Have you considered buying an inexpensive guitar to learn on? That way, you can be learning and playing and at the same time be learning about different guitar brands, models, types, necks, shapes, etc..

Your question simply has no easy answer. And why I like mine is of really no use to you, if you really think about it. I have a Hagstrom (Chinese) grand auditorium that I paid $179 for, and it's great. It's pretty, nice-sounding and easy to play. In my mind, something like it would be absolutely perfect for the first year or so of play. And during that year, you'd be looking at guitars on the web and playing different ones in stores, and by then have a MUCH better idea of what you're looking for in a more expensive instrument.