Need help picking a hybrid

[Lady Hamilton]

I am back from the store.
Well, they only had Vita Elite. It's a beautiful bike, but at over $900 tax in, it really is too much for me to pay.
They did not have regular Vita.
I saw Ariel, it was Ok.
They also showed me Specialized crossroads step over model. I am not so sure about it.
The guy really pushed Kona Dew. It is the same price as Giant Escape 2. Which is a better bike, in your opinion? They looked pretty comparable too. To be honest, I like the look of giant more, but I understand I should not judge based on looks.

So far, I understood only that comparable Specialized are about $100 more that Giant. Correct me if I am wrong.