I don't think I can help settle what sounds like a long-standing dispute between you and that poster, but FWIW, I far preferred the premium car on the Hinotori from Kintetsu-Nagoya to Namba to a quick ride on Nozomi or Hikari followed by a trip across Osaka on the metro.

I stopped buying nationwide JR passes years ago and started relying on regional passes instead. Which of course are still good to excellent value despite recent price increases, and an excellent way to see Japan off the beaten path. I'd love to see statistics on the sale of the nationwide JR pass, though -- I suspect it still haunts guidebooks and forums as a "pro tip," and therefore probably sells better than us old timers expect. And with the massive decline of the yen, it really hasn't gotten that much more expensive in the home currency of someone who's used to traveling to Japan when the USD bought 100 JPY or less.