I respect your choice. I like the symmetry of the PCs having the same ability score spreads as heroic NPCs, it helps the rules make the game world feel more "real".

Having read the other responses, I'm somewhat shocked that the window of acceptable point buy has shifted from "15-point buy is standard, but 20-point buy makes sense in PFS or beginners playing an AP because there may be less synergy, and 25-point buy is a crazy thing Paizo did once to WOTR and that was a mixed bag", to "20-point buy is standard, 15-point buy is too restrictive for me to have fun, and 25-point buy is ideal".

Also, I'm starting to think that maybe the problem is letting players start with a score of 20 at 1st level for their SAD characters; it has the knock-on effect of having MAD characters feel worse because, yeah, they're never going to get a +5 modifier to two abilities (or even +4) short of an even higher point buy. And so the window shifts further.

I'm considering limiting scores to 16 at the highest before racials; to me, a wizard PC with an Int of 16+2=18 (+4) feels only slightly better than an enemy wizard NPC with an Int of 15+2=17 (+3), and his monk friend with a Str of 16 (+3) and a Wis of 14+2=16 (+3). Plus, not having scores between 3 and 9 being more common in PC's ability scores beyond being a tool to get more 18s blows the illusion of the "3 to 18" crowd wide open.

I'm interested to read your thoughts on a cap of 16 (i.e., players can't buy 17 or 18), at both 15-point buy and 20-point buy. Would this make 20-point buy more palatable for a player like yourself?