XXX, the aircraft is now 7 years old and time takes it's toll, even with the best of them. Tyres wear out, instruments need the occasional bit of work, the original 121.5 MHz ELT needed replacing, etc. And, as I said, that's for a respectable annual: all trim etc removed, cables inspected and so on. A dozen or so hours work, minimum. Could I get it done cheaper? Maybe, but I've taken pride in all my aircrafts' condition, and this one is no different.
I think the initial choice of LSA is probably more important than the difference between a certified and non-certified version of the same thing. That said, I don't object to having a tighter-tracked product. As you'll know though, it's entirely possible to run a GA registered LSA version but I have no data to tell me whether the reliability is better/worse than my EASA VLA certified model.
To return to the point, I guess it doesn't matter whether it's an LSA or whatever category of newer aircraft - providing good maintenance is costing less, and the capital cost is lower by a useful amount. The two factors combine to give a worthwhile reduction in operating cost.