Interesting...
I always thought that TLs washed faster than FLs, due to the former's higher water usage and agitator motions. However, my last washer (Frigidaire TL w/ agitator), had LONG cycle times; a Normal cycle lasted about 75 minutes. I think the 90-minute cycle is referencing a "heavy duty" wash.
My current GE FL has a normal cycle that lasts 55 minutes with the default settings (normal soil level, warm water, high spin speed). That's an improvement over the Frigidaire, but I still feel like wash cycles take forever with a front-loader. This is based on my past experience with the LG at my old house. Other cycles, like "towels" and "bulky bedding" take a little bit longer.
I use All Free & Clear liquid as my main detergent (poured into the SmartDispense tank), and it has given me consistently great washing results every time, regardless of temperature. I use OxiClean in a hot water cycle if laundry is really dirty, including kitchen towels (they get stained with food all the time). And, since I work in food service as a dishwasher, I recently started to "quick wash" my chef coat and aprons in hot water with a teaspoon of liquid dish soap poured into the drawer. It helps to loosen the food and grease stains before washing them with the rest of my laundry.
A Whites cycle in my GE takes about 90 minutes, largely because steam is automatically used. It is injected into the load before the washer fills with water.