I have been training on the Alpha 40 sized for 2 mos. now and am just about ready to earn my wings. I can't speak for the quality or ease of flying on other planes but for me the Alpha has been easy and enjoyable. The price is great too. The Evolution engine has been perfectly running right out of the box and it looks to be made well. It has a ball bearing supported crankshaft which is better than sleeve bearing. It starts up great every time with an electric starter.
The only rough spot for me has been having to reinforce the firewall and tail section after a very bad take off. This was an easy repair. I cut out an access hole underneath next to the firewall and glued in extra wood on the firewall and added wood braces to the tail section. Now it handles my rough landings no problem with no further damage.
It really floats and I have had nothing but praise for its flight characteristics and engine performance.
I asked around like you before buying and this plane, apart from the more expensive LT 40, was the most highly recommended trainer.