Surfacing topology

I have a question about surfacing, is it a good practice tostick to creating 3-sided and 4-sided patches or is there no realharm in creating a single complex surface often generated with aloft.

I've found 4-sided patches to be very convenient and quitemalleable for making edges tangent or curvature continous.

Is there any truth to my feelings about trying to stick to 4-sidedsurfaces?
Cheers,
KevinSolidworksSurfacing