I think this is a reason question for someone who seeking advice based on their own personal experience
I agree it is a reasonable question. It is not one, however, for which there is an objective answer. Boats are like... uh... spouses, what might be perfect for one person might be a nightmare for another.
I will share my very-biased perspective. I have spent a lifetime around sailboats. I worked for a number of production and custom boatbuilders when I was younger. I operated a rigging business of my own. I raced a lot of different boats - from production cruiser/racers to full custom one-offs - in a lot of different places. I grew to appreciate good design and good construction.
When it came time to buy my boat, my list of priorities included
-- it has to be well built
-- it has to sail well
-- it has to have no designed-in flaws
For me what that meant was
-- I wasn't interested in the Catalina or any of the other mass-produced "tupperware" boats, I wanted one that was built to last
-- I wasn't interested in Valiant, Yankee, Westsail or other heavy "blue-water" designs, I wanted a lively boat that sails well
-- I wasn't interested in any of the late-model Beneteau, Jenneau, Hunter boats that are designed around big interiors (basically an "RV that floats", in my opinion)
-- I wasn't interested in a boat with a cored hull, a deck-stepped rig (sorry!), or a number of other features.
With those priorities, I came down to a very short list of "targets". I like the C&C designs, but didn't love the cored hull. I liked a number of Islander designs, but wasn't convinced about the build-quality. I would have considered a Swan, both build-quality and sailing performance are legendary, but more than I wanted to spend (and, generally, heavier than I wanted). I might have considered an 80s-era Ranger or Cal, maybe a Pearson, they have a reputation for being well-built but not necessarily for great sailing performance. I generally didn't look at CS, S2, a number of others because (IMO) they weren't prevalent enough to have good examples on the market (at least here on the west coast).
What I kept coming back to was Ericson. the designs are elegant, made for sailing performance without bad habits. The interiors are comfortable and well-built, not tupperware. The build is very, very strong - from the "grid" the boat is built around, which carries all the loads of the rig and keel, to the laminated hull-deck joint. To my knowledge, no other production builder went to the time and expense of fiberglassing the hull-deck joint to make it solid and leak-proof... most builders just bolted the hull and deck together and slapped a rub-rail over the joint to keep water out. The interior is gorgeous - stick-built out of quality materials, not molded-plastic cubbies and liners. Engine access is good. Access to major systems is good. Design-for-maintainability is good. The parts they chose (steering systems, rigs, etc) were chosen for durability, not low price.
So I sought an Ericson. Targeted models for me were the 32-III, the 35-III or the 34-II.... primarily based on my priorities that the boat be "big enough to go places, but small enough that I could sail it comfortably by myself". At ~9800 lbs, the 32-III is perfect for me, but even at ~13,500 lbs, I would have happily chased a 35-III or 34-II if I could have found one in good condition in my price range. Along the way, when I couldn't find an Ericson, I looked at a number of C&Cs and J-boats, and each time thought "ok, that was nice, but not as nice as an Ericson".
As it turns out, I found an Ericson 32-III. I've had her almost three years now, and I can honestly say that never once - not while sailing by myself, not while working on the boat, not while taking people out for a harbor cruise - not ONCE have I ever thought to myself "gosh, I wish I'd waited a little longer and kept looking instead of buying this thing". I am *delighted* with my Ericson, and having been on a lot of boats and seen a lot of things over the years.... that's not a small thing.
$.02
Bruce