Best of all worlds... just keep it dry!
I have used the Sonicare Extreme for over 4 years, pretty much every day, twice a day.  I've never had any problems with it at all.  I use it with a few sets of Sanyo Eneloop AA's (the best!).  I knew that it was prone to issues if you got it wet, so I was careful to never get it wet, and it's been rock solid.  Before this, I had a regular Sonicare for about 2 years.  It stopped holding a charge.  That's the best part of the Sonicare Extreme.  You use replaceable batteries and never have that problem.  Hope this review gives you the confidence to try out the Extreme.
Rating: 5 stars