The only downside to going for an excel so soon, is that its a bit low for grilling. You would need to sit it on something to get it to a decent height if you took the top two stacks off for Wings or fish over high heat. Unless Clair kept the little kettle for that job then its a win.
The versatility of the Excel is second to none and I loved the ones I had. I do sometimes miss many of the features. Knowing what I know now I think I should have kept at least one!