define "best"...

working speed is sure makes it better than slower ones. I am no modeller nor i tried all of this tools.(either in long or short term). Machinery_Frank is a modeller or at least works with modellers or at least more into modelling than me.

i tried Max for a short time, at that time it looked nice to me. As a noob in the first sight, max was way more friendly to use than blender or XSI(modtool).

If i were modeller i would try and learn Blender rather than paying that Price to Max. It's clear that it makes the job done,it's free,has a laaarge userbase, and more or less in same quality with Max, even competes with it. Of course quality of the outcome depends on the artist but i didnt see any area that blender is weaker than max.(Blender artists has great portfolios, as great as the <insert any hi-end modelling software here> artists'.)

ok, a lot offtopic now back to topic. 2.5 has nice new features. It's free, considering price and features, it can be counted as better(from the game modeller/developer vision, not much rendering stills and such.).