All subjective, and due to the some manufacturers having low to high end models, you really can't fairly grade manufactures.
And, as the comment about noses said, we all have them
! Here are some opinions:
Newel/Foretravel are pretty much high end and top of the non 'rock star' bus food chain. Newel being all custom, and in almost a leage of it's own. Foretravel has various models, and is typycally well respected.
Monaco and Newmar, in their upper model food chains, have well respected coaches. Newmar has supper Customer Support, and Monaco is a 'new' company now, so time will tell, they are also chaging over to the new master's engine, and again time will tell. Newmar high end, usually use the high end Spartan chassis, as other high end coaches do too. A good chassis. Monaco has their Roadmaster, and usually the high end units are on the I think the S chassis (different years, may have different names or be called 10 bag). The high end Roadmaster chassis, are respected for solid handling and control.
Entegra has been building off, and adding to, the quality of coach and customer care that Travel Supreme started. (Not sure, but I think Entegra and TS used Spartan chassis as well.)
Alpines with their Peak(SP?) chassis are respected as good handling rigs.
Beaver, Holiday Rambler, etc. are part of the Monaco clan now, so the higher end coaches are very close to the Executive + line model. Older units of both, back when they were on their own, are well respected. Beaver had a good rep for great cabinets.
Country Coaches are well thought of for their quality, cabinets and attention to detail on owner manuals and schematics. CC is also now a new company, not yet making coaches, so time will also tell on who they are.
Winnie/Tiffin/Thor/Fleetwood in their upper food chains, provide a reasonable level and balance of quality and content vs costs. Tiffin has strong owner following, and Bob Tiffen is known to try and make things right, when problems pop up. Tiffen also has a new in house chassis, as I recall the same gent that designed the Western RV Alpine Peak(SP) chassis. Early reviews are good.
American Coach, by Fleetwood, are respected for quality and solid cabinet works. The Revelution crosses over to the Fleetwoold brand, but was built on the American Coach lines, good bang for the buck on quality and content. Depending upon model year, I believe the LE had a better chassis option then standard Rev's.
Bluebird and Wanderloges, probably fit in the same class as the Foretravels. Well built, lifetime and almost a cult following for some of the Older Birds/Lodges.
Some often overlooked models, with solid followings are:
Tripple E - Usually most models come with better insulation then other rigs, and are well built.
Rexhall - Probably one of the best bangs for the bucks. Bill Rex started many creative 1st's for RV's. Most, if not all, of their rigs include a safety steel cage around the rig. Solid build, with protection for the driver/passenger, are often of question in many RV's. And, I also think they all had one piece fiber glass roofs.
I've left many out, expecially those that are no longer in business.
Some thoughts when doing your research. Pick your budget, which I don't think you mentioned, and then shop for the best quality unit you can find, dropping years if needed to remain within budget range.
On the new technology front, and other neat items, consider:
-Newmar offers Comfort Drive (others might now too, but I don't know this). Many owners that have Comfrot Drive Newmar's, say they will never be without it again.
-Aqua/Hydro hot water and heat supply, are in most of the higher end units. Some of the mid level units, will step down some on these units features. For example 120V only electonic heating element, instead of 240V.
-Floor radiaing heating, very nice on a cold AM
!
-Ducted AC units, should be in most of the mid to high end rigs. Adding Heat Pumps, and stepping up to 15K BTU units, can save you from needing to add a third AC unit.
-Slide out storage trays, are a very nice feature.
-Side radiators vs rear, will usually occur when you step up from the entry/mid level models, into the higher food chains.
-Engines. In general, big blocks are going to be in the high end units. Big Cats C-12 and above. Cummins ISM (or older M11's), ISX. Detroit Big Blocks. These usually come with the three stage Jake Brake compression, and make a difference. All running thru the bigger Allison 4000 trans. (Exceptions with Foretravel having Trans Retarders, a ncie safety feature. And Newell, may have a European 9spd or above trans (forget the make ZF I think).
-Capacity of grey and black tanks, can be much larger in the big boy high end rigs.
-In the higher end, the tags add stability, comfort, and CCC. These high end coaches add lots of weight, so having enough CCC is something to really understand.
-Full electonic units are quite common in the upper food chains. This usually adds big battery banks, and sometimes second coverters.
-On covnerters, Pure Sine Wave is preferred, if an option, suggest it is a good idea.
-Slides, IMO, fit too much into floor layout. Those are all personal, so pick what works for you. That being said, many do not like a slide on the passenger front side. So many high end coaches may have a three, or two slide option. When three, they are on both sides of the bedroom, then front driver side only. (Now, others could care less about storage basement access, and enjoy the four slide or two Super Slides front, high end coaches. It is such a personal thing that ties into floor layout, that no one can make this decision for you.)
I'll stop here, and wish you the best of luck on your research. Go kick some tires, find a good sales person (they exist) to walk you thru and point out what are the differences.
Best of luck, have fun,
Smitty