Like I said, the Howa is $200 less. That's not pennies. The issue with the Ruger is downmarket manufacturing with an upmarket price.
In my neck of the woods, Rugers are usually the same cost as a BDL/SPS but cheaper than a CDL or equivilent. Savages and Howas tend to be about a c-note cheaper, but not $200 cheaper. And I challenge the 'downmarket manufacturing' position; I fail to see anything that, say, a Rem 700 BDL brings to the table that makes it any more durable or finely finished than a equivilently priced Ruger. You can argue that casting is somehow 'downmarket' when compared to a forging, but most any aero or materials engineer could talk you out of THAT position pretty quickly.
My Frontier 77MkII in 7mm08 was $500 and my 7.62x39 77MkII was $550, both purchased in late summer/early fall of 2007. My Remington 700 SPS (aquired in the same timeframe) in 25-06 cost me about $550. The Remmie has the benefit of an adjustable trigger, but its fit and finish are HORRID when compared to either of my Rugers.
I've had a Howa, and like/liked it. I've had three, in fact.
But while the trigger in the Vanguard/Howa can be made LIGHTER than the Ruger, it cannot not be adjusted to have less creep (not without disabling the safety) and breaks no more cleanly. I actually PREFER my Ruger triggers over my Howa/Vanguard, because they're crisp. I can live with a 4.5lb trigger, so long as it breaks cleanly.
The bolt throw in my Rugers is equal to my Howas, but the bolt lift requires less force in the Rugers. As a result, I can get off a second snap shot from the Rugers faster than I can from the Howas.
In full power chamberings, I really prefer the longer 24" tube of the Howa over the 22" tube of the Rugers.
I prefer the Ruger ring design, but detest the pricetag that goes with it.
The Howas were slightly more accurate, but almost immeasurably so. Certainly, for field use they are both more than adequate.
Rugers fill a nitch, and they do it reasonably well. If that nitch isn't for you, then spending the dollars on a Ruger makes no sense. For example, Howa doesn't make a scout-style carbine; Ruger does. Howa doesn't make a 7.62x39; Ruger does.
But I want a 16" scout-style carbine chambered in a full-power cartridge, and I want a 7.62x39 bolt-action CRF carbine with a synthetic all-weather stock.
Ruger makes those. Nobody else does.
