A high efficiency clothes washer may cost more than many standard efficiency models, but the extra cost should be recouped in about five to seven years. Consider buying a high efficiency washer if the local cost of energy or water is high. Also, if you need to do a lot of laundry, buying a high efficiency machine makes sense because the energy and water cost savings will accumulate quicker. However, if you primarily wash with cold water, the energy savings of a high efficiency model will be much lower as there is no need to heat water. During the past decade, the energy efficiency of standard top-loading washers has doubled.
Most new models offer various controls over wash and rinse temperatures and load size.
Certain high-end machines automatically sense load size, dirtiness of water, and fabric type and adjust water level and wash cycle automatically. The answer to these questions appears to be yes.