G6, or no G6

Hello All, I am a member and frequent visitor/poster on GrandAmGT.com.
I currently own a 2001 Grand Am GT with 124K, so I am starting to think about my next car.

When the G6 first came out, I was disappointed that the exterior was too feminine looking and the interior was too cheap. I have since let the exterior win me over for the most part.

I have a few questions, for those kind enough to assist.

1) I see a lot about steering lock up issues. This is a serious issue (obviously). Does it relate to only the Electric Power Steering or the Hydraulic power steering only? Only on one engine?

2) I went through a lot of the thread listings here, but are there any other big, common issues to watch out for other than the steering and the panoramic roof?

Since I travel a lot for work, I get to rent many vehicles around the world. I recently was given a G6 in Chicago. I found the V6 acceptable, nothing fancy. I don't think I have huge fingers by any means, but I found the buttons on the steering wheel to be way too narrow to use.

The things I wish they would change -

* Have a manual trans for the V6 Sedan
* I can't stand that black plastic part of the rear bumper. I have seen so many of them that are uneven after some miles are on the car. And when I am behind a G6 on the freeway, many of them are fluttering terribly in the draft.
* Minor, but would love to see body colored mirrors.

Anyways, the main purpose of this e-mail was to solicit info on mechanical issues common to this particular Epsilon vehicle.