They are a well built bike. But they are heavy, and the flat bar does not allow a lot of hand positions.
I own one and i can ride it about 2 hours. After 1 hour my wrists are sore. Nothing against the bike, thats just me and i need more hand positions that i can switch to every few min.
If you plan on touring, id look at how long you plan to be in the saddle in any one streatch and make sure a heavy flatbar bike is what you want.
i don't have personal experience, but looking at the spec's i'd say that you'd be doing reasonably well for that price range. after changing the bars and adding the fenders, ect. it'll be o.k. for touring. however, the aluminum frame and straight forks will deliver a less comfortable ride. if it's too jarring for your wife, consider a suspension seat post later.