The choice between Maven and Gradle depends on the specific needs and preferences of a project. Maven is known for its convention over configuration approach and is widely used for Java projects. It has a large repository of plugins and a strong community. Gradle, on the other hand, offers more flexibility and is known for its performance and incremental builds. It uses a Groovy-based DSL, which some developers find more intuitive. Ultimately, the decision should be based on the project's requirements, team familiarity, and the specific features needed.

For non-trivial build situations, without question Gradle is the better tool. Maven works in simple cases, even though it is still overly verbose. However, for any project with unique needs it's best to go with Gradle. I've reached the point where I have been burned by Maven enough that I simply always use Gradle. I will convert a project from Ant or Maven in many cases, just to save myself the future pain. There is a benefit to Maven's structured approach, but it can quickly break down in the real world. If your build fits nicely, use it. When you notice that things aren't fitting Maven's structure as well as they did in the beginning - switch to Gradle ASAP.