latest modem recommendation

The official site recommendation is for Netgear CM2050V.  However, I have found information in the Xfinity support indicating that it was removed a year ago and the CM3000 or CM2000 are recommended.  Which is it?

The 2050V is the "Cheshire Cat" of modems: it appeared on the compatible list, then disappeared for a while, and many months later appeared again. See https://www.xfinity.com/support/internet/customerowned "Other compatible equipment" "Netgear CM2050V".

Your .PDF link is about 6 months older than the latest (and, I believe, last .PDF) which is https://assets.xfinity.com/assets/dotcom/projects/cix-4997_compatible-devices/2025.03.25%20Full%20List%20of%20Compatible%20Devices.pdf. 

... both the CM2050v and the CM3000 as approved but the CM2050 is recommended ...

AFAIK they've never gone into any detail why some modems are "Recommended". All we get is the general statement "To ensure the most reliable experience, here's a list of devices we recommend based on their performance and compatibility with our Xfinity network" with no details or further explanation. And, as I have no experience with any of the model numbers you've mentioned I can't even hazard guess. Sorry!

On top of that, I don't trust their judgement. Customer access to the people who actually know about these things is all but impossible: they keep those folks locked up far away from us Great Unwashed. I say pick the device that meets their requirements for the features you want (max download speed? max upload speed? WiFi? phone service?), and go for it! 

Good luck!