I have a Young Chang. Indeed, the name implies terrible quality, but it has kept up in near perfect condition for the 6 years I've owned it. It was rated best piano under 10,000 dollars some years ago - I don't know what the new ones are like. Speaking about my piano alone, the base notes give a very rich, deep sound. The keys in the upper register are lighter than I would prefer (of course I've gotten used to that, but if I could change them I would), but that's only when you get about 2.5 octaves above middle C. I have not noticed any change in key resistance between different registers - the piano has remained rather constant as far as I can tell. The action itself is relatively easy, but not too springy - it makes for very easy control of dinamics. Overall, it has a slightly brighter-than-average tone, but depending on the size of the piano room, this can be alleviated (if you see it as a problem). I got a 5'7'' baby grand.
Yamaha pianos are somewhat similar to the Young Chang I have, but the action is slightly harder and springier. It's slightly more difficult for me to control dinamics on Yamahas, and I think the sound is brighter too. Too much for me, anyway.
I really have not played on a Kawaii which I liked. The ones I've played on so far have sounded rather empty. The action was somewhat lousy, too.
A friend of mine owns a Baldwin baby grand and a Baldwin concert grand. The baby grand has EXTREMELY tough action, but the tone is very good. My friend said that the tough action makes every other piano feel very very light. The concert grand is much the converse - it's noisy, has a strident tone, and has the lightest action of any piano I've ever seen.
As far as Steinways are concerned, there are good ones and there are lousy ones. Older models and special editions are generally better, but those cost much more than your 15,000 dollar limit. I really don't like the action of any Steinway I've ever played, and the tone on Steinway baby grands has never pleased me very much. I would say they are much overrated, or perhaps just much overpriced. Don't know enough about the concert grands to say anything about those though.
When you test a piano in a store, don't jump to quick conclusions. Keep in mind that a piano needs to be worn in, and the action will probably become slightly easier as time progresses. Don't choose a piano with very easy action, because it will make every other piano seem a chore to play. Also, if you have a small sized room, you should opt for a duller sound. A store environment will usually take away some of the edge on a piano's sound in comparison to the room you'll put it in, so when you purchase the piano and play it in your own home, it will most likely be slightly brighter than it sounded originally. This is assuming you don't have a very large space to put your piano, of course.
Topic: worst pianos