Why is the 17-55 so much more than the 18-55?

Seehorse wrote:

Having owned and used both lenses I'd say... YES!

It's a solid hunk of glass and it produces MUCH sharper, cleaner images over it's entire range even wide open. It's AF is lightning fast and very accurate; I haven't had any miss focused shots with it that weren't my fault. This thing is high end professional quality; it's like comparing a Geo Metro with a BMW. Both will get you from A to B (take your picture) but the 17-55 will do it faster, cleaner and better.