I didn't even consider the noise category. In my opinion, a vacuum
cleaner is not supposed to be quiet, so that doesn't bother me.
From the report, I expected it to be loud, but it's about half the
volume of our Wind Tunnel. So I can't imagine what the "quiet" models
must sound like.

Also, I bought it at a B&M where I knew I could return it, because I
wanted to judge the "ease of use" for myself. It's extremely easy to
maneuver...it's actually fun to operate compared to our old vacuum.

The hose reaches all the way to the top of our stairs with no
problems, and retracts fully.

The machine does a great job getting all the way to the baseboards,
which apparently the DC07 was poor at.

Yes, the biggest factor will be reliability. The plastic concerns me,
but I have to wonder how many complaints they'd get if they used more
metal, making it too heavy for some people.

Functionally and ergonomically, I'm happy with the Dyson. If it holds
up, I'll stay happy. If it breaks, I'll curse the name forever.