I'd say always be mindful of CofG, no matter what the type. Is this rumour of a CofG problem coming from people who don't calculate it for their trip and discover that the limits are there for a reason, or are the published limits inappropriate? I'd guess the former, but don't have enough EC120 time to speak about it in particular.
If I were looking for a helicopter in that class, EC120 would be a contender. I would look at Jetrangers, Bell 407, and EC120 for a start. Consider the value as well as the qualities.