Sorry, I didn't do a good job of searching before posting (first engage brain...) and there is a ton of info on these washers. However, much of it is a year or more out of date, so if there are any owners out there with a sense of recent events (i.e. are there still big concerns over Cabrio reliability) I'd still greatly appreciate any input. Thanks.

I am a very grateful and very happy owner of a Maytag Bravos, model MTW6700. purchased in May of this year.

1) Cleaning ability - excellent, much better than any washer I've had before

2) reliability - haven't had any problems at all

3) and whether you are happy you went with a HE TL rather than a FL - absolutely

If you have any more questions, let me know. HTH

As you probably read already, the Cabrio, Oasis and Bravos are sibling machines, designed and manufactured by Whirlpool. Whether they come off the same assembly line, I cannot say. Am curious though. The Oasis was spec'd a little differently for Sears (as per usual Sears philosophy) and the Oasis was the first to get the heater. The Bravos now has a heater available and I'm not sure about the Cabrio.

There's other options too. Couple other proven machines are the GE Harmony and Fisher & Paykal. Lots of threads on them. Would be worth your time to look them over.

mara and cynic: thanks for taking the time to respond to a somewhat repetitive post. I am powering my way through all these threads and will return with any questions I can't find an answer to.

mara, I love how you always precede your Maytag experience with "I'm a very grateful..." :)
Monica

clinresga, like mara, "I'm a very grateful and happy owner" but not of a Maytag. I chose the Whirlpool Cabrio. I'll admit, I was in a crunch and didn't give myself much time to research for a new washer....I did later tho and the more I read the more confused I got! :o My first purchase was a Cabrio HE TL 6400 model. Pros: LARGE capacity (4.5 ft), Energy Star rated. Cons: Didn't clean my clothes. Nothing else mattered. Lint, grass, dirt "stuck" in creases, "sweaty" smell in work clothes, I could still smell my husband's cologne, stains that my 12 yo KA washer removed, the Cabrio 6400 did not. Because of room constraints, I couldn't use a FL but after reading all the issues with stiff and smelly laundry, mold/mildew issues and my mother's dissatisfaction with hers, I wouldn't choose to go that route even if I could. Lots of people love them tho and feel their clothes are quite clean with a FL! I'm convinced that the low water use in the HE machines just isn't enough to properly clean and rinse clothes. From what I've read, the constraints on water will be even less in the future. Returned the Cabrio 6400 for the 6200 (with agitator). I've only had it a couple weeks. So far there are no negatives. It has an "auto" water level (fills with more water than the HE) or, if I'm not happy with the auto level, I have my choice of 4 other water levels. It has nearly all of the 6400 model control panel options plus one that the 6400 didn't have....a delay wash. LOVE that! Might not be an option everyone would use but I do :) I spent $100 and purchased the Lowes 4 yr extended "bumper to bumper" warranty. It starts after the 1 yr manufacturer warranty.
While I still had and the HE TL, I spilled printer ink on a good shirt I was wearing. Pre-treated, pre-soaked but the ink didn't come out. It lightened it but still wasn't wearable. After getting the new washer I gave it one more shot before making the shirt a "grunge" item. The 6200 got 95% or more of the left over ink stain OUT. Only one small spot remains and it's so light, it's not noticeable. In fact, today I wore the shirt to town to shop and have lunch :) Good luck with your decision. It's a tough one!
Monica

Aah! Monica, you don't make it easier!! So you're really advocating a NON-HE TL.

Bravos owners: any chance (even though they are siblings) that your Bravos are somehow outperforming Monica's former 6400 Cabrio? I'm certainly concerned about Monica's description of really poor cleaning performance. I really would prefer HE performance but if I go with a TL will I sacrifice cleaning? What about a F&P? Help!

My hypothesis is that otherwise-unexplained poor Bravos/Cabrio/Oasis cleaning performance is caused by slow-to-warmup hot water. Maybe Monica and Mara can provide data points -- does the hot tap in your laundry room come out hot right away, or do you get some cold water first?

Monica - thank you for your kind words. They are much appreciated. I am truly grateful for my Maytag Bravos washer. I had had a Kenmore for eons, it had performed 'okay', but my Bravos is a thousand times better, like day and night. The Bravos holds much more laundry, too. Even dd doesn't mind washing clothes now, LOL.

clinresga, I cannot explain the reason for this, but I do know I've seen and heard MANY more complaints, both online and IRL, about the Cabrio (and Oasis) washers than the Bravos. A repairman told me the more current Bravos simply have had the bugs worked out.

suburbanmd, I've told you before that my laundry room is right off my kitchen, and I always run the kitchen tap for a moment to ensure my washer fills up with hot water when I need it.

Whenever I check the washer water temp, the hot water is always good and hot. It may make a difference that our hot water heater is set at 140 degrees, has a 'blanket' around it, and that our pipes are copper and insulated. Dh thinks these things make a difference. One thing's for sure: they don't hurt.

Remember how I've said I didn't have room for a FL? It's because the hot water heater is mere INCHES from the washer. The hot water is instant and it's set on (I believe) 140.
I don't know the answer. I just know what didn't work for me and what IS working for me. There are other variables...local water being one.
clinresga, yes, in *my* circumstance, the non HE worked much better. There are other people on this forum that that feel the same way about the low water levels of HE machines. Maybe the best advice is to be sure and purchase your new washer at a store where there is 30 day exchange policy.
Monica

I'll chime in with my recent experience with the Cabrio HE TL 6400, purchased in early September. I went in basically looking at a HE TL--and had the Bravo and Cabrio in mind. This was to replace a 17-year old Maytag that had been depositing oily stains just on my favorite white shirts..not worth the expense of repairing..

At the same time we switched to Charlie's soap...and so far my experience has been very favorable. I did read the manual and am careful about loading. Do shake things out before putting them in the dryer, so have had no problems with wrinkling. Charlie's soap and a vinegar rinse for most loads, some Oxyclean with whites...and my husband, unprompted, commented on how soft everything was -- a first, I think. Our loads are mostly on warm or cold wash. I do notice that the dryer lint trap has more lint in it than it did before. The clothing is much drier right out of the washing machine...but i haven't really seen a drop in the time on the dryer because the loads are that much bigger.

We just got our water bill, and it is down about 25% from the previous period. I'm pretty happy about that!

I should say I have not yet had to wash really dirty clothes, like when I have been out on my hands and knees in the garden...I hope it performs as well for that kind of dirt...hearing about Monikam's experience with this washer did give me pause..and I will see how ours does when I get a chance to get back in the garden.

I am about to try washing a hand-made quilt in the machine..but may need to take it around the corner to a commercial dryer, as ours may not be big enough.

saraband, you mention in passing another concern with HE TL's I've been reading about. How are the Bravos/Cabrios regarding the "clothing all twisted up" problem? Our old FL was bad in this respect and we'd like to avoid it. I will admit as well to not being very careful about doing laundry, plus our babysitter also does laundry and I'm confident she's just throwing stuff in willy nilly. So, I can't count on the clothing being nicely shaken out.

I think loading the machine correctly helps keep down the tangling..and, well, I shake things out because I want to avoid ironing at all costs...I have not experienced the extreme twisting together of clothing I've read about...and frankly I would shake stuff out when using the old washing machine, thinking it would shorten the time in the dryer! No empirical evidence to back that up...

clinresga, I've not had any problems with twisting/tangling. I did read the owner's manual - several times, actually, LOL, because HE machines are so different from traditional washers - and saw that it's best to wash jeans with other items, not alone, so I do.

saraband, I've always shaken out individual items before putting them in the dryer. My mom always did that, and old habits are hard to break.

Monica, didn't you say you were using very small amounts of laundry detergent, such as is advocated by users of FL's here? If so, I truly believe that was at least part of your problem. I use 'normal' dosages of HE detergent, following guidelines on their packaging, and my laundry is invariably VERY clean with no suds.