I needed to replace my 10 year old Admiral basic top loader after a lightning strike fried it. I'm petite and reaching down to the bottom of top loaders has always been a bit of a challenge, so I knew I wanted a front loader. Initially I was hesitant to purchase a unit with this many bells and whistles (just more things that can break easily), but it's been 4 months and I'm quite happy with my Electrolux. It's quiet and cleans well. I especially like the steam sanitize function for washing dog bedding.