I have a Specialized Sirrus Limited and my wife rides a Specialized Vita Comp. Each is outfitted with 25mm tires running about 125 lbs of pressure. We love the bikes and find them to be perfect for our style of riding - mostly on paved paths and around town. The flat bar and narrow tires of the hybrid offer a lot of versatility and at the same time they are good performing bikes on longer rides. As for your discomfort, I think that's to be expected when you're just getting started. After a while, you'll learn to avoid locking your elbows and your bottom will build good tolerance for life in the seat. My wife's Vita came with 28mm tires rated for 85 lbs of pressure and they were fairly comfortable and quick. We changed hers to a more flat resistant tire and while at it decreased the diameter a little.

Any of the bikes that you listed would be excellent on paved roads. Skinny tires don't care much for gravel and dirt, and our Specialized would not handle tires much larger than 28mm, but for our purposes they are excellent bikes.