Reviews, both from places like CNET and the 5 to 1000 word user reviews, make for interesting reading, but nothing to base a buying decision on.
Tim's reviews are noteworthy because they show the relative strengths between routers of similar generations (at least when the actual review process hasn't changed). But what isn't shown is the progress a router may or may not make after growing up a little with a few firmware under it's belt.
The best way to get this kind of info by trial and error through actual experience. Or, second best, from other folks in forums like this where you can ask detailed questions and get back detailed answers to the aspects that matter the most to you.
Over the years, I have had and used routers from Linksys, Dlink, Netgear and a few others too obscure to remember right now.
But the only one I use, recommend and am the most satisfied with is Asus (starting with the RT-N56U, RT-N66U, RT-AC56U and RT-N68U) and of course, RMerlin firmware (or the john9527 or hggomes forks thereof).
Besides the third party support for these routers, what keeps me happy is the continued and long (vs. other brands) support of older routers, including patching security holes but also offering new features as possible too. While this seems like a bonus and not a requirement, what this ensures is that Asus is offering current versions of the individual packages inside each firmware. That is where the security comes from.
Not all manufacturers are as concerned in these areas (TP-Link is especially avoided because of this aspect. Some of the packages are a decade or more old!). Netgear offers firmware for the first few months of a router being introduced, but afterwards seems to shun them in favor of their latest models. Dlink? No, no, NO. Linksys? These models offer nothing like the features, the hardware and the synergistic capabilities of their Asus counterparts.
The pro or semi pro products are great if you don't value your time. And you want to gamble with your security (do you trust your cli configuration skills). The bottom line is that unless you have a real pro you can trust to set them up and manage them as needed, they are a weight around your neck. That is even disregarding the monthly/yearly fees to have the equipment you 'bought' be useable for the purpose you bought it for.
If money (and time) is no object, Asus' products look like toys.
But if you want something reliable, dependable and with usable features along with as current security as possible for a relatively small one time cost for the gatekeeper to your personal network, an Asus router is about as close to perfect as can be expected.
Which router did you regret buying? I've never regretted buying (and keeping) any router at the time of purchase, but in hindsight, I should have switched to Asus' products much sooner.