We have a Kenmore HE machine that's almost a year old. Before that it was a Kenmore top loader that was 17 years old. The dryer is 3 years old and also a Kenmore. It would have been nice if they'd decided to die at the same time- because they don't match, and I don't know if the dryer has the energy star rating on it or not (but if it's 3 years old I think it does).
HE machines can be kind of a pain. The door needs to be left open or mold grows and then your laundry stinks. The little drawer that the soap and such (at least in our machine) has to be taken out after we're done using it b/c again- it has water in it and it's a great place for mold to grow. And they need to be "washed" once a month- I usually just run the clean cycle with bleach in the dispenser. Also- on the bottom of the machine there should be a panel where there's a drain- that has to be emptied once a month as well. If it's like our machine- there's a ton of water left in the lines after washing, more wonderful places for mold to grow.
And we didn't get the pedistal for it (it was kind of pricey) and I'm regretting it at the moment. The machine is kind of low, so bending over can be a pain. Thankfully I'm short

But on the up side- I think we're saving water by using it. The clothes are still getting clean. My youngest decided to run a load of laundry and accidentially forgot that she had her iPod in her pants pocket. It got washed, but we were able to dry it out so she could use it again. If it had happened in a top loader- I don't know if we could have saved it or not.
Cheryl