@kmoll I think we all find ourselves in "Go Compare" situations but I'm going to say its apples and pears. I'm not criticising or condoning the pricing - your choice of roof needs to suit your own situation and how long you're likely to keep the van. In another (say) 3 years will you look back at not spending the seemingly extortionate price it was and have lived with a van you regret? It's easy for me to speak from the far end of a purchase when folk are saving up for something seemingly moving out of reach (sounds like the housing market!) but it's a simple choice really, although it feel agonising at the time - if you can afford it, do it; if you can't compromise anywhere else, look for a cheaper roof.
Price wasn't the main factor for us. My main regret is choosing the HiLo Surf roof because it suited our needs in theory (lower profile, maximised internal headroom during travel, simple [we'd cut our old Reimo canvas on the scissor hinge], well respected manufacturer [at the time], affordable - pretty much in that order), but hadn't been fully developed before release. Obvious now. We weren't to know that the company would also turn out to be less than honourable in its dealings with customers.
I've been up-front about this thread - my issue is only with ethics of Horizon Poptops / VTA doing business with the company that chose to put me in debt and required me to spend money on solicitors - it's not at the top of everyone's criteria. Had they, for example, bought out a going concern, that would be very different (and I'd have had recourse for my faulty roof). So, if that's not important (or my information proves to be incorrect), then leave Horizon in your list and compare what it will give you against the other options on the market - all of them have risks when they are new products (which to be fair, Horizon claim theirs to be), but most companies will stand by you if its their design or manufacturing at fault.
I'm not honestly in a position to recommend the Vanmax unreservedly because I've only had the roof for a short time but so far it has been faultless and the company has been absolutely top notch in manufacture and fitting (including the removal of the broken HiLo Surf). Their customer service has been excellent and personally I really like the look and operation of the roof (my wife can lower it without having to hang off the straps).
@Bigsidavies has had his on for a couple of years without problem, so that is helpful / reassuring.
I haven't had a HiLo Sport so I can't make a direct comparison but lots of people "value" the fact that it is almost unseen - so that might be a premium worth paying? Like I say, I'm not giving any view on the actual pricing! Personally, there's more to it than the look and we chose not to have one. But you can see that I'm not the best at choices
Your choices might need to be different if you've got a LWB van...
