I received my Essential Phone on Wednesday and am the opposite, I'm really liking the phone. I love the build quality and it does seem to slop off any surface that isn't perfectly flat. I don't have issues holding it, I have no issues with the grip against the titanium (I have the black color) -- though I will put it in a case.
I feel it being narrower is a positive, it is easier to use one handed. As you point out, the screen is great. It did seem to lag for the first day or so, as I was setting it up and getting the updates downloaded, since then I haven't noticed any lag.
As for the Fingerprint Sensor, I have no issue with the back placement -- I can't think of an Android phone I've owned with a front facing FPS. As for not working in a car dock, assuming your car has Bluetooth, just set the car up as a Trusted Device and you won't really need to worry about touching the FPS.
The other thing I love is how quick they've been about updating the software, including fixes for issues the phone shipped with. Most of my previous Androids have been Nexus phones (though I also had the original Moto X), and I like getting the monthly security and Android updates.
Last, since I got the phone on the $5 lease through Spring, I can't imagine getting a better phone for $145.