I have built/assembled & flown a number of ARF's in recent years:

2 Hobbico Superstars
2 Hobbico Avistars
Hobbico Nexstar
GP Ultra Sport 40
Blackhorse Spitfire

All have some short commings that could be troublesome to a beginner, but if you are an experienced builder they are truly trivial issues & can quickly be spotted & corrected before assembly -- the most prevalent physical weakness area being the firewall assembly.

The Hobbico trainers have been hacked & bashed about by students (10 & 12 yrs respectively for the Superstars), but all are still in service, despite the brutal treatment -- who says Hobbico stuff is junk? -- it just ain't so.

The Ultra Sport 40 is a joy to own & fly.

The Blackhorse Spit needed pre-flight mods to the stab & elevator, but that having been done, it flies beautifully & is as tough as a rock.

ARFs have a valid place in the modelling world. I suspect that much of the anti-ARF yapping comes from individuals who have never had one, or are from raw beginners who were not able to effectively deal with the sometimes-poor instructions & inevitable repairs.