That has been my impression as I looked at the them over the last couple of months. I drove a Yamaha 125 for some time in Florida and it was a fine way to get around, even at 55 MPH. The bikes now look to be much better in all measures of quality and power.
I am really looking forward to it. It should be fun and cheap.
Based on my own experience and that of other scooterists whom I know personally, the most reliable machines on the market right now are from Yamaha and Kymco. My Vino 125 has over 40,000 miles on it and has never stranded me, parts are cheap and the design is simple enough for DIY maintenance. The Suzuki owners in my circle are also very happy but they don’t sell anything smaller than a 400cc in North America. Piaggio (including Vespa, Derbi and Aprilia) make good-quality machines but parts & service cost a fortune.
By far the best feature of scooters IMO is the amount of storage space. I can fit a week’s worth of groceries under the seat, and with my Givi case I can carry enough for a camping weekend.