according to the DEP here in NJ, the front-loaders get clothes cleaner and are cheaper to run because they use a fraction of the amount of water. BUT have you seen the comparative prices? i looked at them at the Home Depot and they are a lot more than top loaders. i thought it would save my back if i didn't have to keep bending all the way over to empty the top-loader but the front-loader had me bending also.
in my case, the immediate cost will be the determining factor.