I only peek in here from time to time, but don't see much about Cross. I have no FP (yet; I'm about to receive Tepp's PIF box) but Cross are my go-to ballpoint. Never clogging, skipping, etc. Are the FP any good?
...Anyway - to the original question. I feel like Cross has been divided into two companies. There is the part that makes the "office store" pens. These are pens like the Bailey, Dubai, Aventura, etc. . . These are the pens you sometimes find at StaplesDepotMax in the $25-$40 range. The nibs on these pens - which I think are common to all of them - are nails, but incredibly smooth. The bodies, however, leave a lot to be desired. They feel cheap and unbalanced. I think these pens would be fine in the $10-$15 range (and can be certainly had for that much with a coupon) but in the $25-$40 range, I think there are better options available.
The "other" Cross is the one that sells the better pens on their website or authorized dealer. These are pens like the century, ATX, Townsend, Peerless, etc. . . These pens, in my opinion, are excellent. The Townsend is amazing and is one of a handful of pens I would keep if I could only keep a handful of pens. Ditto the 2013 Year of the Snake special edition. The 18k nib on that pen is one of my favorites. So soft and smooth and springy. It's a pen that sees every day use. I have a century classic that I carry with me all the time in my Field Notes cover. It's a thin pen and only takes their special thin cartridges, but a real joy to write with. The ATX is a perfectly balanced pen, especially when posted. I've tried the Peerless and while very nice with a great nib, it's a LARGE pen. Too big for me, but certainly a quality instrument...
Imo, one of the best Cross pens of the last 20 years is the Verve. Definitely my favorite Cross pen, it was only produced for probably around 4-6 years, but it is really one of the most stylish pens I know of. It has an inset nib produced by Namiki and a very sleek design, including the clip, which is almost (but not quite) flush with the barrel.
One thing to keep in mind- there are no major pen companies that make their pens in the US. Bexley and Edison would be the only two, but they are really small brands. Everything else is made somewhere else like in Europe for some of the German companies (MB, Pelikan) or China anyway. It's just how the market is now.