Surefire- respect for dealers, better quality, better warranty, more US taxes to pay
I am big into what the company stands for. But since marketing and such distort that, I usually pick by product, price and want.
If I had to choose between the two I would only pick by the type of light I am looking for. For example, if I wanted a simple user interface with two levels I would pick the L1. If I wanted a light to impress I would buy the P3D Q5 premium (mostly for strobe, nothing impresses like strobe for some reason).
Sorry you got so much negativity in the responses. CPF is a big place now. Maybe they haven't learned that if it annoys you, turn it off and take a break.
Good luck with your purchase and happy holidays!
rob