I have a 5" and a 4" and both are reliable, but I am more accurate with the 5", due to longer barrel and sight radius.
Once you go shorter than 4" on a 1911 it is easy to run into problems. The Commander length guns (4 1/4") work fine especially with steel frames. Nobody loves 1911 more than I do, but if you want a sub compact .45 think about getting another model. The Officer and Defender size models have lost a lot of what makes a 1911 a 1911. They have no barrel bushing and have dual recoil springs.
I'm looking to get a SA 1911A1 GI for a starter 1911. Maybe some different grips and some trigger work, but nothing fancy. The A1 GIs are common to other 5" 1911A1 pistols out there, so parts should be somewhat interchangeable... I think? I'm drooling over Wilson Combat 1911s, too. But that's gonna have to wait until tax refunds come in next year.
My commander model is easily my favorite handgun I have ever owned. I have never had a feed problem with it and it is a very accurate weapon. The only problem I have ever had with it is a recent one. My slide retainer broke while I was firing at the range a couple of weeks ago.
I've not heard good things (or at least have heard a fair amout of bad things) about Colts lately. How long have you had the commander?
I think I have had it for about 14 or 15 years now. I can't tell you exactly because in one of our moves my clamshell was lost and it had my receipt and all my paperwork in it Anyway, this weapon has had several thousand rounds put threw it at minimum and has never given me a problem until recently, that problem being the minor one regarding the slide retainer. I bought a forged, heat treated replacement. Not going to have that same problem again