I don't look upon CR as the infallible word of god, but their tests allow you to know a particular machine's strengths and weaknesses.
I rarely make my purchase from the top end of their lists, mostly because brands like Kenmore and Bosch aren't available in my tiny village, and I like to buy from local mom/pop shops.
For instance, I chose the TOL Maytag even though it was more than halfway down CR's DW list. You really need to go by the total points a machine is given rather than how far down the list it is. The Bosch (pictured above) at the top of CR's list scores only 11 points (out of 100) higher than my Maytag. The Maytag loses points for water/energy use issues. And it is louder than the Bosch and the upper-end Kenmore I've heard at friends' houses. I'd hardly call it noisy, though.
What impresses me most is the way the Maytag handles pots/pans/casseroles, which is something CR doesn't test. I made a cheesy vegetable casserole last night and had to put the large, deep Corning Ware dish (with lots of baked on mess) in the top rack. I was exhausted, and instead of giving it a little pre-rinse, I just said "F*** it!" and threw it in. I set the controls for the heart of the sun---Heavy Wash cycle, Tough Scrub Plus, Heated Wash and 160 Degree Wash (actually a 160 degree final rinse) options---and this morning I had a perfectly spotless casserole. FROM THE TOP RACK! I was totally amazed. Wish I'd taken before/after pictures.
I was also initially skeptical of Maytag's slanted upper rack. Now I think it's one of the machine's best features. It really makes loading so much more flexible than with many machines. I can put 10-3/4" dinner plates in the upper rack and a tall pasta pot in the lower rack at the same time.
I understand CR's future DW cleaning scores are going to factor in how a machine handles pots/pans/casseroles, which I think is LONG overdue. Many people put those items in the DW nowadays and deserve to know if their machine will handle the job.
