It doesn't matter how much you spend whether on a cheapo or something high end. There are great, good, mediocre and real lemons guitars and instruments in general. An element of luck is always present for being in the right place at the right time to find something special.

I had bought new Martin OOO-28EC a couple of years ago, and although it played and sounded nice enough when I first got it, (in spite of keeping it a climate and humidity controlled environment) I started having a helluva time with the intonation and action shifting on me. Cure one thing and some other defect spun off. After several authorized warranty sitations at Martin's expense (though they were loathe to even use the word defective or lemon) I finally had my fill of the experience with this particular instrument. (The neck was defective.)

Knowing that there was good market for used ones (and that most people's ears weren't as sensitive as mine to intonation) I sold it privately for close to what I paid for it. (The "lucky" element at work here.) And then within a week of selling it, by sheer fluke and a tip from a fellow picker, I stumbled onto a 20 year old Martin M-38, which was in excellent condition, and plays, sounds and intonates like a dream, and, it was undervalued and underpriced. So a portion of the proceeds from the OOO-28 went towards the M-38. Best guitar exchange I ever made!

Sometimes though there aren't any silver linings. Rule of thumb for me is never bond or develop any kind of an emotional attachment to an instrument until I am supremely confident that it more than meets all of my criterion.