When I bought my squier CV P bass, from a not so long departed shop a few years ago, I tried a MIM and US bass at the same time. It was better than the MiM sound wise, it was similar to the US, the us had better machineheads, but was 4 times the price. I don't regret the choice on that.
I am not a fender player, so It would be hard for me to justify the price of a US fender, as I never found one that was far away better than anything else and they all look the same to me, for that sort of money I could get something special.