Personally I'm not a Miele fan but people swear by them like Speed Queen.

The 160 should be a good starting point if you're looking to invest in a Miele.

Make sure your have a repair facility near you that specializes in Miele should you need repairs.

Miele has repair techs who come to you. No worries for years with their washers. 160 for me although my older model doesn't need replacing. Miele began as a washer company.

" What is most important to me is an on-board heater/sanitize cycle.

1. Browse the washing machine web page.
2. Click 'Filter' and select the Cleaning Performance features you want.
3. Click 'Show Results'
4. Compare the resulting washers.
5. Read the user manual of the selected product to confirm

It appears that all have a water heater but none soak.

I ended up buying the 160 and have been very pleased with it so far -- wow the clothes are CLEAN!

But I do somewhat regret not bumping up to the 660. I assumed the base model would have an extra rinse function but nope, no extra rinse or rinse-only option on the 160. That's what I get for assuming... Best I can do there is run a proofing or express cycle if I really need to. I set the machine to maximum rinse level and for the most part it is rinsing well as long as I don't over-dose the detergent.

I'm tempted to call the store to see if they'll exchange it, but I doubt it...

Even so, the performance so far is outstanding. It's only a week in so time will tell if this has been a good investment; I'm optimistic it will be. :0)

Like porkchop I sometimes wish I had an extra rinse option on my base model miele. This is like a psychological desire, not based on an observable laundry need, lol. Overall I love the machine. I did go up one level for the dryer, for a steam feature that's disappointing.

"This is like a psychological desire, not based on an observable laundry need, lol."

You know, I think that's it for me too -- I don't have it so it's bugging me but if I had it I wouldn't use it. Or at least not very often. LOL!

"I did go up one level for the dryer, for a steam feature that's disappointing."

I went up a level on the dryer for the door style, not the steam function. I didn't want the opaque door of the base model. There's definitely a learning curve to the dryer, I'm still trying to figure out the right settings so that my clothes don't come out all crumpled.

I will give props to the fact that there is zero static with this ventless contraption. I mean ZERO.

Almost 4 years ago I decided to go all out and invest in the Miele WXR860/TXR860 set. I considered all models from their range and utimately decided to get their top of the line.

I love the TwinDos auto-dosing feature and the ability to customize/save my favorite cycles. My model does indeed have a soak option, anywhere from 30 minutes to 6 hours. It will tumble about every 5 minutes during the soak.

Both the washer and dryer are a little louder than I expected for premium appliances. But my laundry has never been cleaner. I do not have any regrets and am so happy I went all in. 100% recommend Miele.

Miele has a good comparison tool on their site. For me, the main thing missing in the 160 was an interior drum light. I have that in my W3038 and I find it really helpful. I wouldn't want a washer without that.

When I replied, I didn't realize you had already made the decision.

Maybe just my poor eyesight, but it helps me see small clothing items like socks that may be stuck to the drum more easily. I have a stacked setup (so not as easy to see into the drum unless I kneel/squat, which I don't due to a bad back) and manually roll the drum to check for clothing stuck to the drum when unloading.

"...but it helps me see small clothing items like socks that may be stuck to the drum more easily. I have a stacked setup (to not as easy to see into the drum unless I kneel..."

Yea, that makes sense, especially with dark clothing. On the pedestals it's easy to just take a peek to make sure I got everything; it would be a lot harder to see with the machine on the ground, they sit so low. I have the light in the dryer.