You pay for what you get. I have seen expensive semi-custom guns (Les Baer, Wilson, et al) that were fairly unreliable and some of the exact same model run perfectly. The same can be said for the factory guns, Colt, Kimber, & SA. The most bang for a buck right now is a NRM Colt 1991. The one I have has not failed me yet.
I also have three other Colts, two Kimbers, and two full custom Caspians. They all run. I really can not say which of the above is the most perfect out of the box, so I will vote other.