I actually started out as a SVU fan, but then I actually sat down about October of last year and watched a CI episode and was hooked. SVU, for me, can be a bit too graphic. I know the show is intended to show the true horror of sex crimes, but I have a VERY overactive imagination and the show sometimes gave me nightmares. (This is the also reason I don't watch scary movies.

) I like CI because the crimes are varied and the show gets the point of the murder, robbery, etc. across without being a graphic as SVU.
I like the variety of characters on SVU and, sorry all Ross fans, I like Cragen much better than Ross. Deakins will always be my favorite captain, though. I think Stabler is hot, but I the teddy bear nature of Bobby better. (And VDO is extremely nice looking, too, don't get me wrong). I like Olivia and Alex (CI Alex, not SVU Alex) for different reasons, but, again, Alex ranks slightly higher. I do wish that CI would intertwine all their characters more, though. We've only seen all four detevtives interact on VERY few occasions. I mean, at least have them wander around in the background of the episodes they are not on. They all work in the same office, so it would make sense that you would see Bobby and Alex around when Logan and Barek/Wheeler/Falacci are working a case and vice versa.