Hybrid Bicycles - Buying my first bike 2011 Specialized Sirrus or Used 2010 Giant Seek 2

This is going to be my first bike purchase. Mainly for fitness, and if I can convince the wife to ride with me it'll be mixed with casual trail riding. I foresee maybe 20-30 miles a week.

I visited my LBS a couple times now to test out a lot of bikes. They had their annual spring clearance sale and was offering $467 for a 2011 Sirrus Sport or $600 for a Sirrus Elite. I figured if I bought this as my first bike I would leave it stock for a while to see what a majority of my riding consists of.

I also found a good deal at a local pawn shop for a 2010 Giant Seek 2. They're asking $250 for it but I think I can take them down to $200 or less. I have only seen pictures, but it looks like it's barely been ridden (hopefully it wasn't stolen!).

If they were the same price I would buy the Sirrus because I've ridden it and like it. My personality though will be to eventually upgrade components and tinker so I figured if I pay $200 for the Giant I can have $300 in cash to eventually spend on components.

Any advice?

I would buy the Giant Seek 2 if it is the right size, but test ride it first and make sure you find it comfortable. At the end of the day you aren't going to ride a bike you find uncomfortable. You will be able to sell it for at least what you pay if you decide to upgrade to something else. Pawn shops are under scrutiny by law enforcement so I would not worry about it being stolen. My advice, as hard as it is to follow, is not to get tied up in specifications because they make such a small difference in your riding enjoyment.