I bought this vacuum in Nov. and have been happy so far! I can really tell a difference after vacuuming with my Oreck. I live in an apartment and the carpet is not the best. You can actually see the lines where I have just vacuumed! I feel like it picks up well and gets the job done. My Sister In Law bought one after me and she loves it. Her house is much bigger than my apartment and with 3 kids 1 being a toddler a dog and a husband she loves hers as well. I think this is a good vaccum and if you are going to spend $500 it is well worth it. I look at it this way, you can pay it out monthly interest free unlike other high end vacuums. You get a 10 yr warranty with a free tune up each yr. I think its worth it!