Go to toptenreviews dot com they will tell you all the features and specs in detail of any software. my personal choice is comodo
At my point of view if you wanna use free antivirus then Avast is best but if you want to use paid antivirus then you can try Kaspersky.
Yes, the Avira has a lot of problems, and I have noticed that the Avira doesn't catch all type of dangerous activities. Earlier I was using Avast and I have used it for about 3 years. But now, i found AVG free antivirus better than Avast. Try AVG free antivirus, if you haven't you will like it.
There was a time I was also using Kaspersky, but it is not free, so I switched to AVG free antivirus, and AVG is now best for me.
Sophos for Corporate. Mcafee is ok for Home use. Nod32 is lightweight whereas Norton is system hungry.
I have heard about it a lot of times, and i will give it a try. This time, i am feeling well with AVG antivirus.