We had no issues with the EOS 1100D's image quality and at default settings the out-of-camera JPEGs show natural colors and a decent amount of detail. The camera's metering and focusing are very unproblematic in almost all shooting situations and only occasionally, mainly in sunny conditions, can it be useful to dial in 1/3EV or so of negative exposure compensation to curb the camera's slight tendency to expose to the right in these situations and protect the highlights.
At a pixel level the EOS 1100D's performance is pretty much typical for this class of camera. The differences in nominal resolution between cameras at this level is pretty much negligible in real-world use and the 1100D's image detail and resolution are on par with the closest competitors. That said, at base ISO the Canon's output can, compared to some of its peers, appear a little soft. The difference will only be visible at 100% magnification but, if necessary, you can get additional detail out of your images by converting your RAW files and applying some careful sharpening in the process.
At higher sensitivities the EOS 1100D does again a decent job but is not quite up with the best in class. At ISO 3200 and higher there is a touch more detail smearing than on, for example, the Nikon D3100 or Pentax K-r and chroma noise becomes more visible. The two highest ISO settings are good enough for small output sizes or web use but should be avoided for larger prints.