Frigidaire 27" gas grill: any reviews?

MarineDoc Writes:

"I am looking for a new grill in the range of $500-800. The current Ducane is 15 years old, the podium is rusting (and leaving rust stains on the patio), and it's time for a change. Even worse, the hollow pedestal has been used by rodents to store/eat food, and I'm tired of finding droppings around and in the unit; the next one will have to have an enclosed base.

We have a small side-yard patio conveniently located off the kitchen, with an NG hookup. There is a larger patio at the back of the house, with a capped-off NG pipe that could be fitted with a valve so that the grill could be moved.

The most convenient place to cook, when it's just the family and no crowd, would be the side patio because it's next to the kitchen. For larger crowds, it would be better to move the grill to the back patio (you have to go through the living room and family room to reach this larger patio, however). The current Ducane was converted to NG and I don't want to go back to lugging LP tanks, so the next grill has to be NG as well.

The only constraint is that the side patio has limited space along the wall where the gas line is, and 56" would be pushing it in terms of fit. It could be wheeled away from the wall, but that would get old on a repeat basis.

Some of the grills I've looked at:

1. Ducane/Home Depot SS grill: $699, no surcharge for NG (special order). Review by this site's Guide was 3.5 stars, due to not so sturdy construction and excessive venting of the hood; however, other reviewers here have posted that they reach 630+ degrees (not sure if this was with LP or NG). One plus of this grill: only 48" wide, as much as 12" less than its competitors, which are all around 54-58" wide. Comes with rotisserie kit, no cover included.

2. Sonoma SS Grill at Costco: 304 steel but very thin construction, metal is crimped on the hood rather than welded. Got four stars in about.com review, possibly because it was good value for money ($499). Grill comes only LP at the store; mail-order conversion kit to NG costs about $100 by the time you pay shipping/taxes, so the real cost of the grill for NG use is $599. Comes with rotisserie and cover.

3. Glen Canyon grill: out of my price range at $1149. This is a house brand sold by Home Depot Expo, the upscale sister store of Home Depot.

4. Based on negative reviews and feedback, would not consider the Lowe's Jenn-Air grills.

5. That brings us to the Frigidaire 27" grill. It's even sold by Amazon.com, which gives free shipping (and no sales tax in my state) at $799. I've located a discounter in my state that sells it for $729. There is an appliance store in my area that just sent me a flyer advertising the 30" model for $699, so possibly they offer the 27" at similar savings. Up to now, I haven't actually SEEN this model up close. Does not include rotisserie kit, but does include cover and tool set. I like the fact that the left side table includes a storage drawer, rather than just serving as a second side table. The SS is 304 but I don't know how thick/heavy it is. I understand that heavier hoods retain heat better and make it less hot/uncomfortable for people seated near the grill.

(note: due to the relatively large width of Weber grills--resulting from the placement of the controls on the side of the hood--they're not even under consideration, despite their reputation---there simply isn't any room for anything but a Silver A)

So, anyone have experience with the 27" model? It appears to have full support by Frigidaire (vs "Jenn-Air" grills) and the specs even appear at the frigidaire.com website. You can buy accessories online at the company website.

I had been leaning toward the Home Depot Grill, partly due to price, partly due to positive reviews here (despite the guide's 3.5 stars), and partly because it is smaller in terms of width (one solution to a wide grill might be to not install the left hand shelf and attach it only if needed). 48" would be a much better fit. The 27"Frigidaire lists for $879, but I've found sources as low as $729, and as I said a nearby store is selling the 30" model for $699---so I need to check their price on the 27".

If I can get the price to no more than $50 more than the Ducane, should I just go for the Frigidaire? And is either worth the extra money over the Costco SS grill? (remember for me the NG version of the Costco grill will be $599, not $499).

PS: there is also a Frigidaire 26" without a side burner for about $499 w/o infrared, $599 w/infrared. The company sells a conversion kit for $50."