New DSLR - Which One?

I've been with Canon for a while now. My Canon 550D just died on me and I'm looking for a replacement. I went into my local camera store and was amazed at the various DSLR's they had. Some from Sony and a couple from Nikon. Especially the Nikon cameras seemed to have a lot of power under the hood for the price. Something like 24mpx compared to the same priced Canon cameras which had half of that.

I'm looking to get the Canon 650D, but I'm open to suggestions. What would be the best "camera for the buck" to get?

Added (1). @Jim, by "died" I mean it died. It was a factory fault and I had the choice of either getting the same camera or getting cash. I chose cash as I'm wanting to try something different.

@Keerok, I know the difference between Canon models. They're the ones I'm most familiar with. But when I visited the local camera shop, I saw several models and makes ranging from Canon, Pentax, Nikon and a slew of others.

I'm looking for some advice to which camera (doesn't matter brand) that gives you the most "bang for the buck". I enjoy Canon cameras and always have. But I'd like to try something different for the sake of it.

What do you mean your 550D died? That doesn't happen. Did it get wet? Did you drop it? Was it damaged in some other way? These cameras don't just die - they don't? Pocket toys die but not dslr cameras.

If I were you since you're hunting a camera shop anyway, take it to a qualified repair person and at least have it looked at.

The 550D can't be that old, perhaps a year or so, so dieing isn't an option for such a camera.

You would still be better off with Canon. Don't take me wrong. I hate Canon (I tried to buy a memory card from them the other day as they were the only store in that street and seeing my non-Canon camera they tried to charge me $25 for a 8GB SDHC, but only $6 for the exact same thing 2 blocks and 15 minutes further away, pardon for the rant). You however are already used to their system so stick with them. All brands are basically the same anyway. As to which model exactly, simply get the most expensive you can afford. The higher the price, the more satisfaction you'll get.

Here's how Canon's naming scheme works. 3-4 digit models (1100D, 650D, etc.) are entry-level, basic, bottom-of-the-barrel models, recommended by most for newbies (I don't understand why) but in reality are best for pros who don't have much cash. 2-digit models (D30, 60D, etc.) are mid-level, good for most photographers, beginners or not. 1-digit models excluding the number 1 (5D Mark III, 6D, etc.) are high-end models which are great for those who know exactly what they are looking for and can afford it. Models with only the number 1 in the model designation (1D S, 1D C, etc.) are enterprise class models which are reserved to the most scrutinizing enthusiasts.

As for the best camera for the buck, look at the non-leading brands (like Pentax). They offer more features found in higher end models at the price of a lower model.