Throw me in with the "I like classes" crowd. Quite simply, I love base classes- I wish there were more in the Player's Handbook! Everyone keeps saying that the Barbarian should be combined with the Fighter, the Druid should be a variant Cleric, the Paladin a Prestige Class...
...but I say, if you're going to include options for Fighters to be Barbarians, Clerics to be Druids, and righteous characters to be Paladins, then why not make them into their own, vibrant classes? It's not like you're taking away from the generic, adaptable classes. The core Fighter, Rogue, Cleric, and Wizard are still there. But more classes adds more flavor, more options, and more fun to the game.
...yup!