There are extremely good consultants. And there are extremely good offshore teams.
These people do not come cheaper than onshore or inhouse hires.
That's the easy way to know whether or not dealing with the new consultants / offshore team is going to go well, or be an awful long term experience.
> Few people truly love working with consultants
This is kind of a prejudiced view, as consultants are often there long-term, and no different than other workers in practice. The only difference is who's got the formal responsibility for their contract.