I read Ars regularly and never picked up the slant you are seeing. I wonder if my perspective will change after hearing yours. Now that I think about a large portion of their device coverage I realize that they do like expensive shiny things. I'm sure that what they cover is heavily influenced by what gets clicks. Their coverage of cell phones in the $200-250 range is still excellent. I don't need a lot of phone but I want that dollar to go as far as it can, their coverage in that range is appreciated.
Their reviews can be good, but they have a tendency to bitch about something on an Android phone and then ignore the similar issue on an Apple one, for example. It's also a case of finding other sites I like better: I much prefer Techdirt and The Register at this point.