Several months ago I was in the exact same position that you currently find yourself. I wanted to get back into cycling after not riding for many years and was undecided about the type of bike to get...comfort, hybrid, straight bars, drop bars?
I spent several weekends test riding at the LBS and picked the brains of the good people on this forum. I should mention at this point that I do have a chronic back condition so I really thought that I would end up with a straight bar bike (test rode and really liked the Trek 7.5 FX and the Specialized Sirrus Comp) but decided to test some road bikes to see if they aggravated my back problem. I tried the Trek Pilot 1.0 and the Specialized Sequoia Elite and just loved the Sequoia.
As luck would have it my back was barking loudly on the days I tested the Pilot and the Sequoia and I was stunned to discover that, while on these two bikes, the pain in my back eased and I was in absolutely no discomfort at all.
I eventually bought the Sequoia because the components were better and I got the 2005 model (basically the same bike as the 2006 except for the color) for about $100 less than the Pilot.
I have not regretted my decision for a second. It's a very comfortable ride and the bike has some giddy up to it if you're so inclined. And of more importance to me, it eases my back soreness rather than contributing to it.