Almost any decent guitar can last a lifetime with proper care. Just depends on how much you want to spend. For low-mid price range, I really like Yamaha (what I own), Takamine, and Alvarez. Of course those brands also make higher priced models, but prolly the 2 main higher range brands are Martin and Taylor.

You might also consider whether you want an acoustic/electric with the onboard pickup, or just the guitar. The pickup would certainly raise the price a tad, but would enable easier recording or playing through an amp at some point down the road, if not now. Also some guitars are specifically designed for amplification and excel at it (Ovation/Applause) but might not be as good acoustically. But if it's just for strumming while sitting on the porch or whatnot, don't worry about it. And if you change your mind eventually, you can buy a sound-hole pickup that slides in or have a better kind installed (although that can be expensive).

As far as compared to playing a typical 6 string, it is quite a different beast. Don't expect to be playing a lot of lead...it excels with melodies, chords, and open strings. Some people say it's way harder, but I say not so much, just different. It takes some getting used to and building tougher callouses and more strength. Although I wouldn't recommend an absolute beginner to learn on one for sure.