Try some bike shops in your area and see what they recommend - I've found that a shop with good service and support is more important than the brand of the bike - all the major brands make something that will fit your needs. I ended up on Trek because my local Trek store is fantastic and takes great care of me. If the other big bike shop in the area was as good, I'd probably be riding a Giant. BTW, I'm 365 (and shrinking) and have done just fine on a bike with a stated weight limit of 300. The weight limits are set by lawyers as mentioned above, the bikes are engineered to handle more.
If you stay with Giant, the Cypress would probably fit your needs well and be within your budget.