I went to home depot, had a .99 cent/foot product picked out. Guy working there said he was not on commission, buy whatever you like best but...then he took out his car keys and scratched the heck out of the pergo xp. Not a scratch. He told me if you did that on the .99 cent junk, it would be ruined. I spent the extra buck fifty a foot, more than I had budgeted, but the wife was with me, whaddya do. This was my first floor install, and it still went pretty quick.
that was 2 years ago, looks like the day I put it in, although it hasn't gotten soaked or anything, it seems very durable.
little cold in the winter, but I guess they are all like that.