Actually, if you just Google "Smirnoff taste test" you'll get all kinds of links. One of the most famous and cited results is a NY Times test (old, from 2005) where they tasted 21 vodkas. But you'll see other links where Smirnoff won, and some where Grey Goose came in last.

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/26/d...ts-rivals.html

I don't have a strong position for or against. I'm not a huge vodka drinker, as I tend more toward the brown spirits. But I've tried most of them, and lower priced brands like Smirnoff and New Amsterdam work fine for me. Of course, personal preference plays a very big part in it.