We own a custom cabinet shop and most of our customers are going with some kind of stone these days because that is "what everyone else is using". But guess what I have...Laminate. I love it! For the cost difference, ease in care, and beauty of the product, I can't justify spending the extra for my lifestyle, social status, property value, etc. There are some beautiful stone look-alikes in laminates and it is much more durable than it was years ago.
As for the Corian-type (solid surface) counter tops. It is about as pricey as stone and more subject to cracking. My husband worked for a guy years ago that replaced the Corian in the area over their dishwasher twice because of cracking. They thought it was from the heat from the dishwasher making it expand in that area more than the surrounding areas. Our neighbors had theirs crack under their crockpot. I would not recommend this type of product.
Sandygirl has some excellent suggestions to evaluate your needs. The other thing I would think about is, if you are just replacing your countertops and not the cabinets, are you spending thousands on new counters when underneath are still old cabinets? If you are not replacing the cabinets, I would suggest not spending the money on stone.