It comes down to being personal, and I don't think you can really tell what's important to you until you have been riding. Fit is so important - if it doesn't fit, it won't become a habit. I've got the most miles on my hybrid hybrid Giant with a Bianchi stem... I couldn't afford the Bianchi that felt good, and the bike shop guys stuck a Bianchi stem on a Giant Nutra and voila! I like my Trek 7500 FX, too, but it isn't *quite* as good a fit.

http://www.champaigncycle.com/frame.htm has a link to "choosing a bike" that's only a little dated (the 7500FX is not exactly new this year ).