The Falcon Cara is high on the list at the $250 price point. You can match it on sensitivity, Dobyn's Champion XP for example, but I haven't found anything as light/balanced as the Cara at that price. Patiently waiting for the next generation of Cara to release in the next few months. At the $120-150 range, there are so many good ones I think you just pick one that looks nice and feels right in your hand. I get Falcon LowRiders honestly because I'm familiar with the brand. The LowRider is a very nice rod, but I'm not going to claim it's the best because there are dozens and dozens of good options at that price.

Can't tell you about Falcon warranty or customer service because I have never broken one of their rods; I've had over 20 of them over the last 15 years. My 7 year old Cara Lizard Dragger has developed a crack that I noticed at the beginning of this year but it hasn't let go yet. I'm very gentle with my rods but they get used a lot so it's a matter of time.

It amazes me how long people think a rod warranty should be. They think a fishing rod should be replace 5 years after they buy it if it breaks. But these same people buy a new Silverado for 60,000 bucks and get 3 years on the warranty and are happy about it.
My advice is buy a rod that feels the best to you and not worry about the warranty.
Virtually every major rod brand has at least a 1 year warranty. If there is a defect it will break in less than a year.

Finally someone who gets it.