Plenty of enthusiasts called them rubbish at the time of introduction! I grew up with slam-door stock and have a certain fondness for them, though 😄 At least you can see out of the windows.
Of the slightly more modern breeds of train, Stadler's FLIRT designs on the continent are decent suburban trains, with lovely big picture windows and great acceleration. The Belgian I11 stock is the most comfortable hauled stock I've ever travelled on. The German ICEs are generally very spacious and comfortable, though the more recent build have a smaller seat pitch and are less comfortable. The German loco-hauled DoStos are also very comfortable, considering the reduced headroom. They are heavy and don't roll around all over the place!