I would much rather pay $1,000 for a quality laminate I like than 3-4 times that for quartz or granite I don't like.
We looked at Cambria, Silestone, LG, Caesarstone, Wilsonart, Zodiaq and others carried by our fabricator. Prices varied about $10/SF from high to low. At that price, another $500 isn't going sink the boat. We went with the color we liked regardless of cost.
Q