The human eye can subtend about 2.0 Line Pair of resolution, currently the S&B 5-25x is rated around 3.0 (with some being reported as low as 2.8) so really what you are "seeing" is about .2 to .4 of difference between scopes. Sure lower end scopes are gonna be more, but not a whopping amount.
This is why companies don't "look" at scopes, but measure them with very expensive machines. They don't stare through for 3 minutes and make a determination that they nailed the optical package for a particular design. And while the numbers will fluctuate a bit, they are only moving a very small amount which is why these things are constantly tested on machines. In prototype and initial manufacturing they test all the scopes, in production they batch test to make sure they are maintaining the quality spec'd out. This is not done by simply looking at the scope using a test target, but put on a machine to read the actual resolution.
Coatings are what make you "see" a difference, that difference is color and contrast, not clarity and resolution. Sure if you are comparing a $399 scope to a $3099 scope you'll see some bigger difference but that is how it should be. You don't drive a Ford Focus and compare it to a Mercedes. Nobody in their right mind would walk into that Ford Dealership and tell the Salesman, "I test drove a BMW M Series before coming here, and your Focus just doesn't have the features I want" --- almost every scope post is doing exactly that. Or worse, you're saying, "I read Car & Driver and want to compare this Focus to the new Lincoln MKS I read about. How do they compare" the salesman is gonna walk away.
Much of what people see or believe is the same as giving another person their prescription glasses. You know it's not gonna look right, that is their prescription. If you are want to talk about Scopes, Talk Features, Talk Durability, Talk Historical, which tend to go back for customer service more than the next guy, that stuff is what matters. you all talk as if you're on a bird watching forum looking to tell the difference between birds of the same genius by picking out a specific feather combination. These are not spotters, if you want to hunt low light or use NV for Hogs, you get a scope that optimizes that. If you are shooting steel you get a scope that handles that better. If you're a competition shooter the reticle matters more, if you're an F Class shooter the Mag Range is more important, ELR Shooting, the overall travel of the turrets, etc.
Chasing glass quality is a fools errand.