I can't tell much from that ad- it all comes down to condition, particularly the ways and leadscrew. It's pretty much identical to my Logan 211, though a bit shorter. I think I paid about $600-800 more than 20 years ago, can't remember exactly! Now, if you need a new $200 front spindle bearing, the lathe is worth a lot less.
Everybody's needs are different, but I rejoice in the fact that I have change gears rather than a QC gearbox. It's a metric world and change gears are easier to deal with when you're doing metric sizes. On top of that (donning flameproof underwear) I believe the more direct and robust gear path gives more accurate threads, especially when it comes to tracking very fine threads. My Logan can do nearly equivalent quality small parts as the HLV at work, so I don't complain too much.