I think I'm a lot like you when it comes to Civ. I'm not at all an expert, but I do enjoy mucking about with these games, and I also tend to prefer cultural victories over combat. The simplified interface sounds like good news to me, since ultimately the only reason why I play these games is to feel powerful. ;)

The best news about Civilization V though, is that my PC can't run it, so that means I can't possibly get addicted to it either! Of course, if I do get a PC that will run it some day, the temptation to get this game will probably be too great to resist. So all I need to do is not upgrade my PC from now on, and to also not touch Civilization IV at all any more.