$500 is just about right for a new Glock.
What I like about my Glock:
- I am more accurate with it than with any other gun I've tried so far. Moreover, some of the friends I am shooting with are more accurate with my G17 than they are with their own guns.
- The stock sights are very easy to read (personal preference and see below).
- It always shoots. Very simple and very reliable.
- It is good to go out of the box, no break in / adjustments are typically required.
- It's lightweight. I have no problem shooting with my weak hand.
- It's extremely easy to clean. It's very easy to completely disassemble and modify even for someone with no prior handgun experience.
- It has a very consistent, predictable, boring trigger pull. Always the same.
- It's notoriously reliable and insensitive to dirt, very well protected against rust, etc.
- Everybody and their brother have them. There's tons of accessories.
- Glock Customer Service seems to be very responsive (never had to deal with them so I am going by what I read)
What I don't like:
- Lack of manual safety. This is a personal preference. I solved it very easily by installing a $50 Siderlock trigger mounted safety (basically a replacement trigger housing with pin that locks the trigger). I installed it myself in no time, having never disassembled a pistol frame before (another + to Glock).
- The stock sights are plastic. I don't know if that's really an issue but I'm worried that if I hit it hard enough and in the right place I can break the front sight off. There's tons of aftermarket sights available but I really like the stock ones - it's very easy to aim with them - so I don't think I will change them any time soon. This may not be an issue at all, I would just prefer steel. AFAIK none of the people I personally know who own Glocks (quite a few of them) ever broke the sights, so I may be just paranoid.
- The G17 is a bit large for EDC, however the finger grooves on G19 didn't feel right to me. Even though the grip on G19 is still large enough, the grooves seem to be spaced differently (more tightly) and it's just not as comfortable for me to hold as G17. I have medium sized hands, and G17 grip size is just perfect for me. Regardless, I don't intend to carry every day; if I change my mind I will likely get a G26 at some point, and carry G17 until then (it's large but light and can be carried comfortably).
- The finish on Glock is very resilient, however it's not as pretty out of the box as some other pistols I've seen (Berettas, CZ etc.) This may or may not be an issue to you. OTOH the black finish on Glocks will likely last longer, and the underlying tennifer treatment will protect the steel from rust better than most other guns except stainless.
- Having no prior handgun experience, I like the grip angle on Glocks (same as on Parabellum). It points very naturally for me. However most other guns have a bit less steep angle, and I heard many complaints from people who developed muscle memory from using other guns that they tend to aim Glock high, instinctively.
Overall, I am very happy with it, although I do salivate over some other guns every now and then