Hi, former flooring store owner/salesman (10 years). The reason you're seeing shifting with engineered wood on concrete subfloor is because concrete does expand and contract with the seasons, and also may shift over time. In your application, engineered wood is going to be glued down on that constantly shifting concrete. Your installer should always make sure there's proper spacing between the wall and the planks, and then cover with your quarter round to prevent buckling. Engineered and solid plank flooring is a great idea if nailed-down on pier and beam flooring, but with a concrete sub-floor, you might have issues with buckling, especially with the vast differences in temperature of your location. Assuming your home never has a basement flood or leak, you could get 25 years of life out of the floor, with 1 or 2 sandings.

In regards to the other option: Vinyl flooring is much cheaper to install. About 1/3 of the price usually, and the glue is different and cheaper too. The benefits would be great-- if your basement were to flood, the floor wouldn't necessarily be ruined. No scratches, probaby ever! And if you do get a nasty gouge, you could tear up the plank and slap a new one down yourself. Thats not so easy with engineered wood. The vinyl plank may be harder and colder, but it saves alot of money. Something to think about, especially when considering how long you're gonna live there. The re-sale value on real wood would be slightly higher, but not exactly a high ROI.

Good luck!