This is not a popular view and I am happy for all and sundry to disagree with me, but I would suggest identifying what magnification is appropriate for your purposes and then buying the best scope you can afford with those specifications. I have been running a fixed 6x Swarovski on my main stalking rifle for a couple of years and on a number of occasions I have found myself requiring lower magnification. I am now looking to sell it and replace it with the best quality variable I can afford, which I doubt very much will be European.
I would add, and again this is not a popular view, that Japanese and Philippine scopes are nowhere near as inferior as their price tags would suggest.