Test ride. The bikes you are looking at are a significant investment, not only in dollars but in terms of what will fit you best and keep you happy on the road. If you can't test ride them near you then it probably is worth a trip.

You are buying a bike to ride it, not to look at it. And don't worry about steel vs. aluminum, focus on the quality of the ride. Today's steel bikes are very different from those of a generation ago.