Looks at avatar picture..........

Ok, so I did go with a Taylor. There is nothing wrong with Martin's though. Both make high quality guitars so no matter what you pick, you'll be happy.

What I do find is that Taylor seems to be better in the mid-price range ($500 to $1000). The difference is not super-massive different but mhy perception is that Taylor does a little bit better.

A good place to start is the Taylor 100 series (110ce or 114ce). Good guitar. About $850 for the version with a cutaway.

Just my two pennies but when I was looking for an acoustic update, it was Martin vs Taylor. I was conflicted but for me, Taylor by a nose. You do just have to spend time playing them. Just because Taylor worked for me, doesn't mean it's the answer for you.