tufferwilde: I pretty much agree with everything that you've said. Personally, price doesn't bother me if I feel that it's a good value. Two examples that I feel aren't decent values are the HPI Pro 3 on the low end and the Kyosho KX? on the high end.
I don't agree with you on the Yokomo kit prices. I bought the original MR4-TC and paid about $150. I also bought both the Pro and the Special (still have both). The Pro was $219. The highest price that I've seen for the Pro is $229! The Special is priced slightly higher than the Worlds kit.
I bought the Losi, and feel that it is a good value with aluminum shocks, bearings, tires, inserts, and a body. The tires may not be the best, but with the body painted you can run the car without having to go out to purchase anything other than electronics.
If you're just starting out, you'll have to purchase tires, inserts and a body for the HPI car adding at least $45 (conservatively) to the price of that $200 kit!