FWIW, I've had a Trek 7000 for two years and commute on it to work about 3x/week, 6 miles each way.

The pedals are its weakest link. One broke, and I replaced both with better ones.

But otherwise, it's done just fine. I, too, would go with an FX if I were to do it over again - I find myself trying to make the 7000 "imitate" the FX by shoving its handlebars down and forward, etc. But for what it is, the 7000 is just fine - I think it's in a great spot, price-wise and feature-wise, for people making the transition from toy-department bikes to bike-store bikes.