I'm partial to Makita as well. I have their plunge router and really liked the compound sliding miter saw I had a chance to use a while ago. I ended up getting a DeWalt compound sliding miter saw on sale, and it's good as well. I don't have anything against DeWalt, I have a job site table saw from them that's been a workhorse for me.
That said, seems like most people here have had good experiences with Makita, DeWalt, and Bosch in this price range, so doesn't seem like I can go wrong with any of them. I'll probably give in to my bias and get Makita
Thanks!