I'm using liquid, but you're right that they use much, much less than the old type of washer. And it'll hold a good deal more cloths in a load.
I got my Maytag at the Sears "scratch and dent" store for quite a bit less than it would have costed had I bought it at regular retail. So far, so good but I haven't had it long enough to really judge the performance.
I hope yours is as good as mine has been. I’ve had a Miele for about 7 years. I have to give my husband credit for it though. He really wanted it not me. I thought it cost too much. However it’s performance is worth it. It gets whites bright white with no bleach and never beats the cloths up like my old washer used to do. Clothes look better and last longer. And like you said, it’ll take all the clothes you can stuff into it.
On a side note, we got the matching dryer which has not lived up to the price tag. My old Kenmore was better.