Ok, I think I am fairly qualified to respond to this considering I have both a Kymco Like 200i and a Vespa GTS. Here is my take on it, the Vespa is AMAZING! It can do 70-80mph and is stable on the highway. It feels more solid, comfortable, and roomier than my Like. Now that being said, I LOVE the Like! My like came in it at UNDER $3000 OTD. You would be lucky to see the Vespa for $7000 OTD, more like $8k as everyone has stated. My OTD Price included the chrome side guards, windscreen, and under seat storage bag (those are big $$$ on a GTS). Another thing, the like comes with a top case and the Vespa does not - add another $400 or so for that. Based on all this, the Kymco is a STEAL compared to the Vespa. You could feasibly get 3 Kymco's for the price of a single Vespa GTS or 2 for the price of the Vespa LX... Both Kymco and Vespa have a 2 year warranty BTW.
Now understand I am not a Kymco fan boy- I am a hard core European bike and car enthusiast. I have had quite a few Vespa's and loved them all and they have been ultra reliable. I also dislike Asian bikes and cars in general and I consider them imitations of American and European inventions or innovations. However if the price is that much lower I am more than willing to "settle" for a copy. As for Kymco, how bad can they be, they are building engines for BMW and many others.... Just my 10 cents on the subject, enjoy your Like 200i it is a great little machine.
I got my Kymco Like 200i (gosh that's a mouthful) 2 weeks ago. I'm happy with it, but have always wanted a Vespa. I just didn't want to spend the $. So Kymco was a good compromise for me.
Well, Vespa announced their 70th anniversary editions for the Vespa GTS 300 ABS starting at $6,999. And the color has got me drooling. Pic below.
Well, it's still 4 grand more than I paid for the Kymco so I'll keep enjoying the Like for another year or two and then upgrade to my dream scoot.