I can't exactly answer your question but I figure this is better than nothing. I purchased an American compact in .223 and was very impressed with the quality of the rifle given its price. I then went out and bought a .22LR full size American and am equally impressed. Based on my experience with the two I'm sure you'll be happy with the .17.
One thing I will mention about my .22 American. Some of my older 10/22 magazines are just a tab too "fat" to easily fit into the American. All my 10/22 magazines are Ruger made. I have 10 magazines that I've purchased over the years. 5 worked fine, 5 were a touch too fat. Other than that the rifle has been flawless and for the price pretty damn accurate if I do my part and feed it decent ammunition.
I have no experience at all with Savage so no help there.
I've only shot a Savage MKII and my own CZ 453. Both are very accurate guns, with nice adjustable triggers.
Both also have bolts that are very easy to take down, though you will need tools to do so with the savage ( 'E' clips to remove ) - the CZ takes down with no tools, but the spare parts are more expensive.
My guess is that a spare spring or firing pin would be cheapest for the Savage than just about anything else, so you may want to take that into acount.
I think the Ruger feels nice in the hand - its probably a great deal, but I've never actually shot one.
I have a Savage 93R17 BTVS and a Ruger American Compact 17HMR. The Savage has a heavy thumbhole stock and a bull barrel so it's not as handy to carry as the lighter weight Ruger. The triggers are about equal to me in feel. They are both VERY accurate guns! I have a Leupold VX2 3X9X40 on the Savage and I'm shooting the Ruger American with the factory iron sights.
I like them both. The Ruger is a great gun for two times the money! I liked it so well, I went out and bought a Ruger American 22lr and a Ruger American 22mag.