This was the situation I was in 18 months ago I trawled the web for a good beginners dslr, I tried wife's cousins high end Sony dslr and then bought one myself it's an entry level camera but has good reviews. And all the settings you'd expect and the quality of a dslr!!
How ever it is no longer used as I have upgraded (this doesn't mean I've mastered it yet lol) going on eBay soon camera kit lens and genuine Sony case.