I bought this lens with a D7000 after reading reviews of both, and have not regretted my decision. The lens gives much more range than most kit lenses I have had experience with(ie 28 to 70mm range) and this lens has very little distortion across its range. The Vibration Reduction means you can use the lens at full zoom without getting noticeable blur even at low levels.

The weight of the lens does not feel significant. The barrel is made of solid-feeling plastic, the lens has a metal mount, I find that it is easy to accidentally hit the Vibration Reduction switch to off, which is annoying but may not be a problem for many people. There is one advantage to turning the VR off- which is noticing the results, the difference between VR being on and off at dusk is obvious the moment you see the photos. I have never had any lens creep, even when holding the camera at ridiculous angles.
The supplied Lens Cap HB-32 Feels solid and screws into the front of the lens barrel.

The variable maximum aperture does limit your ability to use depth of field, so this is not the lens for anyone who wants to use bokeh (having things out of focus behind their subject) to the best effect. In this regard it is no substitute for either a prime lens, or a zoom lens with a lower and constant aperture. Nikon and Sigma, and others make such lenses, but they cost and weigh significantly more.

So: an excellent starting point, but if you are keen on only having one lens consider the similar model that goes to 200mm, if you want to do more artistic photography, get prime lenses or a more expensive zoom lens

As this is a DX Lens, designed for the smaller format digital sensors, those who wish to continue using 35mm film SLRs, or those looking to upgrade to a full format (FX) digital camera should not buy this lens as it will produce faded edges on their photographs.