First off, at least for me, anything that's gonna be a defensive weapon should have a red dot. You can add a magnifier if need be to reach out a bit, or to see details better for a more precise shot.
That said, I do have an LVPO on my 18" Larue Stealth 2.0. It's the Primary Arms 1-8 with the ACSS I took off a .308 I traded away. I love the ACSS, and even though this is a less expensive choice, and right within your ball park, even a $2,500 LVPO is still a scope, and not a sight, so it will still have "scope shadow" making it much less forgiving than a red dot when you're trying to shoot from some awkward twisted position. That's why the SBR has an Aimpoint Comp M4s.