The Glock 19 is my favorite pistol, the (prohib) Glock 26 is my second favorite.
Of all the handguns I have (and I have quite a few) the Glock 19 seems to shoot the best, for me. Better than my SIGs, Colts, Walthers, Smith & Wessons... not that any of those are about to be liquidated as a result. Variety, after all, is the spice of life!
I have carried a Glock 22 (which sucked) and hated Glocks for many years as a result. The Glock 23 is way better, and with a .357 SIG barrel, better still. But for every day practice and shot placement, the Glock 19 is very hard to beat. I have every Generation of them, and have no favorite. They are really cool in .380 or .22. The .380 (IGB barrel) is shockingly accurate at 25 meters, and shoots like a .22...
For our American friend: the Glock 42 compares very favorably with the Colt Mustang, which I found to be one of the smallest usable .380 pistols. I had the chance recently to compare my Mustang Pocketlite to the newest, littlest Glock. In his shoes, I wouldn't hesitate to carry the Glock 42 -- easier shooting, more accurate, and extremely compact. It beats the Colt Mustang, and that's quite a feat.
But for us plebes with no carry prospects, I'd say the Glock 19 is about the best value for dollar that I've seen.