Ok that is good. Since this is your first nice bike I think you should stick with major brands like Giant, Specialized and Trek. And yes the bike business is very competitive so similarly priced bikes from the big names will be of comparable quality. Pick a different local bike shop for each brand and test ride a couple of different hybrids. The shop will help you with model selection and the all important sizing. And yes for that kind of riding don't get a suspension fork or seat.