I am a novice when it applies to front loaders, unlike so many of the astute members of this forum, but I have owned the 617 washer and dryer for 4 months now so I am responding.

Cons?. Not really.. It is more a matter of getting accustomed to the way your machine works. Uses less water, but items are saturated and are really clean. No allergen cycle on washer( but on dryer) but I never had one so I do not miss it.. There is a degree of finding some cycles do not allow options to be chosen as you might try, but again, I have not found that to be an issue and items come out just fine..

Pros? My clothing and linens have never been this clean.. No pilling, no shrinkage.. One cycle that I never dreamed I would use is the Delay Start and I really like it!. You can set it up to 12 hours ahead.. I am sluggish most mornings so instead, I load up the evening before and the next morning, while I drink my coffee, the washer is doing its thing. I also like the mixing of detergent before releasing. It is an improvement over not mixing and possibly leaving undissolved detergent to hit your items.

I use mostly powdered detergents, Cheer or Persil, never use cold to wash, but rather warm and when I want a true hot wash, I use the Whitest Whites cycle. And always, the extra rinse option.

i probably could have done well with the smaller Elux compact as it is only me and my biggest problem is finding enough things to put in a load.. Even then, when I have taken a chance with smaller loads, all went great. No error codes :)

It is difficult to address what your needs and likes might be so I hope this helps somewhat.. Am I happy with my Elux 617? You bet! Look at the reviews...very high ratings so I am not alone in my " happiness"..