I can attest the shimano 'steps' and bosch equivalent systems feel very different from 'older' systems. They start helping almost as you put force on the pedal,

I can attest the shimano 'steps' and bosch equivalent systems feel very different from 'older' systems. They start helping almost as you put force on the pedal, so e.g. when stop/starting on a hill with 50kg cargo (twin girls or cement bag) it makes a huge difference. The difference between the adhoc 'power on front wheel' and the integrated ones is night and day in comfort. Maintenance is more complicated, but if you're using this as you main vehicle (we don't have a car) you can maybe set aside a small (200-300eur) yearly professional maintenance budget. I'll admit I can't do it myself.