year-old GE does not leave you wanting for, say, more even baking or the like, I'd go cheap.

Bigger burners (especially with propane)? Yes, please, always. Bigger oven cavity? That might be worthwhile if you find yourself running out of space often. Built-in broiler? I happen to like them because I can fit more in them and I like the storage drawer you get as a bonus.

But convection? Steam? If you can live without them then you go without all the parts that make them happen. Electronic controls? There's where the costs come in.

The basics of gas ranges haven't changed in decades and the cooking guts are simple enough they can last for decades. The parts that break are the extras. The fewer of them you need, the more you increase the chances that you won't have to pay for a repair (or find it beyond economic repair) until further down the line.