What brands are the pools?
Do they have resin bottom rails, risers and top seats?... or steel? ... or a mix? I think I prefer Resin, no chance of rusting or corroding.
I guess I would prefer steel walls as opposed to Aluminum in that I think they would have more strength when being pressed down, like on top of the seat cap. If rust and corrosion are similar factors, I prefer steel. I have steel walls and the only ruse I have seen was round the skimmer mouth. None inside or outside the walls in general.
Waterway and Hayward are pump/filter manufacturers, not the pool maker. I prefer Hayward also.
I forgot, I think about 50% of the pool's cost is in the equipment and liner. These are not typically made by the pool manufacturer.
I would think the warranty and quality of the pump and filter to be more important. The walls are essentially a long steel band with some screws holding it together with top and bottom rails. The liner is a large piece of PVC that may or may not leak and if you get more than x years or it is damaged by humans, it's not covered, and if it is, does the warranty include installation?
The pump and filter need to work everyday for the life of the pool. They need to be sized correctly or you are forever maintaining it. If you are sold a "minimum/builders/value setup" you will be working on it all the time. If you size the equipment based on the recommendations here, you will get a trouble free pool.
I am not an expert, just someone who wanted to give you some things to think about.