The new Chanel bags vs other brands in quality

I’ve been reading a lot on this sub that Chanel’s newly produced bags are declining in quality, particularly on the leather and hardware (no longer using 24k gold plated hardware).

So to those who own luxury bags from different brands, how would you compare the quality of these new Chanel bags to say Loewe, YSL or Gucci?

I’m considering getting a Chanel bag, but because I’m too afraid of ending up with a fake one, I would prefer to buy new rather than second hand. But since Chanel has been increasing prices with declining quality, I would consider getting a bag from another brand with similar quality to the new Chanels, but are priced lower. In other words, I’d like to maximize the value for price.

Any other brands you’d recommend with similar quality but lower price point?