There is a fair amount of truth in that statement.

I prefer steel which helped sway me towards the raleigh.

Test ride all three bikes then make your decsion, personally I prefered the raleigh so I bought it. Second choice was the trek third was the giant ocr3

once you have done that you yourself will have a much better idea of what you prefer. The quality off the three bikes is as the bike shops say more or less excatly the same.

We can all tell you here what we like but in the end the choice has to be yours made by riding all three bikes.