Mike, what I know about washing machines from personal experience is just about the fairly old Kenmore that I have, but I wouldn't suggest that you give much weight to my limited personal experience(or anybody else's). This is one of the areas where Consumer Reports does a good job with thorough testing and I'd rely on their results rather than anyone's suggestions.
Michael has already pretty much saved you the $20 by listing some of the results from the February issue(which I have). The Frigidaire Gallery washer is the front-loading best buy for around $650. The companion Frigidaire Gallery dryer(GLER104FS)is middling in the ratings, but very good, and at a good price around $400. The GE Profile dryer for around $500 was rated slightly higher.
