Okay, I can now provide some direct comparison of the Magnum Metro + and the Juiced Cross Current S. The Metro + was the first ebike I test rode. It is a nice bike, but I was not "wowed" by the performance. I did achieve 28 mph on the flat, but it was with unsustainably hard pedal effort on my part. I also did notice the pronounced "on-off" feel of e assist with the cadence only sensor. This honestly wouldn't be a big deal, but it did create an unnatural feel.
The CCS can easily achieve 28 mph on flat terrain, in fact when the headwind dropped at times this morning, I was going at least that fast on assist level 2. From a strictly power point of view, the Metro is sedan and the CCS is a sports car. The overall ride quality is very similar from the bikes with the notable exception of the feel of power delivery. The CCS feels very natural and fluid while riding. The only time I notice the power assist is when it first starts up from a stop, otherwise it just makes you feel like superman.
At the $2000 price point, the difference between these bikes is actually fairly huge in terms of performance. The CCS has nearly double the battery capacity and much stronger assist performance. Other than that the bikes are strikingly similar in overall ride quality and feel.
FWIW, the only other bike I test rode that I seriously considered was the Trek SuperCommuter 8. That is a great bike, and honestly if it had the 52V battery of the CCS for anywhere close to the price, it'd be a fabulous option. However, since it has half the battery and costs $2000 more (I could've gotten it for only $1000 more), again there's no comparison. The CCS rides nearly the same and performs better.