The groupsets are Altus < Acera < Alivio < Deore < LX (touring) = SLX (MTB) < XT < XTR

I wouldn't use Alivio or anything lower. The price difference to Deore is negligible, and with Deore you get better seals, better polished surface of cups and cones.

I would also avoid the new XT which use aluminium axle. The oversize AL axle means that the bearing balls as well as the ratchet mechanism in the freehub body are smaller and there have been more damaged freehubs than in the XT versions with classic M10x1 steel axle.

LX/SLX seems to be the good standard these days.