Feel.. Every pedal has it's own feel.. I don't buy based on high end or low end.. I based on how good it feels to play.
High end pedals are built well but still can have their issues.. I have owned Cobras, DW5000, DW9000, Eliminators, Demons, Axis etc etc.
Right now I use my Axis pedals exclusively. They are a high end pedal and they feel the best to me.. They have been rock solid for 10 years and I find I can play faster on them than anything else. I also have an old single speed king on my electric kit that I use for practice and it feels good too.
The DW9000 is a high end pedal and personal I hated it. the 5000 being low-mid range I loved.
Going to a music store and trying them all is your best bet.. and don't even look at the price. If you end up being happy with a $200 pedal that is a bonus..
An exception is in extreme speed stuff though. For death metal stuff long board direct drive pedals are WAY faster. There isn't really any low end pedals in this market.. YET. so all the guys playing stupid fast stuff usually have high end pedals for this stuff. The speed cobras kinda hit the mid range in this market but are still pretty decent. I have heard of durability issues with them though. I am waiting for someone to come out with a cheap double direct drive pedal in the next year or 2 and making a killing.
Having expensive golf clubs doesn't make you a good golfer.
Having expensive skates doesn't make you a good hockey player.
Having an expensive pedal doesn't make you a good drummer.