Medium price point for the vinyl category is probably in the $2.39-$3 sq. ft. range. An EVP/RVP product from a reputable company would be a good choice. Do you have colors that you favor?

I just installed Supercore by We Ship Floors here. There is a great thread here all about the product compared to some of the other products available. The thread is called Adura Max vs Coretec. I learned a ton there.

floorfreak: colors we like are in the light gray to light greige (beige+gray) range

Please do yourself a favour and have the slab properly prepared. Vinyl must have flat, flat, flat, flat and then it also needs flat. The mid-range vinyl planks are often thin. The "thin" products have very SMALL click edges. They don't like to hold onto each other if there is even a hint of a waver in the floor's flatness rating. They can often "let go" and start gapping. The edges cannot handle extra stress because there is nothing there for them to hold on to.

Personally I would go with a high-level laminate than a low or mid-range vinyl. Water proof can be created by using tile in wet areas.

I agree that vinyl plank needs flat. Ours required 3/16" in 10 feet. Many now come with an underlayment, so you don't have to add one. The one we installed does. It is an EVA foam.

We installed over a concrete slab, and I don't hear footfalls when I walk across it any more than the sheet vinyl that was here prior to this.

Follow the manufacturer instructions for any floor you put in. Purchase a quality material so that the locking mechanisms don't break, and enjoy your new floors once they are installed.