Another male perspective:
A friend of mine during my school days was also a fan of Ami. He was an intelligent person as well, so probably that is why he preferred her.
For me, regarding the original anime, it was definitely NOT Usagi. The anime centered too much around her, undeservedly so, which did annoy me fast. Ami I found to be boring. I liked Minako, Makoto and Rei (in that order) the most engaging, depending on my daily mood
PGSM did help me to respect Usagi finally. And Minako became my favourite, as she developed character there and made sense
I do find all versions of Makoto very loveable as well. She is a strong woman, with a sweet and comforting personality. Like a mixture of Haruka and Michiru. No idea why she does not get more love. Maybe because of her size?