Yes Napoleon grills are better than Weber grills.
For years (make that decades) Weber's Genesis line was the most popular series of grills in this country. They provided a stable, solid cooking environment, well thought out design and they were built in the USA. They were also priced right.
A number of years ago Weber made the decision to outsource the production of the Genesis series to China, while keeping the Summit and charcoal lines in the USA. That decision adversely impacted the quality of Genesis and in the last 5 years they have completely revised the look of the grills, much to the dismay of owners who had a Genesis in their yards for 10 or 15 years.
Napoleon has maintained production of the majority of their grills in Canada (Rogue and charcoal products are made in China). Napoleon also made a point to focus on innovation without over-featuring the grills with nonsense.
The best features on Napoleon grills which are not available on any Weber series are:
Wave Grates
- these are the curved cooking grates on Napoleons which prevent food from dropping into the firebox. It also preserves the life of the grates by allowing for heat expansion and contraction.
Infrared Burner Outside Grill Firebox - the infrared Burner on select Rogue models as well as all Prestige and ProPrestige is on the left side wing. By placing the burner outside the grill that frees up more space internally for normal grilling and leaves the high intensity searing outside. Result: More grilling real estate.
If you compare the price of a Napoleon Pro Prestige 665 at $3899 (after tariffs) to a Weber Summit at $4300 it is clear that the Napoleon delivers better value...larger grill, more features, less expensive.
You get the same result when dipping into the Rogue and Rogue Pro Series and comparing them to the various Genesis grills. You'll see more features delivered at better price points.
My advice is to seriously consider Napoleon, and focus on the Rogue Pro and Prestige series for the budget conscious, and look to the Prestige Pro line for premium features and design build without the luxury price.