I just started running in Mizunos after 8 years of Nike. Nikes get a bad rep in the experienced runner's world, but my $80 Nikes felt better after several years of use than my $120 Mizunos do after about 3 months of use.
Can't go wrong with what you had. Brooks are awesome. Newtons, as mentioned above, are also fantastic shoes. I have a pair of Altra Provision 1.5s and I like them a lot. Look a little funky (the least funky of the brand), but for long runs, they are very comfortable.