Savage does build an accurate rifle. I do not deny this. Is it more accurate than a remington? No way...but in the same league to be sure.
While most of the testing is anecdotal from the shooter's community rather than scientific (very few people are scientifically testing gun accuracy), the clear consensus has always been that Savages are the most accurate rifles out of the box.
As far as "design" goes, I'd far and away give that to the Savage, based mostly on the things I noted earlier. The Accutrigger design is far better than the stock Remington trigger. The barrel-nut assembly allows for more quick and precise headspacing. The Savage safety system also hasn't seen nearly as many failures as the Remington safety has.
Aesthetics? In the eye of the beholder to be sure, but I don't see any difference in appeal of the "lines" of either gun. If you're talking strictly finish options, you can easily step up to the "Classic" models from Savage and get snappier finish and stock layout. I'm actually considering a Savage 14 American Classic in .243 for a future purchase:
http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/14AMERICANCLASSICOverall, I personally don't see a whole lot wrong with the Remington, but the Savage is a better rifle.
PS You asked to "look" at the sales figures without providing a cite. Unless we have hard numbers then you really don't know which is outselling which. That aside though, pointing to sales figures to determine which option is "best" is an exercise in futility. Britney Spears outsells Johnny Cash. McDonalds outsells most good local burger joints, and cheap Chinese-made junk at Wal-mart outsells quality items. Which sells more is based on far more factors than which is higher quality.