I am considering engineered exotic but would like a couple of brands to pick from that have the best surface finish. I would be looking at any wear pattern at doorways and heavier used traffic patterns over a period of years. Also, would these wear patterns show up less with a matte finish top coat or a semi-gloss? the installation will be in a living family room combination.

IMO, Award brand of flooring has the toughest finish available on factory finished floors. It is called WearMax and is a ceramic enhanced urethane finish. Most others are aluminum oxide enhanced. It looks different so you should take a look at it before buying and compare.