Taylor was the only high-end brand my local shop carried when I started learning (well, aside from the guitars the shop owner and his son would make) so they were the holy grail to me. I didn't dare play them because I was just learning but they sure looked awesome. As an aspiring designer, their catalogs and ads resonated with me as well. Not to mention they all have my last name right there on the headstock!
I figured I'd be saving for a 310 but then Taylor came out with the 200 series. By the time I had enough to get one, they'd made all the right tweaks to the 200 series (normal NT neck joint, etc) and I played several 210s alongside a 310 at the aforementioned local guitar shop. My 210 was a clear winner.
Not long after that, my 210 had some kind of weird chip between the rosette and the bottom of the fretboard which couldn't have been caused by any playing wear. The local dealer and Taylor were both stellar to work with and replaced the guitar with another that sounded as good or better.
A year or two later I found a 410 I liked at a different shop and sold my 210 to a friend to get it. The next day I realized my mistake. The shop was kind enough to take the 410 back, and my friend said he had a feeling I'd come back for my guitar but wanted one like it. He ended up with a great 310.
It's a great guitar and it punches way above its weight class -- the only Taylor I've ever played that I've liked better was a custom all-mahogany 12-fret GC. I've only done one "upgrade" to my guitar -- ebony bridge pins, which were a souvenir from my visit to the Taylor factory about four and a half years ago.
