I love my Crew 9, but I agree with you about the handles. They're a little snug against the body of the bag, but I suppose that keeps them from snagging on things, or loosening too much over time. My favorite part about the bag is the telescoping handle though. The thing does NOT wobble or shift at all. I wrote a brief comparison a while back on my experiences with both bags while spending 2 hours at a store. The main differences I noticed were the weight and the handle. The biggest pet peeve of mine in luggage is a handle that clicks and clacks and moves around. Even the nicest Tumi's and BRs do it, but not the Crew 9's.

The Crew 8's suiter also zips on, which I prefer to the 9's velcro. I'm sure it saves a bit on weight, but the zipper seems more durable and secure. The velcro sometimes loosens on the corners and drags on the bag when you open or close it. I do like the pocket layout in the 9 as well. I agree that the front pocket is quite narrow. It's perfect for some papers or even a laptop, but it's easy to throw the weight of the bag off by putting something too heavy in there. I also noticed the Crew 9 seems to want to tip forward. The 8 seems a bit more stable at rest. In the 9, you can put an iPad or something in that top front pocket, and then the bag wants to fall forward. So I try to reserve those pockets for lighter items.

Anyway, sorry for the TLDR, but long story short, I've done a ton of travelling with the 9 and the durability has not been an issue. No wheels lost or screws busted. They removed the protective leather strips from the back of the 9, but I haven't had any scuffing issues.