Is converting this 2009ish Specialized Crosstrail a better investment than buying a new low-mid-end ebike?

I went the DIY route and have zero regrets. I went with a 750W Bafang BBS02 mid drive kit. You get way more bang for your $ by going the DIY route, especially if you already have a donor bike. Not only that, but you know exactly how it all works and can maintain it yourself. Plus you get the benefit of massive community knowledge, and aftermarket support for upgrades components. Everything is pretty much off the shelf and replacable, and you can even get replacement or upgraded parts for the motor itself. You can even swap the kit over to a new bike or frame if you ever decide you want something else. I would have had to spend 2-3X as much to get the performance of my DIY build, it can climb just about anything as long as the rear wheel maintains grip while barely breaking a sweat. With a 48V 20ah battery pack it easily gets 40+ miles of real world range. If you are handy, and already have a bike you like, going the DIY route is a no-brainer. https://preview.redd.it/qkvew15owc2h1.jpeg?width=4096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e7ec9bf3dd12b99b1c62420790686b3ddffc2e4

The beauty of building your own bike is that you get a lot more bang for your $, especially if you already have a donor bike, and you will know exactly how it works so you can maintain it yourself. Plus none of the parts will be proprietary, and if you go with something like a Bafang mid-drive you will get the benefit of a massive community that can share knowledge as well as aftermarket support for upgrades. And you end up with a really powerful bike that climbing ability is only limited by traction, and plenty of range depending on the battery pack. I went the DIY route and have zero regrets. I would have had to spend 2-3x as much to buy a bike that offers the same performance. *Processing img d3ebda02rc2h1...*