Fob,
All the advice provided so far is pretty much right on. If you are still game for getting a better guitar, take your guitar with you to some really good stores and compare; try out a bunch of guitars. I agree that the -18 and above Martins are where the best, most reliable quality Martins live. Different people don't necessarily agree about whether mahogany or rosewood make for a better sound, but you need to find out what you like.
From my perspective, the Martin D-15 is not their best sounding guitar, so if your buddy's D-15 sounds way better than yours, then maybe there is real room for improvement. (And of course, as has been suggested, your own "bone tone" has a huge effect on how the guitar sounds.)
There's a whole world of great sounding Martins out there and the D-18V is certainly one of them. I also like the HD Martins, like the HD-28 and HD-35. Certainly more money, of course.
Thanks, Glenn
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