My wife and I prefer Liberty over Marathon. It is just a personal thing where we like the interiors better on the Liberty. We have not owned a Marathon, but I have looked at some in person, and many online. The interior layouts and trim on a Liberty is just more appealing to us.
I also prefer the H3-45 to an XLII or X3. Also, the newer coaches with the Volvo engines and electric cooling package get very good mileage, and getting rid of the fan clutch and assorted hardware seems to make sense. Yes, you gain fans and an alternator, but if the mileage claims are true, it is worth it. The fans are supposedly easy to change out too.