I did a lot of comparisons before I bought my Fischer & Paykel washing machine.  It was one of the more expensive machines at the outset, but the promised savings in electricity and water led me to  buy it.   I've had the machine about 4 months and I LOVE it.  Yes, it sounds a little like an airplane taking off when it goes into the spin cycle, but by golly when it's done, the clothes are barely damp---making the time they spend in the dryer 30m or less.  It's also as advertised when it comes to water use.  My monthly water bill has been a little smaller than it used to be--the only variable...