I get where you're coming from—I think you are PMDG-biased. Don't take it as an insult, I used to be PMDG-biased too. After years of flying their products, I got comfortable with their quirks and handling. When I first tried the iFly MAX, it felt off. I was hyper-focused on every little difference, subconsciously holding it to PMDG’s standard. But the more I flew it, the more I realized just how solid it is. In fact, even in its early state, it’s ahead of what PMDG offered at launch with their MSFS 737. Good system depth, so nice to handfly, top notch visuals and sounds... I wish they could ditch that Boeing EFB (not even IRL operators wanted them) for something more user-friendly.
Glad you had a smooth flight! Hopefully, you don’t feel like you just spent $70 on a bad add-on.