I had one of those. It was heavy,slow,and the front suspension was like a pair of pogo sticks,but I beat the crap out of it and it took it with no probs. It was my daily commuter for a winter season,and then got used as a polo bike for a few months before I sold it. Needed a good bath and corrosion control,but mechanically it was fine.

If you want flat bars,you can save some coin by dropping the adjustable stem all the way down. That's how I had mine set up. And use blue Loctite on the main bolt and handlebar clamp to keep them tight. I'd also suggest cranking up the adjustments on the forks;they're pretty soft. Or swapping for a rigid fork. The stock tires are so-so,the Slime innertubes suck. I had good luck with Michelin Transworld Citys in 1.95" and Specialized Nimbus Flak Jackets in 1.5". Mounting fenders is a pain. Hit the local hardware store for P clamps or the zip-ties with the eyelets if you want to mount full fenders. Ditch the suspension seatpost;adds weight,makes it harder to adjust your seat height,and costs space for mounting blinkies.

Couple notes about the brakes. They're marked GX-2,but they're actually MX-2's. Giant wants the M replaced with a G for some reason. When it comes time to adjust/replace the pads,the instructions fail to mention there's a set screw on the underside of the caliper that locks the innner pad. Takes a 2.5mm hex if memory serves. And you'll want to cover the hole on the rear caliper's set screw. Water pools up in it and corrodes the screw,which seizes it up and is a real PITA to fix. Some black electrical tape or even duct tape will work.

Not bad rides considering they're comfort bikes. Great for bad weather/winter.