if we WERE to relitigate Rei vs Asuka though, not as waifus but from a character standpoint, I have NEVER seen how people could prefer Rei. I love a good kuudere character - they're one of my favorite archetypes! But Rei is so dead and bland and Asuka actually DOES stuff. I think a big reason I prefer her is because, out of the three main characters, Shinji and Rei are both extremely passive? So Asuka just stands out as being a fun and exciting character that much more.
also Asuka gets a cool eyepatch in the movies (I still need to watch the last two), so that's Bonus Points
