Ahh, so now we get into the question of what constitutes value. I personally can't tell the difference in performance or durability between Specialized and Cannondale, other than the fact that I hear more stories about Cannondales cracking*. Of course, this could be due to Cannondale being more popular.

*When I worked for a shop, a rep called Cannondales Crack 'n Fails. Too bad it was poor taste to do that right in front of a customer buying one. His brand has since then been bought a few times and got relegated to big box stores.