Almost every person that bashes them never held one. Go ahead...rip me. LOL
They're heavy, clunky and ugly....as said before. But, they are also pretty solidly made. They are actually made very close to where I live, and I had the son of the owner in school. It used to be Stallard Arms, but changed a while back.
They are by no means a "high-quality" weapon...but neither are many that are sold by Remington. But, until I hear/see a first hand account of one not doing what they claim...I'll assume that they are reliable. And I've been around them A LOT.
Personally, I currently have no use for one. I've owned several...and put thousands of rounds through them, but with my kids now getting big enough to get into things, I have no self-defense handgun...and if I did, it probably wouldn't be a Hi-Point.