The Bosch 800 Series still does what made the brand famous: cleans thoroughly without pre-rinsing, runs quieter than your refrigerator, and CrystalDry actually delivers bone-dry plastics. The gamble is that recent USA-made models are failing early, pumps giving out before year two and door latches popping open mid-cycle, problems the old German-built units rarely saw. If you find a German-made 800 (increasingly rare) or score a killer deal on a USA model with a solid warranty, the performance justifies the premium. At full retail on a current unit, you're paying Miele money for reliability that now lands closer to mainstream brands.
This compact front-loader built its name on machines that genuinely ran 15-20 years with almost no repairs, the kind of longevity that makes $2000-3000 feel reasonable. The newer W2 and Nova models show a troubling slide: rattling and ticking noises on brand-new units, TwinDos detergent systems clogging within months, and service reps dismissing legitimate complaints as non-defects while refusing warranty coverage. The 2.4 cubic foot drum is the other constraint, perfect for tight spaces and couples but forcing American families into multiple loads for king bedding or bulky items a standard washer handles in one. Buy an older W1 if you can find it and need the compact footprint; skip current stock unless you're prepared to fight for warranty service or pay steep out-of-pocket repair bills.