I bought the Whirlpool Duet front-loader perhaps six years ago, and -- at that point -- the salesperson told me that it makes up 90% of the sales. If this is still true, there's value in owning the same machine as "everyone else". Parts will continue to be available.
I'm happy with it, but I'm not sure it was worth the splurge. I mean, my clothes get clean, but I haven't seen big reductions in my water bill. I LOVE that it tells me exactly how many minutes are left 'til my load is finished. I LOVE that it washes a ton of clothes at once, and I LOVE the absence of that big agitator in the middle of the washing machine. I like the little slide tray into which I drop the soap.
Would I buy it again? I don't know. I hope not to face that question anytime soon.
If you buy the front loader, do read the manual. LOTS of people complain about mildew-y smells . . . but if they'd read their instructions, they'd know that you're supposed to leave the door cracked when you're not using it, and they'd know that once a month you're supposed to run a "cleaning cycle" (it's a cycle, right there on the dial) with a cup of bleach.