Here's why I ask...Every Trek I've ridden has seemed lackluster in ridability. Granted, I'm a spoiled, opinionated coot, but still...
A Schwinn Voyageur SP seems every bit as good, if not a better full tourer, and I've seen great American custom steel frames (Nobilette, Kellogg, etc) in the Sport Tourer category go for less than this with better components.
Is it just the early Trek mystique?
I know that you'd have to spend much more for a modern bike, but that's irrelevant. My wife's 23 year old NOS Merckx Professional cost less than an entry level Cannondale with Sora, but that's one of the reasons we buy old steel bikes, right?