I've been shooting cowboy action for a little over two years. From what I understand, the Marlin was the top shooters' choice in the early years of SASS, because the lever throw of the Marlin was naturally shorter than that of the various Winchesters (and replicas thereof). The shorter stroke means you can run the rifle faster.
Later on, gunsmiths developed a way to "short stroke" the "toggle link" rifles (Winchester 1866 and 1873) which made these rifles the fast shooters' choice.
Uberti makes the replica '66s and '73s that are imported by several companies. The 1873 in .357 is probably the "ultimate" rifle in SASS. I saved my nickels to buy one. It is a great cowboy action rifle.
Is the 1873 the best lever action .357 for all around use? Debatable. It is heavier than some of the other choices, but this depends somewhat on the configuration your are considering. No question that the action/receiver of the 1892 is more compact. Some people argue that the actions of the 1892 (a John M. Browning design) and the Marlin have a stronger lockup than the older toggle link guns. Probably true, but the toggle action is probably plenty strong enough for .357.
The Uberti rifles are also more expensive than the competition and (as a new shooter in my club can attest) they can use a little work when new. Of course, a cheap rifle that won't work, and that can't easily be fixed is no bargain.
When I started shopping for a lever rifle the Rossi '92 were the most economical and the ones you were likely to find at your LGS. I think for a woods gun I would be satisfied with it but I found it to be less than optimal as a competition gun. Yes, I know John Wayne had a '92.
The Marlin has a decent following in SASS. It is popular with shooters in the "B Western" category who cannot use a '73 or a '66. It is also touted as a good rifle for those who don't want to spend the big bucks for a toggle link rifle. One of our shooters found one locally for about $750.
There are lots of complaints on the internet about Marlin lever guns made after the Remington takeover ("Remlins"). Supposedly problems with those but they may have sorted that out now. If I wanted a Marlin, I would either look for a used one that I could try out, or I'd buy from a local gun store that would stand behind it.
I think a .357 lever rifle is a great choice. It is versatile and easy to shoot.