What happened to the Kenmore Elite Series?

[stricklybojack]

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These look to be low line stylewise.
These machines, although likely fine performers, really seem to highlight how desperate Sears was then...and is again now interestingly enough!
I mean squeezing ever penny to the point you offer NO trim at all whatsoever on your Deluxe offering.

 

[potatochips]

Not very Elite is right!

Ive also never understood this particular model of the Elite series, an entry level "BOL elite".

 

Althought nicely styled, the washer and dryer have many features the 80 and 90 Series at the time had... Not even fully variable water level! I prefer the Elite machines with the Catalyst option, or even the one with the automatic softener dispenser. The dryers in the Elite lineup Ive seen had lights like Maytags dryness monitor.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Yeah that dryer looks just about like my parents' BOL Kenmore they bought in 2004. Only difference is two extra knobs, looks like for dryness level and cycle signal, maybe. And it has a drop down door with basket lint filter, where theirs has side opening door with filter on top.

Were the TOL models with the touchpad controls and fluorescent panel light ever badged as Elite? Seems like the last of them were, but maybe I'm thinking of Lady Kenmore.

Obviously these date from a later time than that, but you would have thought they would offer something, maybe a different style console, a small panel light, or a bit of trim to differentiate them from all of the others with that same console. The only real difference I'm seeing is that gray paint around the options.