D90 Lens Kit

I'm about to buy my first dSLR and had been thinking of a Canon - 450D or 40D (have been using my son's 40D and quite impressed with it). However I also like the look of the D90 so that is still a possibility at the moment - and there are some decent offers on it in the UK currently.

Is the 18-105 VR lens that is normally bundled with it (at least in the UK) a kit lens? And if so, what is it like compared with Canon kit lenses which sound 'OK but could be better'.

Is there a decent Nikon non-kit lens which covers roughly 18-105? Thanks, Gary