The Saiyan/Frieza arc was better than Cell, IMO.
Too much of that whole storyline relied too much on plot-induced stupidity on the part of the Z fighters.
The Z fighters putting a challenge over innocent lives and not doing anything to stop the crisis 3 years in advance...
Bulma bringing her baby to see the androids...
Yamcha not telling anyone that the Androids can absorb energy...
The Z fighters blindly charging into a fight against SSJ-level enemies with no plan after Vegeta got his arm broken...
17 thinking he could actually beat Cell by himself...
Vegeta lettting Cell go perfect for a chance to show up Goku...
(As much as I don't fault Krillin for sparing her, but..) Krillin not getting 18 OUT OF THERE while he had the chance...
Bulma not telling 16 that they removed the bomb from his body...
Goku giving Cell a senzu bean for the sake of a "fair fight"...
Gohan not bodying Cell when he had the chance, which led to Trunks getting murked...
The writing was starting to fall off by the time that Cell came around.
What saved it was that the fights and the new characters were dope enough for us to let things slide. Still better than the Buu saga though. Seeing Gohan beat Cell at the end was an

moment.