I am not the type of person who has the always have the very best of anything, but I really like to have things that work well. My old vacuum cleaner was pretty inexpensive and I've taken great care of it, but you can sort of smell the dust after vacuuming so I decided after I saved some money I would invest in a good quality vacuum cleaner. I spent about two months researching and testing different models and in the end I eliminated some popular brands such as Dyson, Kirby, Rainbow, Electrolux, and all the less expensive brands. I ended up considering Sebo and Miele, both German made vacuum cleaners. I was really leaning toward the Sebo line because I had used them before and I know they work well. I ended up getting a Sebo Felix and it is really amazing! Not cheap, but as long as it lasts 8-10 years it is well worth the money. The house smells clean after vacuuming and wow does it do an amazing job cleaning my white carpets. You can see the difference in the carpet after vacuuming it, it is noticeably cleaner. If you're in the market for a new vacuum, check out Sebo!
(Thank you google images for the picture, I didn't have time to take my own.)