I started in Maya, so i developed a bit of a workflow...when i tried Max for a bit, it was very strange, and i didnt feel very comfortable using the tools. I do prefer maya, but i admit that it may just be because that's what i've used. I'm sure if i got to know max a bit better, i wouldn't feel so "wrong" :p But as for what's the best...i think it depends on what you're more comfortable using. For me, it's Maya. For others, its Max. They're both great programs and as others have said, each has its quirks. I will say this though...there are a couple tools in max, or at least implementations of tools, that i'd like in Maya, as well as some of the primitives and things...but i still prefer maya's way of doing things for the most part.