your right, you do get what you pay for, unless you get a sale price like Kim did. Usually 2 bucks a sq foot doesnt get you much, but apparently its an inventory blowout.
I have to be real careful when explaining durability on floors. I could sell you the highest brands in the industry, and if you don't take care of it, you will destroy it. A higher quality product will just give you more insurance on milling, moisture resistance, scratch resistance, staining, gauging, denting and such, but I would never say "you bought a high end product, you can treat it like hell!"
Think of it like a car, if you buy a Lexus, you will still need to drive it respectfully, and still get oil changes, and still wash it, and keep up on the regular maintenance, just like a Toyota or a Pinto, But the Lexus will be much better to live with and probably last longer making it a great investment. But I have seen some Pinto's that still run great.
So basically what I am trying to say, is no matter what you buy, it is all up to the owner to decide how well they will live on their flooring, and how long it will last.
I have 3 kids, I need all the help I can get, so high quality is the way to go.