Welcome to the forum.
Now that you have narrowed down to what bike brand and style you like , ask yourself these things.
Do you like to ride or love to ride?
Are you younger , stronger , more likely to ride rough trails or smooth clean trails?
As you go up the ladder of models of crosstrail , the component sets get more durable , better shifting , smoother and longer lasting.
The front fork action gets better as you go up also.
Here's what I've found for myself for comparison.
I'm an old guy , pretty light 160lbs , arthritic not particularly the pillar of health.
My Giant Roam is a non disc model similar to the base crosstrail.
If I had to buy again , I would go for disc brakes , the rest of the bike thrills me every ride.
The cheaper forks on the base model bikes are not super durable or made for large really fit riders.
For me , it's fine.
I don't ride rough trails or nasty off road stuff ever.
I like to ride more than I thought I would , I enjoy it more each week , I'm going to try to wear my bike out.
Knowing what I know now , I would stretch my wallet to the next model up if I did it again.
The dual sport bikes like these are very comfortable and durable for general riding.
Pride of ownership aside , nearly all with serve you well , but more is better if you're bigger , younger , or stronger.
Maintenance is a big thing , properly maintained , a friendly dealer , all these things will make a huge difference in your riding.
Hope this helps .
Mick