You could spend 40$ or more for just a new derailleur so 40$ for the group isn't bad. The Exage cassette hubs were pretty nice. The Exage cranksets are great but a little heavy. I think the Exage derailleurs are pretty nice and functional. There are various Exage models. The metal levers and anodized silver models were not too bad.

The exage thumbs were not nearly as good as the Deore or LX.