A wildcard cert, which you would likely want/need if you're running a business, does indeed go for about $200 (that's the minimum I've seen it, if you have a cheaper source it would make me very happy :))
I mean... your cost argument is weak, almost meaningless. Just focus on the trust angle, it's a reason enough against PKI/SSL.
IIRC they used to have a ridiculously awful method for revoking a cert. Is that still the case?