I had a go on a friend's 2DS recently, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. While it in no way feels classy or premium, it still feels well built and ready for gaming, and I enjoyed its tall shape. Like the Dreamcast controller and Wii U GamePad, you can adjust the position of your hands for best comfort. I also appreciated some of the finer changes, like how the SD card flap isn't some annoying rubber flap but a neater plastic one that slides down like Wii U's SD card cover.
On a slightly unrelated note, I've felt like buying a 3DS XL for the first time. It's all about that 3% screen reflectance, which I originally thought Nintendo made up but I've never used a glossy screened device with such low reflectance, ever, including smartphones and tablets. Though I have a feeling Nintendo will release another model next year (possibly to replace the original 3DS), so I'll wait...