It looks like you are looking for the "perfect" or "best" vacuum cleaner. Well, you arenÂt going to find it. Every vacuum cleaner is going to have a negative drawback for each individual and they are sometimes going to be different for everyone. You are going to have to find what works best for you.

I have to say that yellow is not going to clean your home better. Having a telescopic wand makes switching from one cleaning job to the next a little bit faster. You can vacuum the floor with the wand set at a comfortable length, then move to vacuum the drapes by shortening the wand to half size. You can shorten the length of the wand to half size if you want to vacuum the furniture standing upright instead of bending over or sitting down; only using the end of the hose. Doing all of this is easier than changing two wands. None of it is difficult though, just a little faster. If you are using one of the wands and want to go back to cleaning the floor, you will have to look around the room for the other wand. If you had the telescopic wand, you just have to lengthen the wand to a comfortable length.

Some sort of suction control is good if you are vacuuming something delicate like lampshades or the family cat.

In regard to weight, you are the one who is going to have to decide that. The Naturell, and other S200 series Mieles, are not that heavy.

Thank you for explaining the wand and the suction control. Since I've never had either one, and I've never felt the loss of them, it is probably safe to say that I could save myself $120 and be happy with the Naturell.

But now that I know about telescoping wands....
Ah, ignorance was bliss!

Decisions, decisions...

The only guy in town with a Naturell available is a grumpy meanie. So perhaps the final decision will be do I want to pay extra (and get the Carina elsewhere) to avoid giving the grumpy meanie my business. It gets murky when ethics enters the thinking process.

Thank you again for helping me to clarify a few things before I drag my 2 little boys on a longish car trip to try out vacuums!

:-)

Francy

BTW, the Naturell S246 should weigh no more than 12lbs.

Additionally:

You could also add a HEPA filter to the Carina if your children are toddlers or anyone in your family has breathing issues.

The Naturell is based on 15 year old styling while the Carina is Miele's newest version.

Oh I forgot the Naturell is Assembled in China while the Carina is Made in Germany.

(We have a huge trading deficit with China (a communist country with near slave labor policies) and they vie for oil with us... while the Germans have invested in Wind and alternative energy sources) Just a thought.

Lucky-does it say made in China on the Naturell? I emailed Miele the other day with my questions about the two vacuums, and I specifically asked where each was made. The guy who replied said the Naturell was made in Germany. (I wondered if he might be incorrect since it is the cheapest Miele.) The Germany/China issue could certainly end this indecision of mine! What's the truth?

I still haven't made a decision, and my floors are getting dustier and dustier.

I like the styling of the naturell the best. I like the price the best.

But now I'm tempted by the extra features on the Carina (which I've never had before, so maybe I don't need them. But maybe I'd really enjoy them.) And the only Naturell I can find is sold by a grumpy meanie.

*sigh* I'm babbling...

Francy

Written on the box

"Made By Miele. Assembled in China from components of Germany and China"

I do I do and I have had it for two years now. It is a wonderful basic vac. Traded in a crummy electrolux oxy3 for it. I checked you question about China/Germany. The vac is assembled in China - yes. But the engineering is German. Now, before I bought the dealer showed me the new ones too. I looked at the sky blue model - neptune or something like that. He ran a vac meter on it and the naturelle and the naturelle was much stronger. I did it myself too and it was more powerful. He said it had to do with the air thru-put as if to say the housing and the non-hepa design made it work better.

Stick with the orginal electrolux now owned by Aerus, Made in the USA, the same electrolux company your grandmother and mother knew or owned..If you ever need service, they come to your house and service it...If they can't fix it in your home, they leave your a loaner till it is fixed...I DO NOT WORK FOR ELECTROLUX, just love there products..That is the orginal electrolux not the ones sold in home depot and lowes which are made by Eureka and owned by the Sweedish Electrolux company

Your comparing a Miele vacuum that was $299 with an Aerus Vacuum that is anywhere from $1,200 - $2,000 depending on the Dealer. (The Miele Capricorn with the large powerhead (about $1,200) would be a better comparison).