Welcome to the forum. You are asking some good questions, and I won't try to answer them all, because others will chime in shortly.
As a former bike shop owner and Fuji dealer, I'll just comment on the Crosstown. The crosstown 1.0 is the top of the Crosstown lineup. Fuji's bike hierarchy has low numbers higher on the food chain than higher numbers.
Anyway, the 1.0 is a great bike, even though the components have been downgraded about one level since I sold them. My wife has one with the step through frame, and she loves it.
The one thing I think Fuji should do with that model is lose the suspension fork. It really serves no useful purpose in my mind on a bike with such an upright riding posture, and it adds unnecessary weight.
If the price quoted was for a current year model, it's a great price. MSRP is $549
http://www.fujibikes.com/bike/detail...town-10-ls-usa