All these things make differences, but the reality is that you can ride bikes with differences and enjoy them regardless. I have a crit bike, a touring bike, a road race type bike, and a sport-tour type bike. They all have their own feel, and handle different ways, but they can all be used for anything I would do. The big difference is the harsh ride of the crit type frame, but this is partly due to the stiffness of the oversize heavy gage steel frameset. The upside is the thing turns better than any bike or motorcycle I've ridden.
SKT, you will be happy with any Soma you get, if you're looking for a steel framed bike.