It's always tough to raise the price of something or decrease what comes in a kit without having people get upset. It's easy to lower the price of something, but tough to raise the price just slightly. It's also good to look at what Xray does for the hobby, how many races they sponsor, the tracks they have, the support they provide, etc. I just wish they did more in the US!
The AE is the cheapest kit out, but you'll struggle to find one at the track without at least $100 worth of upgrades on it. Plus the xray parts last far longer and are much more durable.
The Xray you can build and tune for your track without buying any extra parts.