ME1 was good, but it was drastically improved in ME2, which is where it also picked up a lot of popularity.
Travel and things was kinda interesting in ME1, but yeah, you spent too long roaming around planets in the MAKO looking for collectibles.
And I don't know what it's like on PC, but I could not get back into ME1 on Xbox after playing ME2/3.
The controls and gameplay were just so different and so much more awkward that it really ruined it for me. It was fine the first time around, because I was blissfully ignorant that it could get better.
I always went Vanguard on mine, because I liked having some Biotic powers, as well as a couple of decent weaponry powers.
I did always have to have a Tech character though to fill in the gap.