Product review (5 stars): Amazing washer, but keep in mind that Program Mode is not yet available at the time of this review (Sept 2014)
One important thing to know about this washer is that there does not seem to be a way to access the Program Mode (Maximum Water Level, Water+, etc.). The button combination for the W3033/35/37 does not work on the W3038 (or, rather, brings up Service Mode), and Miele support has not yet been able to tell me if the menu is accessible at all on the new model. If you have very soft water and rely on adjusted water level settings, you might want to give Miele a call first to see if this issue has been resolved before you buy.

I saw some conflicting data on drum capacity of the 3037 and 3038, so gave Miele a call and they said the drum sizes were the same in both models. The only difference is some changes to the electronics to make the machine even more reliable. I decided to go for the newer 3038 which had just been released, and have been loving it ever since!

Miele washers are an absolute delight. I am still experimenting with different settings and detergent amounts (google Miele cheat sheet if you need some help, it has helped me greatly), but I've been amazed at how clean a "bare bones" - no prewash or extended wash selected - Wrinkle Free/Hot cycle gets my husband's dress shirts with just 3 tbsp&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Color-Megapearls-Laundry-Detergent-48-Loads-3-24kg-detergent-by-Persil/dp/B003N4HOZY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Color Megapearls Laundry Detergent (48 Loads) 3.24kg detergent by Persil</a>&nbsp;and 1/2 tbsp each of&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Sodium-Percarbonate-Uncoated-Kosher-2-5-Lb-pack/dp/B00GP70HTG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Sodium Percarbonate Uncoated/ Kosher 2.5 Lb. pack</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Sodium-Tripolyphosphate-10-Lb-Pack/dp/B00IXXTHSC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Sodium Tripolyphosphate 10 Lb Pack</a>.
We used to send out his shirts, and they would always come back with a little bit of collar/cuff grime left, not to mention how rough that was on the fabric. I thought those stains were there for good, considering how many times they had gone through the dryer, but the Miele managed to get them out after only one wash.

The Handwash and Delicates settings are also great - for the first time I'm willing to trust silks and cashmeres to a washer instead of doing them by hand. I even washed an Alfred Angelo wedding gown on the Delicates setting (complete with long train, boning and crinolines), only to have it come out looking brand new - this should also give an idea of drum capacity, although it was definitely stuffed pretty full.
I've yet to try out some of the more specific MasterCare settings, but each load I've done so far has come out wonderfully. And another surprising thing for me was that in spite of the low water levels and our moderately hard water, the machine rinses detergent out completely. I actually would have preferred a tiny bit more Persil scent in my clean clothes!

The Pillows mode does wonders for down jackets along with&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Miele-Down/dp/B005MRCFFE/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Miele Down</a>&nbsp;wash - it literally resurrected several jackets that I was about to throw away, since they looked much too dirty after two seasons of heavy use. I was a little worried that a knee-length down coat would be too big for the 2 cu.ft. drum, but there was even room to spare.

The washer is very quiet, and even though it vibrates quite a bit on the highest spin settings, we can barely hear it from the next room even with the door open - the draining is probably the loudest noise it makes.
It uses a VERY small amount of water. If you are not used to HE front loaders, you will wonder if there is anything wrong with your machine, since no water will be visible through the door. This is perfectly normal! And in spite of that it washes and rinses better than any other machine I have ever used. Another bonus - on many cycles you will be able to open the drum door to add something after the washer has started, since there is no danger of water spilling out of the machine. If you prefer higher water levels for a certain load, the Delicates setting is a good option, however it does not engage the heater, and water temperature will be lukewarm at most.

I also wipe off the rubber seal, remove the detergent dispenser and make sure to keep the door wide open overnight at the end of each laundry day (I never lock the door when not in use, always leave it slightly ajar). Even though Mieles are not prone to mold, I feel like prevention is very important. Once a month I run a maintenance cycle as recommended in the manual - set the washer to Sanitize/Sanitize and add your regular amount of detergent (I prefer the Persil Megaperls for this).

Update March 28, 2015: Now that I've had the Miele for a while, I think the only thing I would have preferred to change in the washer is to have a touch more flexibility with the settings. For example, every now and then half way through the wash I realize that a load could use a little more tumbling or an extra spin, but you can only add those in the first 5 minutes of the cycle or so. Pressing the Extended or Sensitive buttons after that, or trying to change the spin speed is not an option. I'm also missing a 45 minute cycle for lightly soiled clothes that I wouldn't trust to the 30 minute Express cycle. Other than that every load of laundry still brings me as much joy as in the very beginning!

We also have the stacking kit and matching&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/T8023C-Miele-Touchtronic-Large-Capacity-Condenser-Dryer-with-Stainless-Honeycomb-Drum-White/dp/B00FRJUJ32/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">T8023C Miele Touchtronic Large Capacity Condenser Dryer with Stainless Honeycomb Drum - White</a>&nbsp;that I have reviewed.

******************

I thought I would start adding some info on cycles and washing tips and tricks as they come up.

- Here are the temperature settings in C and F: No Heat - tap cold temperature (might not dissolve powder detergents properly, so use only with liquids); Cold - 30C/86F; Warm - 40C/104F; Very Warm - 50C/122F; Hot - 60C/140F; Sanitize - 70C/158F.

- For down jackets and pillows, I always do a Beach Towels setting first - it has fairly high water levels and a fast spin to really saturate the down and prepare it for the Pillows cycle.

- If you want to imitate a true European "profile wash" (tap cold fill, heating up gradually to the desired temp with the onboard heater - great for all types of stains, especially proteins that are best removed with cold water and can be set with a hot water fill), you have two options: either add Heavy Soil, which is a 30 minute cold fill gradually heating prewash, or set one of the No Heat fill cycles to No Heat (Wrinkle Free and Custom are my favorites for this) and 5 minutes after the start of the cycle when the machine has filled and tumbled with cold water switch the temperature to the desired heat - the machine will have to engage the built in heater to heat up the water. If you are going from No Heat to Hot or Sensitive, you might want to choose Extended, to make sure the heater has enough time to do its work.

- This one is fairly obvious, but adding just in case - if you want to soak your clothes, the machine can just be turned off during the cycle and left for a while. Once you are ready to continue, press the on button again and continue the wash. You can even cancel the cycle to drain the water, and start a new wash if you prefer.

- There's quite a bit of debate on what exactly causes "smelly washer syndrome" - mold and smells in frontloaders, but it seems that as long as you run regular hot washes with powder detergent and air out the machine, you should be safe. The combination of cold water washes only and liquid detergent seems to be the root cause in many cases.

- Keep in mind that Cold in most modes is actually 30C/86F - that's what a lot of conventional washers label as "Warm"! You shouldn't have any issues with powder detergents dissolving at this temperature. If you are washing some very delicate silk/cashmere items you might want to opt for No Heat instead - that's tap cold fill.

- I currently use Custom for most of my regular loads, and Wrinkle Free for sheets and dress shirts. I wash blacks on Cold (if the load is extra dirty I either go up to Warm and/or turn off the washer for a while once the water reaches the desired temperature to let it soak), colors on Warm and whites on Very Warm or Hot, depending on how much whitening is needed.

- Normal mode does not engage the onboard heater, and allows only Max spin speed. I use this cycle for towels and dog bedding.