Surly framesets are a little better, for the most part, than they were in the past, so that's good; on the downside, their complete-bike offerings, for the most part, have been downgraded despite the fact that the MSRP continues to rise.
The LHT and Cross Check framesets are very solid products for a reasonable price. The niche framesets such as the Ogre have a growing number of devotees, and the fat bike category seems to be seeing at least a temporary explosion of popularity.
Surly customer service can be a little weird....actually maybe even A LOT weird at times. Their warranty dept is also a little different, but in the end, they come through and stand behind their products, at least in our shop's experience.
If I have a major complaint it's that they've downgraded complete bikes like the LHT with cheaper parts than it had and yet the price is higher than ever for a new model. On the other hand, for a welded frame, the current LHT frameset has become quite nice aesthetically, and is even a tiny bit better functionally than before (and that's saying something). And even though they're "surly," the Surly folks are progressive enough in their thinking to offer, for example, a disc brake-equipped LHT now. Along with a full lineup of cantilever-equipped LHTs, like before.
The marketing drivel that Surly puts on their site, their blogs, etc. seems to be just that at first glance; but then again I've met the guys who run the brand, and honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if it's genuinely what they're thinking. My opinion: just look at the bikes/frames and judge Surly on that....Surly's not for everybody, but they do have some rather cool stuff going on at reasonable prices.
Bottom line: I'm glad Surly's there.