I just recently made the decision between an Aurora and an LHT myself. I went with the LHT because of the ability to fit wider tires. I wanted to be able to put studded tires and fenders on it. Would have been tight on the Aurora. That said, the Aurora is a nice bike. One thing it has that the LHT doesn't have is STI shifters instead of bar ends. I like the bar ends just fine though. The LHT seems really built to last, and great for hauling loads.
The other thing is that the geometry of the LHT was better for me. It has a relatively long top tube (versus seat tube) compared to the Aurora. I am tall, with a long torso, so that works for me. Personally, I think they are both great bikes for commuting.