Yes, but then you miss out on auto-completion for searches. Hence, why I prefer the separate bars. If I know the URL or title of the page (for FF's Awesomebar)

Yes, but then you miss out on auto-completion for searches. Hence, why I prefer the separate bars. If I know the URL or title of the page (for FF's Awesomebar), cmd+L (URL bar). If I want to search, cmd+K (search box). It's all personal preference, and there's no universally correct answer.