massacre: Don't get me wrong. The Columbia is a nice jacket and I've been wearing the Columbia pretty much any time I'm not riding my bikes for the last 2 years...here are some of the beefs which led me to this line of thinking:

• I never full zip to gether the 3 in 1 system. I build my own layers and even when I am wearing the Columbia Fleece which it came with (or another which I purchased last October which is less fluffy but wind/water resistant) I don't zip them together because if I do, it's time consuming and a pain to un-zip them to shed a middle or top layer only. This type of layering can be done with any jacket(s) which fit. The liner in the motorcycle jacket is only a vest but still zips in.
• The collar on the Columbia is huge. This is because it hides a stow away hood. In 2 years I've used the hood twice and one of those times I found it to get in the way of my preferred rainy headwear, my OR Gore-tex Sombrero. Also, the collar is too small to cover my face but too big to be comfy when not zipped up all the way (I can't zip it up around my face anyhow)
• The front zipper is not very water proof despite the flap (which only closes with snaps). If you're wearing the 3 in 1 complete, this zipper is a direct route to your clothing or you with no middle layer to keep the wet out. The motorcycle jacket has an extra flap UNDER the zipper which is waterproof and intentionally folded in a convoluted way which keeps water out even at pressure
• No arm vents! I love arm/pit vents.
• Pockets. The geniuses at Columbia have given the shell 5 pockets. One is an MP3 player pocket which I can't use because it's in the exact same place as one of the chest pockets on the outside. To put anything bigger than an iPod nano in there combined with my usual carry (I keep the pockets full) makes me look like I'm growing a breast. The chest pocket on the fleece jacket is in the same location compounding issues even further. The inside pocket on the motorcycle jacket is about 12 inches long so I can put a water bottle in there or my sombrero (it's a purpose built hat pocket so this is what it's for). The side pockets are also waterproofed with convoluted flaps to prevent water from getting in...something the Columbia doesn't have.

I've compared it to my motorcycle jacket only because it's what I started this thread with. I'm sure if I wore the motorcycle jacket for 2 years not just for riding, I'd find stuff to complain about with it as well. Driving a small car with a jacket that has armor in the back and arms is not the most convenient thing in the world for example...but then several of the jackets mentioned by others might have similar issues.

Truly I don't think there is a perfect jacket and each of us have our favorites. I know that this experience has made me question why my favorites are my favorites and if they should be my favorites at all.