"BUT, the SINGLE most important aspect of a particular model, to me, is how accurately it portrays its subject".
This is the deciding factor (for me anyway). The portrayal is more important than the actual scale, whether 'as-advertised' or accurate. I build a lot of NASCARs, and they are not to scale. But they do portray the car. When you put a 1996 Lumina next to a '68 Torino (both supposedly 1/25) and they're the same size?