I commute on a Giant Toughroad with Ergon bar-end grips or a Bianchi road bike. The bar ends add an additional position, but the hoods or drops still feel better for longer distances.
The biggest difference I find is the aero drag. Wide arms on bar ends turns your entire body into a giant parachute. With drop bars you get a more natural wrist position and significantly less drag.
As for braking from hoods, any modern groupset (2013+) should be able to toss you over the bars from the hoods with no problem. The manufacturers redesigned the ergonomics to make hood braking more natural. The braking on the older 9/10 speed Shimano stuff is garbage compared to the newer 10/11speed designs. And hydraulic brakes are in a whole different category.