Let me put it this way. For ultra-portable + ultra-reliable devices using Magnesium alloy, they're ALL above $2000. Lenovo Helix/Twist/X-series, Fujitsu T-series & Q-series. Sony Vaio Pro uses carbon fibre, to name a few.
These laptops are made for business people, who can afford the premium because they demand the reliability.
7 years ago, my Fujitsu T4215 costs $4000 before GST. It's so reliable, I never really bother to look for a new laptop, I just upgrade RAM/CPU/SSD/Bluetooth + new set of batteries when I feel the need. Of course, I didn't pay $4000+ for it. I got rebates & I sold off my Acer TabletPC for $1000. Ended up paying $2000+ only.
It's not about defending or anything. Quality speaks for itself. Over the last 7 years, I spent a total of less than $3000 which works out to less than $430 per year for a trouble-free laptop which is super-fast especially with the SSD upgrade 2 years ago. My TabletPC can easily last another 5 years when I upgrade to the latest-gen SSDs which are twice as fast bringing total cost to less than $230 per year. Can a Fujitsu last that long? Yes! My "boss" has a Fujitsu Lifebook working for almost 14 years.
The only reason I'm changing to the Surface Pro is for the touchscreen (including the upgraded Wacom digitizer), lower weight & faster speed + the future battery cover to extend battery to 8-9 hours, while still keeping weight to less than 1.3kg like the Lenovo Helix but is probably $800 cheaper due to the smaller screen.
In case, you guys haven't figured out, I'm a business-person. I calculate $$$ & look at ROI for my gadgets. I'm not interested to buy a cheap laptop/tablet that give problems after the warranty period is over. This is how I buy my PCs & it's how I advise my family, relatives, friends & clients to buy PCs. People who follow my buying guide typically have laptops & PC that last more than 5 years with little need for repairs. Some of them even ask me to upgrade those PC to extend their life for another 3-5 years.
And no, you don't have to be rich to buy quality. It just takes a lot of research and experience.