I have been reading a few opinions in the group concerning Hardieplank
versus vinyl siding.
I was suprised to see how many people who were pro vinyl and
anti-hardieplank. I am a homeowner who had a housefire from lightning
and my contrctor quit and ran off with a chunk of my money. I basically
have to do this 18x32 addition myself with the funds left. I studied
the many options for siding before I got to the actually time to put it
on. Of course, brick would be my first choice because the existing
structure is brick. But because trying to match brick color and texture
is next to impossible, and the time and cost involved, I could not go
there. So I was left with fiber cement, wood, or vinyl. Here are the
pro's and con's of each as I found out:

Wood:
PROs:
Better looking the vinyl
Stronger than vinyl
Can change color
Fairly easy to install

CONs
Termites
Rot
Paint every 5 to 10 years because wood expands/contracts-paint base
breaks
Can warp in high heat if not perfectly nailed, primered, and painted
Fairly expensive
Not pre-primered

Vinyl
PRO's:
Easy to install
Fairly inexpensive
No painting

CON's:
Sags over time no matter what brand or who installs it
Stuck with color (you can paint it, but....)
Warps in heat
Low melting point
Rattles in high wind
Will break from rock thrown from lawnmower
Traps moisture behind it

Fiber cement (Hardieplank)
PROs:
Very strong
Can change color
Resistant to termite, fire and rot
No expansion of paint base, so paint every 10 to 15 years
Pre-primered
Looks exactly like real wood

CON's:
More expensive than vinyl
Takes some skill to install
Have to paint it

I chose the Hardieplank, and I am thrilled with it. The neighbors now
want to replace the vinyl on their homes with this stuff. It is flimsy
until you get it nailed down, but once it is up, it's tough. There are
many different manufacturers of fiber cement. Hardie is what Home Depot
had. Here was the cost breakdown if you are curious:

Wood planks,trim, primer/paint: $680.00

Vinyl strips, j channel, etc: $525.00
Hardieplank, trim, paint, : $790.00

Hope this helps someone who is researching siding options.