I have a Westin and I love it. They're hard to find cheaper than the $400-$500 range unless you go used. I bought mine as a package deal with bedliner, rustproofing, and undercoating and I got a great deal.

 

For me, they are. I consider them essential equipment. Generally speaking, in an on-road accident, the body damage is dramatically less than without them. They protect the headlights, etc. The bar itself might get mangled but with a good, solid bar on the front, you're significantly better off in an accident. The damage to the other car, however, will be WAY worse than if you'd hit them with the body of your car. You can cause major damage to another vehicle and your car could easily be unscathed.

Off-road, they do what they do best...guard against brush. If you're going through an area with low hanging limbs, foliage, etc. you can literally drive into virtually any obstruction you come upon and save your body and headlights the impact. Send that impact straight to the frame, where your car is strongest. One good nasty front end bash can be $1000 at a body shop and, for me, that pays for the bar.

 

Here's a pic of mine out at the beach

 

Any good truck accessories store will sell Westin. You can buy them online, too. I looked around and they were all about $400-$500 online depending on where I looked. I bought mine as part of a package deal and it was installed for me. Most of the places I went to included installation in their quotes and the price was the same whether or not you got it installed. I liked not having to put it on because these things are H-E-A-V-Y. Factor the "H-E-A-V-Y" into your freight charges getting one shipped.

All in all, I think these are better to locally buy at least in the Westin brand. Internet=no tax+shipping. In-person: Taxes+no shipping. Whatever works for you.