I have Cambria and love it. DH was the one that really wanted a manufactured stone - we have a small u-shaped kitchen with two seams. Granite with any movement was not going to work and if you are not getting a fancy granite, the quartz it better, IMO. The seams are almost invisible, there are no fissures to worry about, no sealing or maintenance and no worries about staining. My KD brought the samples to our house, I fell in love with one so I never even bothered to seriously look at granites.

Cons - Both granite and quartz are very expensive in my area but the quartz is usually a lot more - up to $35 more a sf. There is a chance for thermal shock. Also, some people claim that there is yellowing if exposed to sunlight but my counters are in bright sunlight all day long and I haven't had a problem in the past year and a half. The biggest drawback is probably the bias that many granite buyers have against quartz - that it is a "fake" product, doesn't look good, etc. Quartz is pretty popular where I live so it isn't a problem but many on this forum really turn there nose up at it.

Keep in mind that there seems to be a backlash building against shiny stone countertops. I think that the popularity has probably peaked and while neither polished granite or quartz is going to go out of style you are going to see a lot more honed finishes and other options popping up.

I love my Cambria and would put it in again. It is both beautiful and functional and puts up with a lot of abuse making it the perfect choice for my family. Pick out what you love - you are going to be using it every day!

I think Skyedog said it very well, so I will just chime in with a short confirmation. We've had our Cambria quartz for a year now and there have been ZERO issues with it. Mine is a dark brown (Burnbury, Branbury? Something like that) and I have no worries about staining, fading, yellowing...anything.
I've never been a fan of granites. Sure, some of them are beautiful -- the most expensive ones are like art pieces -- but they have a lot of movement and really limit the other choices you can make. My husband wanted the quartz for the durability and the low maintenance.
FWIW!
Amy

You can't go wrong with either. I chose both ... granite on the hutch and quartz on the main counters.

Thank you all for the info. I know that the Quartz and granite are close in price so that is not helping me make my decision. Just how hot does something have to be to create a problem? I am really, really confused right now. I guess the answer is to wait until the new Cambria samples are out and pray that I fall in love or hate them. Thanks again

I would never put a hot pot/dish directly on either surface even though it's supposedly ok. Just not the way I cook.

I'm interested in this thread, as I sit here looking at a sample of Cambria in Fieldstone (grayish...). I LOVE the smooth look and the matted finish way more than granite, but I must say most of the counter top dealers I spoke with do push granite. Good to hear I'm not alone in this. As far as durability and quality, I think quartz is a great choice; to me it is more unique than the ever-present granite! I think we're going to bite the bullet on the extra cost and go for the Cambria...Does Anyone have photos of the darker colors? Greystone, Fieldstone? Would love to see a huge slab of it! Will also see what the newer colors look like! I'll keep checking back.