Product review (5 stars): Yes, this HE washer is amazing technology
I've read about as many reviews on the Cabrio line that I could, and still went ahead with buying one myself (WTW5700XW3), plus the matching Cabrio dryer.  Instead of just being a cheerleader or basher...I'd like to just dive in and list some observations about what I see when I wash clothes in my Cabrio and then contrast it with what I read in all the negative reviews.  You can be the judge on what you think.

First off, this Cabrio doesn't just shut off in the middle of a load.  It actually pauses to let gravity drain the load for a minute or two and also does water level checks.  Yes, it sounds like the washer just died; falling completely silent. Yes, your traditional washer doesn't do this. Yes, there seems to be a lot more logic in this machine making decisions for you along the way to optimize the washing process. In the end....it will continue on just fine, if you let it...

In the beginning cycle where it does the sensor stage to determine the load, you would think the sensor stage is done after a few brief spins with no water.  I thought the same, but the sensor cycle is a little longer. The washer runs for a couple minutes with just a little water added, but it's STILL part of the sensing cycle (note the light hasn't changed to the wash cycle yet).  The clothes are actually absorbing the first dump of water as the machine tosses them around.  The washer will pause again and then add additional water after it has checked how much the clothes have absorbed.  Of course, the water level will never be above the clothes like a traditional washer, since the clothes need to press against the bottom washer plate to be moved around.  This is also the part that most are getting hung up on, or can't accept.  If you watch closely between the clothes, you will see a level of water under the clothes.  The clothes will churn out, under (into the water/detergent brine mix), and the back up the center.

The clothes actually do move throughout the washer from center to outside in a donut fashion, it's just in slow motion.  If you are used to a traditional washers, where the clothes slush around gallons of water in a fairly fast pattern, then you will need to re-adjust your brain for how this HE process works......and yes.....it does work!

Now for big sheets/towels/blankets/etc.. the "bulky" setting is the one you want.  It'll use much more water, but it will also allow the large items to churn in the wash cycle correctly.  Using the Bulky cycle is next to worthless for regular loads, because the wash plate at the bottom will not come in contact with the clothes and move them correctly.  It's tempting to set all your regular loads to Bulky to satisfy your old cravings for gallons of water sloshing around, but that is not how an HE washer works.  Do that, and you will be frustrated (hence the gobs of negative reviews).

My favorite cycles are "quick wash" and "normal".  Quick wash is really useful if you just have lightly soiled clothes.  Let's say something like the clothes wore to an office, verses construction work.  The cycle is pretty much identical to the Normal cycle, but runs about a one half hour only.  The Normal cycle handles most everything else, plus whites.  The washer has a whites setting, but then it burns hot water and runs a longer than normal cycle.  If your whites are in hurting condition, then by all means go for the whites setting.  For me, my whites are not in that much of a need for aggressive cleaning.

I have thrown just about every type of clothes at this washer (work, play, blankets, towels, sheets, etc...) and it has performed flawlessly.  The clothes are clean! The water usage is low.  The washer is reliable with no baby-sitting/re-balancing of the cycles required so far. Since my model of Cabrio (5700) has the glass lid, I can see the clothes churn several times down and around the drum; coming back up the center every 2-3 minutes.  All clothes are cycling through the water/detergent brine several times.  I have seen nothing that is left bobbing on top totally dry at the end of the cycle, like some other comments have said. Dryer time is also reduced significantly because the washer does such an excellent job on the spin cycle to remove most of the water from the clothes.  The clothes come out of my dryer with no wrinkles.  I can understand what folks are seeing when they take the clothes damp, to almost dry, out of the HE washer.  The clothes will dry just fine in the dryer with the wrinkles gone.  Again, folks with traditional washers might be used to their clothes being a lot wetter coming out of the washer; but I never found that to be a feature/benefit.

In conclusion, I don't fault the consumer as much as the companies that have designed these HE washers.  They have obviously dropped the ball on educating the public about what really is going on with these machines.  Just saying they use less water, and the water line will be below your clothes doesn't cut it.  You make a new technology HE washer, and then the consumer sees it stop at times for minutes thinking it died, then not explaining the details of the cycles and what it's accomplishing (sensor technology?  tell the consumer more about how it does this and the fill lines, the flow of the clothes, etc...), and then these companies just tell you it makes different sounds you not used to and all is fine???  ....well....to me this paradigm shift is like we're going from horse-n-buggy technology to gas powered automobile technology with these HE washers .....and the folks using them are still looking for the ropes to giddy-up.

I would highly recommend this HE washer to anyone that wants to significantly reduce their water consumption and have clean clothes.  My water costs were high. This HE Cabrio washer put a significant dent in the water consumption.  Now, if you can't get your head around what's going on inside these HE washers and agree with how they work, then stick with what you know. Buy a traditional washing machine that fills the bucket full of gallons of water, and be at ease with your decision.  As for me, I look forward to doing laundry every time with my Cabrio, and the savings it brings.

UPDATE 1/25/2017:  Well, it's been a few years and the washer is still going strong.  Enjoy using it just as much as the first year.  Only repair I had to make was a shift actuator module&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Whirlpool-W10006355-Actuator/dp/B00DM8KQ2Y/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Whirlpool W10006355 Actuator</a>&nbsp;that prevented it from spinning.  This occurred about 3 years into having the washer.  The part cost me about $30 on Amazon and replacing it only took removing a couple screws to replace it.  About 10 minutes of work.  Other than that one repair, it's been rock solid.  Clothes still come out clean and everything functions just perfect.