That's why I said:
Not suggesting that any of these are cheapI don't think I'd even classify the 70-300 as inexpensive, but it is certainly less than the 80-400...
I keep going back to the original post. Not to say it never happens but I think it's rare to see someone with a entry level camera looking at lenses over a certain price point. And, yes, the 70~300AFS VR is definitely pushing that price point. However,I believe the OP would be happier with that lens than one of the lesser Nikkor 70~300 lenses that are still being sold. And, I'm not excluding any of the current aftermarket options. I just don't have any experience with them.
I agree with everything else you mentioned, especially the point about aperture. In fact, sometimes I think I'd love to have about 5 minutes with the guy who came up with the variable aperture scheme. Argh! Many years ago I had a Vivitar Series 1 70~210 f3.5 lens that I really loved. A tad slow but at least it kept that aperture all the way through the zoom range. Man was that a nice lens.
--Ron