I went through the process earlier this year. One force working against me getting exactly what I want is that my wife is extremely cheap, lol. So it conversation progressed from NO SxS, to a used one, to "heck the used ones are almost new price." So I was trying to get the features I wanted while still compromising on the price.
My main requirement was a proper cab and heat, AC less of a requirement. Winter gets very cold here and I also hate dust. I was pretty set on a Honda to start. But after you add the turd factory Honda cab and heat, you're adding something like $10k to a machine. So Honda was out. I could get an open cab Can Am and add the cab and heat, but that was also getting past the budget.
I grew up around Polaris stuff and live in a very Polaris heavy area. Everyone has a gripe about every brand but I've been around dozens of Polaris machines and they do fine. If I was making the decision purely on my own I would have bought a turn key cabbed Can Am. But since I was in compromise mode, I went with a Polaris 1000 Premium. It's the less powerful 1000 compared to the XP (61hp vs 82hp) but is more than plenty for pretty much anything I'd ever need. It came with the nicer wheels and a winch. I added the Polaris cab, glass, and heater since I got a 10% accessory discount. So basically made a budget version of a Northstar, with no AC or power windows, neither of which I required. It also has a little smaller footprint compared to the Can Am so it fits in my garage easier, and it's lighter. My only gripe about the Polaris is it's noisier in the cab than a Can AM. My father recently bought the latest Can Am HD11 and that thing is quiet and SMOOTH.
I don't think any of the major players make a bad machine these days. Really comes down to your specific wants and budget. I do wish I'd at least went and checked out the Kawasaki. They weren't in the price range at the time but they've gotten more aggressive with their pricing.
The only one I didn't and wouldn't consider is the CF Moto. They may make a good machine but I've never seen one. I'm not supporting a Chinese import company when the rest are more domestically produced. Yes, some Polaris drivetrain parts are made in Mexico but much of the machine is domestic, as are most of the others.
