When considering a 3D app there is a lot more too it than price (and I think most here know that). I have Carrara 5 Pro and, frankly, I could never get into using the program. Therefore, no matter how little or much I paid for it, in my case it was money wasted. Modo is certainly more than Carrara and it is not as feature rich (i.e. it does not yet have full animation such as IK, bones, etc). Despite this, I can model in it very intuitively. As such, despite the higher cost, it was not money wasted (for me).

The best thing to do is see about getting a demo (does Daz offer one for Carrara?) and get down and dirty with the program. See if you can wrap your mind around how it works. If so, the Carrara could be the modeling package you need. If not, then even if it is a dollar, it could well be a waste of money and time.