I, too, would probably prefer the chrome-moly fork over a high-tensile steel or aluminum one.

I would recommend against buying a Trek if you don't like the colors. I agree that Trek's color choices lately are a little head-scratching. If you don't like it, you won't want to ride it. Buy the bike speaks to you.

The Cannondale you're looking at has nearly the exact same drivetrain as my 2015 Trek Verve 3. ST-EF51 8-speed shifters, 28/38/48 crank (mine is Suntour, yours is Shimano), Altus front derailleur, Acera rear derailleur, and HG31 11-32 cassette. This setup shifts quickly and smoothly and I've been very satisfied with it. I changed the chain to a KMC X8.99 chain because I liked the bling (shiny nickel-plated); no real change in shifting behavior, better or worse. Given its chrome-moly fork, and the other drivetrain bits that I know to be solid stuff, and the 35mm tires vice the Giant's 32mm tires, I'd probably favor the Cannondale. The Giant's Altus rear derailler and M310 shifters are technically a downgrade from what the Cannondale has (though that's splitting hairs) and if you change the tires for 35mm tires anyway, your cost savings are gone.