Happy to share my ten cents worth. Online build reviews are sometimes helpful. I find in the box reviews interesting but not particularly helpful.
There’s a lot of opinions expressed in kitmaker: best-armor-kit-company on that very topic. Some of the opinions may even be valid.
Wink, wink 
Here’s my current view three years later of what I said in post #57 or #58 etc.
Multiple apologies in advance etc. Just calling it with candor as I see it. Others with different criteria very well may have entirely different views and lists based on what’s important to them respectively.
My criteria is #1 Fun Build, #2 Well Engineered #3 Quality Instructions and all else is secondary. Based on my experiences.
Tier 1 Best Armor Model Companies Today
RFM aka Ryefield Model’s edges out Tamiya as Best of the Best for what I like.
Tamiya - Tamiya held my #1 spot for 40+ years. Tamiya is consistent. 
In today’s world they are behind RFM in my opinion.
Tamiya’s newest Pz IV kits are very nice but they cut some corners in the suspension etc.
If a Tier 1’s have consistent, proven excellence. I will pre-order product as the manufacturer proved Trustworthy.
Tier 2 - always disappointing in one way or another but still generally excellent, worth buying and building. Improvement required to reach Tier 1 status.
Academy - new kits A+, potentially Tier 1, on the way
Meng - potentially a Tier 1
Hasegawa - you can only repackage the same kit so many times
Fujimi
TriStar - KIA, tears 
Asuka
Amusing Hobby
Dragon - could be Tier 1 with improved instructions and better engineering
Airfix - new tooled, most improved, moved from tier 4 to tier 2, I actually purchased one of their new kits, a minor miracle.
If a Tier 2 company’s name is on the box of a new release I have moderate expectations based on past experiences.
Tier 3 - always lacking in multiple ways but generally very good. Probably worth buying and building.
Trumpeter
Border Models (Stug III’s 
, good for a laugh)
Takom (Stug III’s & Pz III’s vomit )
AFV Club (industry leader in sink marks in my experience 
)
ICM (more crude than expected)
Zvezda (better than expected)
Hobby Boss (TriStar re-hashes are good)
Polar Lights (nice subjects, lots of land mines)
Bronco (complexity & I’m unimpressed with molding)
Mini-Art (complexity & fragility, very soft plastic, I greatly dislike engineering design of these kits) Tried hard to be a fan, bought half a dozen kit, gave most away
If a Tier 3 company’s name is on the box, I won’t buy the product unless it’s irresistible subject matter.
Tier 4 - means garbage, not worthy of a look. The reviews are often pure comedy with a plethora of avoidable goof ups. Kits by these manufacturer’s are generally suitable for filling empty landfills and packaging materials with possibly a few exceptions. Same bottom of the barrel pretty much as 30 years ago. At least they are consistently terrible.
Revell
Monogram
ESCI
Airfix - old
Italeri
Panda
Academy - old
MiniCraft
Lindbergh
Alan
Most good models with a Tier 4 company name on the box are reboxed and some other companies product in most cases. Probably from a Tier 2 company.
Bizarrely, Tamiya likes selected Italeri kits enough to reboxand sell with the Tamiya’s name on the box. I won’t claim to understand why Tamiya would taint their brand name with any Italeri product.
YMMV