Lots to consider here.
Yes a new washer will be more efficient but it will take years to recoup the cost of the new washer.
Yes a new washer will spin faster and get more water out of clothes before going into the dryer but it may only shave 10-15-20 minutes off the cycle time (depending on load size/fabrics).
That may save a little in gas and a little more in electricity but not a substantial amount.

Ascetically, yes a matching washer and dryer compliment each other but it's NOT necessary for them to work.

I new dryer in itself is NOT more efficient than older dryers.
They are what they are, a turning drum with forced hot air flowing through tumbling clothes. This is why there aren't Energy Star labels on dryers.

You are right, old top load washers typically do a load in 30 minutes give or take.
A new Energy Star washer will most likely take 60 minutes or more with some cycles taking less. Some cycles can reach over 2 hours with added modifiers as Steam, Pre-Wash, Extra Rinse etc.
So now your wash time will be longer and your dry time slightly less so it's a wash (no pun).

Most new washers are more quieter...that's so you don't hear them still running an hour and a half later (LOL). No, but they are more quieter since peopled have moved the washer and dryer laundry to main living areas of the home and not in the basement where it didn't mater so much how loud they were.

Yes your wife has a point with machines not matching in the future. Models seem to change fast now a days. It's done on purpose.
And don't think you'll get the same amount of years of trouble free service like your old top loader. Newer machines just don't last like they used to. That's also done on purpose.

I would hold onto your current machines until they die.

If you are going to replace your old top loader, I'd go with a front loader. Top load HE (high efficiency) machines just don't move the clothes though the water like front loaders do. Check out Youtube and see for yourself. The clothes hardly turn over.

I'm not a fan of Samsung as they seem to have a lot of complaints. LG is similar to Samsung but they might be a little better.

Whirlpool and Electrolux seem to get decent reviews as well as Speed Queen but Speed Queen is built like a tank and it's price reflects that.

If you stay with your current set up just make sure the dryer cabinet and vent is lint free to keep it running efficiently and safely.

See what other have to say.

Yes your wife has a point with machines not matching in the future. Models seem to change fast now a days. It's done on purpose.

Boom! Washer and dryer sets are, I might say, sexy now. Sleek finishes, your choice of pearlescent colors and refined control/display panels are alluring.

Can't you just picture how fresh, shiny and new your clothes will be when they emerge from the dryer's cavernous gob??

Every time I think I might want to upgrade (I wish my washer and dryer would work in harmony, too!), I just read the 1 and 2 star reviews, some being horror stories, get over my envy and realize my 10 and 14-year old pieces are doing just fine ;-)

@mimi - not an HE washer, plain old top loader. True, it's not a need based on the old one breaking, but a want for better efficiency and shorter overall cycle times. Sound like the time thing may be an issue, although I have been reading that with the correct settings on the washer and the correct detergent can go a long way in making the wash cycle as short as possible. As far as matching, I guess I'm more of a function over form, at least in this case where the washer/dryer are out of the way and not on display in the living area.

@george - Thanks for listing out all the considerations. I was under the impression that most energy efficiency came from the washer and that any gains in the dryer were just from running the dryer less, and it seems like you confirmed that. Not sure it's worth it with the additional wash times though.

It does sound like there is no real advantage to getting a new washer or dryer at moment. Just start saving up for the new matched set (including HE front load) when the time comes. For now maybe I'll get a solid core door for the laundry room and make sure it seals well.

If they work fine, I would not replace them. Then when you need to, replace what is broken. What is more important, form or function? Love the old washers, they actually clean clothes.

Regarding the matching issue, Happy Wife = Happy Life. I'm just sayin! But older machines are generally better than the newer machines. I would not replace a working washer unless there was a really good reason to do it. I just replaced mine so I could stack front loaders and have room to install some cabinetry -- and the new machines are great -- but not a bit better than the 18-year olds I got rid of. Good luck!

Consensus looks like we should stick with what we have now. Good backing reasoning as well, so I guess I'll just work on the sound issues. Thanks everyone.

@telero...
You made a comment about getting a "solid core door and making sure it seals well"...that's NOT a good thing to do.
The dryer needs to breath, they suck in a lot of air and throw it outside.
If you seal the room you'll literally choke your dryer and cause it to over heat.
Every installation instructions say to use ventilated or louvered doors.
For example Electrolux says:

DO NOT install your dryer in a closet with a solid

door.

4. Closet door ventilation required: A minimum

of 120 square inches (774.2 cm²) of opening,

equally divided at the top and bottom of the

door, is required. Openings should be located

3 inches (7.6 cm) from bottom and top of door.

Openings are required to be unobstructed

when a door is installed. A louvered door with

equivalent air openings for the full length of the

door is acceptable.

So please rethink before going forward with any changes you may be considering.

My BFF just bought a new front loader Whirlpool washer, but kept her dryer (prob 10 years old). Since the new washer spins so fast, and so much more water is extracted from her laundry compared to her top loader washer....she says the old dryer is drying clothes in almost 1/2 the time. She says she feels like she got a new washer and dryer!!

As others have said, there no need for a washer and dryer to be a matching pair. Aesthetics of matching, that's a personal issue of the owner/user not related to performance of the machines.

"So my thought was that if we got a new HE washer that would get the clothes more dry (less water use plus higher spin speed) before actually drying them, and the dryer would run less. "

Well, yes, the spin is faster. But time savings? My LG HE frontloader takes two hours and seventeen minutes to run the allergy reduction cycle.

Throughput is best with old style standard washers, like the one you currently have. New machines do several things better. But doing laundry fast is not one of those things.

In higher end home design I believe a proper laundry room has space for two washers and one dryer. A ~$3000 budget for laundry machines is probably best put towards two washers and one dryer, if space allows.

@george -- Don't worry, it's only the door to the living area that would be sealed for sound. Still plenty of airflow from the design/location of the laundry area.

@larsi -- did your friend mention if the washer does take longer to run? Or is there a setting they've found that will get the clothes adequately clean (similar to non HE/Frontload) in about the same time?

@dzz -- similar question to larsi, is the 2+ hour cycle the worst case scenario? Do you always run it with those settings, or have you tried others that are satisfactory while taking less time?

@ telero.....if you use the Quick Wash or Express cycle it is about 30 ish minutes. These cycles are for very lightly soiled items or small loads. Most he frontloaders will take about 60 mins for a cycle, with many cycles and activated options making a cycle last 2 hours!

Dryers generally last much longer than washers do (I'd bet that on this forum alone, more folks post about problems with washers than malfunctioning dryers!). Our 23-y/o dryer is doing just fine, but we're on Washer #3! So, even if you did start off with a matching set for your next purchase, odds are you'll be replacing the washer first (and facing the mismatch situation again) or replacing broken washer plus perfectly functioning dryer in order to achieve the match.

javiwa, this is so important to understand. Washers and dryers have become sweetheart sets-very sleek and sexy, almost like you kind of want to show them off.

I don't remember ever feeling like I *had* to buy a "set". Nope. If you needed one or the other, you bought it and never even gave a second thought about how pretty and matchy-matchy they were.

The washer washed and the dryer dried. Now, people actually care about their washer "talking" to their dryer.

Sigh.

My 14 year old washer was giving us problems over the past 2 years or so and now it seems it has given up the ghost. (it's a Kenmore calypso)......I am now in the market. The repair people all have said- they really will not last like they used to, so don't go for too many bells and whistles as they will be problematic- I used to go for top of the line and innovation. I am still researching but thinking of getting something very mid to low priced. (as I say still researching but definitely not going for the latest and the greatest). I am not going to replace the dryer which does match our calypso washer-until that dies.

Wow, sheilaaus122, we got rid of our Calypso about 11 years ago. I bet we both bought them about same same time when they first came out.

The Calypso was sold as a high-efficiency top loader that acted like a front loader.

I remember it needing repairs and chewing up our sheets, so we cut our losses and left it behind when we sold our home and moved.

We got a Whirlpool Duet FL washer and love it, although it doesn't match our Kenmore Elite dryer ;-)

Wow, mimi, such a bold admission! ;)

sheila - bells and whistle are only worth paying for (well, okay, maybe) if one will actually use them. That said, it's rather difficult anymore to find appliances NOT loaded up with all those features. While we're still very happy with our LG washer, I don't use the vast majority of the settings offered...would need to study the manual to figure out what they even do!

Yes I think I was a lucky one - most I don't think lasted more than 5 to 7 years. I am researching and am torn between going real simple (and inexpensive) and maybe considering a speed queen(talking bottom of the line there which would be like $800 ish). It does seem that speed queen gets uniformly positive reviews. Up in the air at this point. The funny thing is the calypso is functioning, but not well. at all. so I know my time is ticking and I need to get it replaced.

I bought a Calypso at a garage sale in 2007 (it dates to Oct 2001 per the serial number). Refurbed it, needed a couple major parts. Best toploader I've had thus far for versatility and performance. The touch panel went bad a couple months ago but I have a stash of collected spare parts to keep it running for as long as I can.

My 14 yr old fisher and paykel pair is still going strong. They were the basic model from Lowes.