Completely agree that picking the tool for the job is important and the amount the buyer can afford is a huge limiting factor, especially if you are purchasing your one and only pistol to carry. The needs are different at that point.
I would disagree about the 1911/Glock comparison though. I have hundreds of thousands of rounds through both designs, and seen both designs puke for various reasons. I would put them both very high in the reliability chart, but not one over the other. Shootability is another story though.