I own a CM9 (slightly smaller version than CW9) and a M&P Shield for comparison. A lot of folks will recommend the Shield here (and rightly so, as it is an alternative worth investigation as well). I have also shot the similar steel-framed MK9 quite a bit. I don't own any Taurus pistols, and after my experiences with some, I wouldn't own any.
My CM9 has had perfect reliability for me with a wide range of ammo, and the CW9 is generally well-regarded in this respect as well. You hear of problems online with Kahr reliability, and those usually have to do with the .45ACP, .40SW, and .380ACP versions. The 9mm versions tend to be good to go.
The Kahr trigger is quite good. It's long, but not heavy and very smooth. With practice, it's easy to shoot these pistols relatively well. The main weakness of any Kahr pistol is any version of the Kahr magazine with a plastic baseplate (usually the extended length mags). These baseplates are ridiculously flimsy. Stick to the versions with metal baseplates (such as the 6-round mag for the CM9) and you'll be fine.
The M&P Shield, by comparison, feels more robust and is heavier and larger than the CM9 (which puts it closer to the size of the CW9). I get the feeling that it will survive a higher round count than any Kahr. The trigger is shorter and lighter than the Kahr trigger (which is all a lot of people even care about for some reason), but I personally don't shoot it any better. It's a grittier, more "springy" feeling trigger with a lot of stacking, and I don't get the feeling it will ever break in to be much better. Many folks laud the M&P ergos, but I don't find them to be that great. The texturing is pretty weak, and S&W put an unnecessary and uncomfortable seam right where your knuckle meets the underside of the trigger guard. Regardless, mine has been very reliable, and, while I don't know what kind of rebates S&W has going now, when they had the $75 rebate going earlier this year, they were CHEAP. I picked up my for $214.99 total after the rebate. I don't think you'll ever do better than that for a new high-quality pistol.
Again, I don't consider any Taurus pistols worthy of my consideration. YMMV.