Vinyl or hardboard siding?

[SG]

Which is the best siding. We have decided to purchase a Solitaire home, but now we are trying to decide which siding will be best. Which one will last longer? I have to admit, the thought of never having to paint sounds wonderful, but I have read some complaints from other home owners about their vinyl siding buckling on their home.
What about energy savings? Will that be effected by the type of siding, or are they both the same.
Thanks for your help.
SG
Oklahoma

[Jon]

SG:
Everyone needs to decide these things for themselves. Almost all of our homes have vinyl siding and we've had no complaints. Buckling vinyl is most likely to be caused by the home having settled out-of-level, usually the result of a poor installation. Energy savings should not be affected to any significant degree if vinyl is selected. In fact, choosing the energy savings package with extra insulation almost always makes sense.

[rmurray]

I think this is much more personal choice...The siding problem (s?) you have seen here is unusual and almost always from poor installation or imporper set up and settling...Of course if this happems it can and does effect hardboard siding as well...

Hardboard siding of the past has had horrible problems..Enough to have had huge class action law suits that were successful...I assume the product today is a different product than those of the past...

Some folks like the idea that you can change the color of the exterior easily..Painting is not required very often (our 25 year old office with very high quality hard board has never been painted...although it could use it now)...But you can change the look as often as you like...

There are energy things to be concerned with...but siding is the least to wory about..Check out www.energystar.gov for good info on the most energy efficisnt homes...