Your pains are not limited to "budget" models. Yesterday I was in guitar center with some time to burn so I went into the acoustic room and played every high end guitar on the wall. Including $3000+ taylors, breedloves, Martins, and gibsons. I was not impressed by any of them.
But than I walked over and picked up a taylor DN3 (I think thats what it was) it was a $900 dread with sapele back and spruce top with no electronics, obviously taylors budget model. But I was blown away with not only the sound, but the playability. That was the single nicest sounding and playing acoustic guitar I have ever played, and I've played a lot of $4000+ guitars. The lows were strong, yet not boomey in the least, the mids were strong and every note came through great, the highs were clear and everything had definition. Plus is was LOUD. Very loud. I could drive it hard with a pick and it wouldn't miss a beat or I could touch it with fingerstyle and it would sing. Everything I played on it sounded good.
If I had the money on me I would have bought that guitar in a heartbeat and put in a fishman matrix infinity or something because holy freaking crap that was the nicest guitar I've ever played, and I know a good guitar when I see one.
Now I know all taylor DN3's aren't going to be like this one, but sometimes factory guitar get lucky and pump out one "fluke" guitar that actually sounds good. Just keep shopping around, you'll find something that turns you on. Oh and remember all those guitars your playing in the store are setup like crap and have 3 month old dead strings on them. If you find one you really like get the store to throw in some new strings and a good setup.