No, I was not surprised, because like all our other Grohe faucets and these convinces by / with:
+ First-class workmanship
+ Top material
+ To date properly functioning mixer at a constant temperature
+ Highly scratch resistant
+ All seals extremely reliable and durable
Easy to operate + knobs
+ No (post-) drops
+ Very easy to keep clean.
... And what the Assembly is concerned:
+ All the necessary information and materials (incl. Rosettes) available for installation
+ Assembly, so not with technology at loggerheads, simplest
Forgotten are the unintended touches the mixing lever that could one so off and spoil so properly to the shower fun, it was, it was suddenly in the dry, or whether, they celebrated unintentionally a scalded or Kneipp :) contrast This Grohtherm suppressed to save space to the wall, allowing only desired changes in temperature and water pressure.
The only thing that struck me rather negative, is touted by GROHE EcoJoy; if one is even really let water gush over his head, manages this with a faucet that not really.
As for the durability of the thermostat, I let myself be surprised. After many years of only positive Grohe experience I can honestly not imagine that this was to be a wimp.
Current price I think more than justice, properly performed, and therefore I take like 5-stars in the Amazon box.
Note in January 2015.:
After about 2 1/2 years of use, I was surprised Grohterm with a fairly rapidly decreasing amount of water. At first I thought it is the shower head; but after careful descaling of this changed nothing.
Then I remembered that I, as provided by GROHE, in both wall connections with the seals and the integrated dirt strainers have installed, I suspected that they have become "tight" over the years. After removing the valve ... it was left with nothing else ... was confirmed as the first this my assumption, especially for the filter in the cold water line. Once there were no rubber seals but paper, I first had to provide replacement.
After cleaning of filters and replacement of seals ... this procedure every 2 years ??? ... Unfortunately worked the valve still does not properly. After further expansion, it turned out to say that the leaflets were calcified more or less completely in the interior of the mixer. Thus is one that is not suitable to be fantastic thermostatic mixer in areas with hard water :(